Category Archives: Agility

People Power

As both an agilist and software engineer, I enjoy attending a mixture of conferences. Yet in discussion with developers I sometimes am asked what kinds of topics are normally covered. Or even hear jokes about which methodology won in the battle of Scrum vs Kanban (sigh).

The reality is that Agile conferences cover a myriad of content encompassing various domains, including but not limited to psychology, sociology, agile theory, leadership, testing, software engineering and others. Here I reflect on some of the amazing sessions I watched and presented this year at Lean Agile Exchange 2021, and what I learned.

Poker Face

Gamification of Scrum Learning Using Scrum Delegation Poker Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches play a key part in the development and supporting of Agile practice within Scrum teams. Both hold key responsibilities to support and educate teams in the ways of the Scrum force. However, sometimes more than talking needs to be done to helpContinue reading “Poker Face”

Eight Days a Week

Reflections on the Pitfalls of Story Points and Velocity Capture Many don’t know this, but I studied mathematics for two years at university before specialising in Computer Science. One mandatory class specialized in teaching the fundamentals of mathematical proof. In a nutshell, we learned how to establish that a given hypothesis was correct, or identify theContinue reading “Eight Days a Week”

Why Won’t We Change?

Exploring Reluctance in Automation of Manual Development Practices When building software for clients, a key driver is providing value and improvement to current manual user procedures. We should always look at ourselves in the same light. Without eliminating the manual processes in our own software engineering practice, how can we advocate the same lean focusedContinue reading “Why Won’t We Change?”

New Year’s Resolution

Planning Kanban Adoption for Home Task Management New year. New decade. Cue the numerous social media posts outlining unachievable resolutions that people have absolutely no chance of keeping. The majority of my friends set typical goals such as new gym routines and healthier eating habits. However, the Richmond family have a more unconventional ambition inContinue reading “New Year’s Resolution”

Over the Wall

Reflections on the Adoption and Use of Obstacle Boards in Agile Practice Life is full of obstacles. Be it school, work, home or any other feat we set our sights on, there’s bound to be a few blockers along the way. Let’s be honest, if every desire or achievement came easily, life would be rather dullContinue reading “Over the Wall”

Same Size Feet

Identifying the Need for Story Splitting We all remember our favourite childhood fairytales. Despite being significantly short, they all follow a similar format. Each story arriving at the perfect ending following the protagonist overcoming strife. Every time I think about story splitting, I am immediately reminded of Goldielocks and the Three Bears. A young girl’sContinue reading “Same Size Feet”

The Show

Why Reviews Are More Than Just Demos Theatre showcases are a opportunity for drama students to present a piece demonstrating their developing talents. Treading the boards to show their progress. The parallels to sprint reviews are many. Think of the squad showcasing their progress on building software to an audience of eager critics. The sprint reviewContinue reading “The Show”