Andrea Darabos

Agile is part of the landscape of the project profession. But there are still a lot of project professionals who are unsure what Agile is. Here is an updated article from Chuck Cobb https://lnkd.in/ecuHzTff

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What does being "Agile" really mean? My colleague of many decades ago, Brian Link is the expert at this and I'm thrilled to announce that he just published his book, "The Practical Agilist Guidebook" which is a must to read! Here's how the book came about and what he shares that you can expect from it: 🙌 What started as an exercise to build an agile team assessment to be used quarterly as a retro to find topics to improve with no frameworks, scaling concerns, or scores... turned into an entirely different project. 🏆 "Measure the Mindset" is the assessment and it's also available, but in writing it I realized that the behaviors I described in each topic through low, medium, and high levels of maturity formed the basis of what I talk to teams about as an agile coach. 🧐 Being agile is about the behaviors behind the Agile Mindset. I define the agile mindset as a combination of 7 different mindsets and cultures that a team needs to embrace before it clicks and they truly get it... appreciating the why behind the mechanics. 💔 The industry is the worst it's ever been right now. The tech and agile roles portion of the industry is down 70%! So, I thought it'd be helpful to write down what I teach teams, simplified in 24 topics. Like an Agile Coach in a box! 💥 Does your team need help? Pick a topic and dig in. I describe why the topic is important, what you can do to improve yourself and even have tips for Scrum Masters and Leaders for how to support the team. Each topic also has some AI prompts to help you explore further on your own and tons of books, videos, articles and resource examples. The book is available now on Amazon. Links in the comments. Be agile my friends! Thank you in advance for checking out the book! #agile #practiceagility #agilemindset

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Unlock the Secret to Making a Lasting Impact as an Agile Coach or Leadership Coach Are you tired of feeling like you're just scratching the surface with your clients and teams? Do you want to make a deeper, more lasting impact that drives real results? The Problem: Many Coaching Methods Often Fall Short Many coaching methods often focus on surface-level solutions, without addressing the underlying root causes of these issues, the reason why we do what we do as a human being. This can lead to temporary fixes, but not lasting change. And as a coach, you may feel like you're not making the impact you want to make. The Solution: NeuroStarter™ Discovery- Unlocking Team and Human Potential That's where NeuroStarter™ comes in. Our program helps you understand how your brain works and how to work with your neuromodulators to build trust and achieve greater success. By addressing the root causes of change resistance, you'll be able to help your teams adapt to change and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Help Your Light Bulb - Your Clients' and Teams' Light Bulbs - Shine! With NeuroStarter™, you'll be able to help your clients and teams overcome obstacles, build confidence, and achieve their goals. Imagine the sense of fulfillment and satisfaction you'll feel, knowing that you're making a real difference in their lives. And What If I Told You... You can learn how to unlock human potential and have a tool for all future challenges for just $168 USD + VAT(19%) That's right - for less than the cost of a single or at most two coaching sessions, , you can gain the skills and knowledge you need to help your clients and teams achieve lasting success. Join the NeuroStarter™ Movement Today! Click the link below to learn more about NeuroStarter™ discovery and how it can help you unlock your edge as an Agile Coach or Leadership Coach. Let's work together to help your clients and teams reach their full potential! Go to https://lnkd.in/gv55ss4P But be fast as there are only 5 of the 20 places left and its filling fast! Thank you to our sponsors npnHub | Uniting Experts and Learners in Applied Neuroscience through Dr. Justin James Kennedy and OrgFit International #NeuroStarter #ChangeResistance #AgileTransformation #Neuroscience #ScrumMasters #AgileCoach #LeadershipCoaching #OrgFitInternational

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The Agile Testing Coaching Cards, a deck of 99 cards: Agile testing mindset, values, principles, and practices. buff.ly/3MGY9xJ Suggestion for using them is included, but agile teams, coaches, Scrum masters, and test consultants, can also use their own coaching technique

