Published inA Path Less Taken·Sep 21Embarking on the Quest to Find Your Right Fit in the WorkplaceEvery once in a while, a book comes along that rocks my world, and the book Wrong Fit, Right Fit: Why How We Work Matters More Than Ever, by Andre Martin, Ph.D., is one such volume. I had pre-ordered the book many months ago, and then it completely slipped my…Work14 min readWork14 min read
Published inA Path Less Taken·Sep 1Member-onlyMathematical Combination, Brooks’s Law, and the Implications for Team CommunicationWhen it comes to communication and collaboration, there are certain patterns that have gained wide acceptance with regard to the size of groups (teams). One of those patterns relates to the “ideal size” of an Agile team, and it’s common to say that size is seven, plus or minus two…Software6 min readSoftware6 min read
Published inA Path Less Taken·Aug 25Member-onlyThe Art and Science of Writing Sprint GoalsThere is a common expression that doing <x> is part art, and part science. I would say that an example of an activity that falls under that category is the nature of the interactions that occur when writing Sprint Goals, along with consultation of the data sources, artifacts and other…Scrum10 min readScrum10 min read
Aug 24Contemplations Following a Visit to the Kahlil Gibran Memorial GardenA beautiful spot that I haven’t visited nearly enough in Washington, D.C. is the Kahlil Gibran Memorial Garden, at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue, across from the British Embassy. …Philosophy4 min readPhilosophy4 min read
Published inA Path Less Taken·Aug 10Member-onlyA Practitioner’s Brief Guide to ScrumThis guide offers observations about Scrum, based on my own experiences with its application in the wild. In writing this, I strove to be consistent with what is articulated in the Scrum Guide. Scrum in a Single Paragraph Scrum can help teams deliver value frequently to customers. By design, it is incomplete, since its focus…Scrum5 min readScrum5 min read
Jul 23Hi Phillip, I love the simplicity and clarity of your advice.1John MillerThanks for reading, and for the feedback, John!Thanks for reading, and for the feedback, John! Yes, by all means, feel free to link back to this article, and also to what Richard Lawrence wrote about it, which inspired what I wrote - I believe the most recent version of Richard Lawrence's post can now be found here: https://www.humanizingwork.com/the-humanizing-work-guide-to-splitting-user-stories/1 min read1 min read
Published inA Path Less Taken·Jul 19Member-onlyWhat the DORA Metrics Can and Cannot Tell Us About Organizational PerformanceLike so many things in the world of Lean and Agile software development, the DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA) metrics can provide important insights, and yet, we need to exercise caution when evaluating these numbers, because they represent only a subset of the factors that we need to consider to…DevOps7 min readDevOps7 min read
Published inA Path Less Taken·Jul 14Member-onlyUnderstanding Team CapabilitiesIt can be helpful in many team contexts to take stock of what skills team members bring to the table. Doing so can be helpful in numerous ways, for example: Seeking to have balanced staffing when setting up multiple teams Identifying areas where some teams can mentor others Recognizing areas…Team3 min readTeam3 min read
Jul 12Being Mindful vs Being TransactionalEvery couple of years, I receive a notification that it’s time to stop by the vehicle inspection station operated by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Thus I paid a visit to the vehicle inspection station yesterday. …Communication2 min readCommunication2 min read
Published inA Path Less Taken·Jun 15Member-onlyHacking the Daily Scrum— The After-PartyContrary to popular belief, there is no need for a one-size-fits all way to facilitate a Daily Scrum (aka Daily Standup). And by that I mean, among other things, that there are plenty of ways to have this conversation without the “three questions.” …Scrum3 min readScrum3 min read
