What Cross-Functional Teams Really Are
Cross-functional teams are a core component of agility. The idea is baked into Scrum and Extreme Programming, two frameworks that were developed before, and ultimately contributed to the creation of the Agile Manifesto. The cross-functional team concept is often misunderstood, so what does it really mean?
Servant Leadership: Going From Managing to Collaborating
Adjust your leadership from managing to collaborating while navigating the world of “agile-fall”
Servant Leadership: Ten Characteristics to Successful Agile Teams
Have you ever wondered what makes some Agile teams more effective than others? While there is no perfect formula, a team who shares common values and embodies “we” rather than “me” mindset is an essential factor to building a rockstar Agile practice.
Independently Valuable Slices are Foundational to Agile
There are very few practices that are universally optimal in all contexts. Planning the work you intend to do in small, independent, and valuable slices is one of these unicorn practices for any team that wants to be truly Agile.There are very few practices that are universally optimal in all contexts. Planning the work you intend to do in small, independent, and valuable slices is one of these unicorn practices for any team that wants to be truly Agile.
Answering Tough Questions About Agile
Agile is one of the hottest topics in today's Project Management and Development worlds. A myriad of companies are trying, or have attempted, to implement some form of Agile methodology with one or more of their teams or departments. Some have succeeded to varying degrees. Others have only partially succeeded or failed and ultimately fell back into long-standing habits.
Burn Up Charts: How to Know When the Work Is Done
Many Agile practices include burn up and burn down charts as new ways of forecasting and communicating when work will be complete. If you have been part of a Scrum team, you are probably already familiar with the burn down charts that are often used to visualize progress in each Sprint. While they are a good tool for helping teams understand their progress and adjust to daily plans as needed, they do not always provide value beyond the horizon of a single Sprint (anywhere from 1 - 4 weeks). Leaders often need longer range forecasts to support decision making and align efforts in disparate departments such as marketing and sales.