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Release Notes Updated Chapter: “Beyond Kaizen to Kaikaku: Two Patterns That Transform Good Scrum to Great” https://lnkd.in/eASMHWPg Overview The latest update to First Principles in Scrum: Implementing Scrum and Agile Practices introduces a transformative chapter focusing on two core patterns, the “Happiness Pattern” and “Scrumming the Scrum.” These patterns enable teams to elevate their Scrum practices from incremental improvements (Kaizen) to radical transformation (Kaikaku), driving significant productivity and morale enhancements. Key Enhancements 1. Happiness Pattern Introduction: • Purpose: Establishes a precise tool for identifying high-impact impediments through happiness metrics. • Method: Prompts team members to rate their happiness on role and organizational level, with a focus on identifying actionable changes for the upcoming sprint. • Outcome: Empowers teams to convert broad dissatisfaction into specific improvements, driving iterative yet impactful changes. 2. Scrumming the Scrum: • Description: A systematic approach to remove the most significant impediments identified through the Happiness Pattern. • Implementation: Ensures that high-priority impediments are tackled at the start of each sprint, creating a streamlined focus on improvement before other sprint tasks. • Impact: The combination of these two patterns results in a rapid, compounding performance improvement through continuous focus and feedback loops. 3. Case Studies on Rapid Transformation: • Scrum Inc.: Highlights how one-week sprint cycles, happiness tracking, and empowerment led to a 500% performance boost and rapid resolution of major impediments. • Microsoft: Demonstrates adaptation to Scrum in a large organizational setup using temporary solutions for immediate action. • Toyota: Details the shift from large team sizes to smaller, empowered Scrum teams, achieving a full project turnaround in six months. 4. Key Takeaways for Agile Leaders: • Pattern Precision: Emphasizes the importance of exact pattern implementation, advocating for one-week sprints and iterative action on impediments. • Kaikaku Mindset: Encourages leaders to foster a culture of continual transformation, aiming for revolutionary changes that drive productivity and team satisfaction. • Transformative Leadership: Urges leaders to inspire teams by sharing a vision for improvement, supporting self-organization, and embracing bold actions. 5. Common Pitfalls & Solutions: • Addresses common errors such as defaulting to two-week sprints, treating happiness as a lagging metric, and implementing multiple improvement stories per sprint. • Provides guidance on focusing on one high-leverage improvement per sprint and reinforcing the synergy between Happiness and Scrumming the Scrum patterns.

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Do you know what CST or CSAT means? Do you know how much effort, learning and quality promise is behind the certifications and how CSTs and CSATs differ from other trainers? Read here a summary of the Certified Scrum Alliance Trainer promise...

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Agile book recommendation: Many are unaware of Light/Agile history being a de-scaling strategy, countering complexity's gravitational pull. While today, many advocate for complicated scaling methods unintentionally making change even harder, only some still champion simplicity. Smaller teams, smaller increments, shorter iterations, minimize by-products, eliminate waste, lean thinking, faster learning, less restrictions, less overhead, minimal mumbo jumbo - all to deliver more value. "Agile is about knowing, as early as possible, just how screwed we are.” ― Robert C. Martin, Clean Agile: Back to Basics" The Agile Manifesto aimed to rid us of Dilbert-esque manifestations of make-work and arcane policies - and Comic Agilé shows us where old habits applied to Agile at enterprise really get us. Many Enterprises engaging in Agile Transformations turn into Fake Agile Frankensteins, despite all the good intentions. What generally happens is a relentless coming and going of truckloads of agile mumbo-jumbo terminology and methods containing scriptures to how all the organizational challenges can be obscured ⬅️ old thinking applied to agile. It's hard to return to the core principle of simplicity. By shedding the bureaucratic excess and focusing on meaningful, iterative progress, you can revive the spirit of Agile. It is still as relevant today (and arguably even more) as it was a decade ago. “Software is a compound word. The word “ware” means “product.” The word “soft” means easy to change. Therefore, software is a product that is easy to change. Software was invented because we wanted a way to quickly and easily change the behavior of our machines. Had we wanted that behavior to be hard to change, we would have called it hardware.” ― Robert C. Martin, Clean Agile: Back to Basics https://lnkd.in/eaBcAVFR

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So pleased Vasco Duarte found this post useful. I like projects-as-containers-for-value. Use projects to be able to switch to the next piece of value.

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In this video, I answer the question, what is an Agile Release Train (ART) in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)? Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/3wuoVFb #ProjectManagement #AgileReleaseTrain #ScaledAgileFramework

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Shifting the value perception of agile roles [The education, trust & value equation] Let's face it. "Agile has shat the bed" Cheers for that quote Scott Ambler! I've spoken to 100's of people in our industry in the past few months alone - Agile practitioners at conferences - People out of work with agile skills - Hiring managers responsible for capability One thing is clear: The perceived value of agile has dropped significantly. So if I could make one recommendation right now? Spend more time on point 3 in the below visual Articulating your value Because: When the value you bring isn't clear → It erodes trust Without trust? → You won't be in a position to educate "A Dead Scrum Master is Useless Scrum Master" - Ken Schwaber Bonus resources 1. Use a 'Value Obeya' to capture your value visually 2. Use 'Value Retrospectives' to reflect on your value 3. Use the 'Value Storytelling Canvas' to help you communicate value Hope that helps Thanks for resharing - It helps those struggling in our network P.S - What's missing from this visual?

