Went shopping today… yes, for dinner for me to cook (I am a passionate cook!) … and …earlier today did a lot of shopping 
for supplies that we need for our upcoming PI planning. After 4 PI planning events (quarterly), we’ve depleted our year’s supply.
If you are a passionate RTE, you have got to love shopping — so much fun to be delegated! Plus, it keeps your eyes on the supply-side of PI Planning — too important to be delegated! Supplies, audio-visual equipment, securing the pi planning site, all of these put together collectively, is where your RTE planning skills get tested/showcased … so, yeah, get your hands on the shopping and planning!
Tip: when buying post-it notes, make sure you buy the ‘Super Sticky’ variety.
Let me digress a bit…
You might ask: ‘In this digital day and age, why are you still using easel pad paper and post-it notes!?’
I’ve seen teams use digital; 
I’ve seen teams use paper as well … it comes down to preference. I like paper because: 1) there is a strong team engagement in ‘Card’, ‘Conversation’ and ‘Confirmation’ (the triple C)… written down by hand, on a post-it note, physically seen plan, had conversations with, confirmed and committed to by the team; 
2) with visuals around the planning area…with teams fully engaged… coaching is more effective and efficient. Making a team a high-performing team is a coach’s goal and a team’s goal… a win-win situation!
BTW, digitize every artifact — features, stories, dependencies, etc. — after the PI planning event! Use Rally, Jira, Version One… use whatever tool floats your boat. In this day and age of digital, you should not rely on paper as your single repository and source of truth!
Back to shopping: so, there you have it … be a passionate RTE…or cook… and go shopping for the ingredients of success!
Related blog item: ‘My Two Favorite RTE Responsibilities‘
October 15, 2022: My new book, “SAFe Is Like …“, is now available on Amazon. 
What our students think about the Lean Agile Guru (“Author of SAFe is Like …“) — click here
You will get a FREE SIGNED COPY if/when you register, pay, and complete a class by the Lean Agile Guru.
