Agile teams using the Scrum framework commit to delivering value in each development sprint.  Sprints are generally 2-weeks long, and the goal is to create working software that can be deployed into production.  While commitment is one of Scrum’s core values,  in reality, teams do not always complete the work.  This is commonly known as […]

Managers and project managers are often told that “engaging stakeholders” is critical to success.  However, they rarely receive guidance on what it means or how to “engage your stakeholders.”  It is similar to when I started practicing yoga, the teacher told us to “release our sacrum.”  I had no idea that I had a sacrum, […]

Stakeholder management is one of the most critical project management functions.  Stakeholders are our customers, organizational leaders, members of our project teams, and people we may not even know.  The project manager’s ability to effectively identify, understand, and engage stakeholders is a key determinant of success.    According to the Project Management Institute’s (PMI), 2018 Pulse […]

Many organizations try to catapult into agility.  Striving to instantaneously transform their traditional practices and culture.   Unfortunately, this strategy is usually painful and often fails. The Scrum Guide states, “Scrum is easy to understand, but difficult to master.”  Basic training can be quickly and easily accomplished in just a few days.  However, being Agile is […]

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is making a bold pivot toward agile.  As a project manager and an agilist, I am excited by these moves.  At the same time, it is hard to envision both this transition and the future state.  In this article, I share some of my thoughts about the upcoming changes to […]

Experienced agile coaches and practitioners develop a sixth-sense. They can quickly assess the health of an agile project or team just as doctors do with their patients. In 2013, Mike Cohn coined the term scrum smells to describe the signs that a scrum team is in trouble. In my agile training and consulting practice, I […]

Knowledge Management (KM) is broadly defined as the process of creating and sharing information across the organization.  Its goal is to enable learning.  KM became a formal business disciple in the 1990s even though it dates back centuries.  I believe that project management follows the apprenticeship model. Throughout my management career, creating a learning environment […]

Organizational change and transformation efforts are often challenging.  Most fail to meet their planned objectives with 30% failing outright.  In my last article, ”Road Trippin’ Organizational Change: The Beginning”, I recommending using adaptive-agile planning practices and treating the effort like a road trip: Set the direction, not the destination.  Set high-level goals and the strategic […]

Most organizational change efforts do not succeed.  They fail to achieve the desired results.  They are disruptive and sometimes leave the company worse-off.  An oft-cited statistic is that 70% of organizational change efforts fail.  This metric is attributed to Hammer and Champy’s 1993 classic, “Reengineering the Corporation”    and is reinforced by a 2008 McKinsey survey  […]

Lean and Agile organizations have harnessed the power of the stand-up meeting as a valuable process tool.  The stand-up is an efficient and effective way to communicate.  It promotes transparency into the progress of work and highlights issues.  The meeting fosters a collaborative work environment and creates accountability.  In this article, I share best practices […]