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𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗞𝗥𝘀: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 As an Agile coach, I’ve seen how OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) can focus organizations and deliver results. However, their implementation requires addressing key challenges. Here are common problems I’ve encountered and how to overcome them: 1) Not committing to the calendar: Teams often fail to set firm deadlines for finalizing and reviewing OKRs. Without clear milestones, progress stalls. Setting an OKR cycle with specific dates ensures momentum and timely adjustments. 2) Lack of a tool for accessibility: OKRs scattered across emails or documents hinder transparency. A central tool for viewing and updating OKRs keeps teams aligned and on track. 3) No clear owner for each OKR: Without ownership, accountability fades. Assigning a clear owner for each OKR ensures focus and provides a go-to person for issues. 4) Lack of the right support team: Managing OKRs successfully requires dedicated support, such as an OKR Shepherd or Coach. This role ensures OKRs are aligned and consistently supported across the organization. 5) Unclear org-wide goal: OKRs must align with broader company goals. Without clear alignment, teams may pursue uncoordinated efforts. Defining a company-wide objective provides focus for team-level OKRs. 6) Not setting enough bottom-up goals: Frontline contributors offer valuable insights. When at least half the OKRs come from the bottom up, the goals are more powerful and engaging. Involving frontliners boosts commitment. 7) Dictating OKRs: Top-down OKRs fail without team input. Engaging the team early leads to better motivation and ownership. Collective agreement is critical for buy-in. 8) Not tracking with calendar dates: Regularly reviewing OKRs with set dates prevents them from being ignored. Hard deadlines keep teams accountable and allow for necessary adjustments. 9) Not being intellectually honest: Honest assessment of OKR progress is essential. Transparency helps identify areas for improvement and ensures real progress. 10) Not sharing OKRs with the team: Sharing OKRs and inviting feedback enhances them, ensuring alignment and engagement throughout the organization. I have posted a more complete article here: https://lnkd.in/eUcae9Kf #OKRs #AgileCoaching #Leadership #FocusAndAlignment #TeamSuccess #GoalSetting #Accountability #OrganizationalExcellence #EmployeeEngagement #ContinuousImprovement

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Lean Thinking is foundational to Agile. In this series, I share how Agile thinking and practices can be to nearly every industry. https://ed.gr/eedaz #Agile #businessagility #leanthinking

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Scrum, at first glance, may seem like a structured framework defined by 5 Events, 3 Accountabilities, 3 Artefacts, and 3 Commitments. However, its essence goes far beyond these elements. True value in Scrum lies within: 🔍 Empiricism: Embracing transparency, inspection, and adaptation. 🙌 Self-Management: Empowering teams to make decisions and manage their work. 🤝 Cross Functionality: Collaborating across skills and disciplines to achieve collective goals. 💡 Trust/Psychological Safety: Fostering an environment where team members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable. But perhaps the cornerstone of Scrum's success lies in its values: 🌟 Courage 💼 Commitment 🎯 Focus 🤝 Respect 🌐 Openness Let's remember that Scrum is not just a set of rules; #Scrum #Agile #Teamwork #Values

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➡️Plenary sessions in SAFe PI Planning - Cut them short!⬅️ I think there is a lot of value in SAFe. But there are a couple of examples where SAFe and I don't see eye to eye, or anti-patterns I discovered over the years. An example is the default agenda SAFe proposes for the PI Planning. Take a look at https://lnkd.in/eCEjmFXz. Notice the plenary sessions at the start of day 1. They last the entire morning! And then we have lunch... So by the time the teams get to work all energy is gone. My advice: cut them short. Business context: 15 minutes max. Vision and features discussion: about 20-30 minutes. Make sure you communicate maximum time to the speakers. Give them cues during their presentation, and be strict in the time-box. And while you are at it: check the presentation of the high-ranking manager that is supposed to give a motivational speech at the start of the day. Despite good intentions they might surprise you and say exactly the wrong thing. I still remember the time a manager said: "Last PI Planning was learning. This time I expect the plan to be perfect!" Or come up with a more creative way that replaces traditional slide decks. I remember one example where Product Owners pitched the features to all participants in an area in the room labeled the 𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘪𝘵. It took a little longer but was much more engaging. #Scaledagileframework #Agile

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