Day 189. A task is a function of a story. What is important is the achievement of the intent or desired outcome of the story and NOT the checked checkbox to each task when it is completed. Continue reading
Day 121. A story, long time ago, was written on a card... a piece of paper. A card that describes a piece of valuable work which can be done in the shortest sustainable time. That card is an invitation to a conversation. Continue reading
Day 57. Can you think of a very simple story? A story that you know that it is done with just one simple acceptance criterion and... can be done in a day? Continue reading
Day 56. A good story — user type or enabler type — is estimable. In order for it to be implemented, the agile team must estimate how complex a story is and the amount of work required to complete it. Continue reading
Day 54. A good user story is negotiable and negotiated. A user story is a placeholder for requirements to be discussed, defined, designed, developed, tested, and accepted. It contains the intent and it is open to negotiation between the business and the agile team; it allows for discovery through collaboration, conversation, confirmation and feedback. Continue reading
Day 26.... stay at home. So, you have a ‘Story’... but it covers a series of tasks and each task is done by different teams... what to do? Watch this video: https://videopress.com/v/jYzeIxEO?preloadContent=metadata
Have you seen Stories like the following? As a developer, I want to... so that ...As a tester, I want to... so that ...As a system, I want to ... so that ... These are not customer centric stories! To be continued...
Think about that poem for a moment... and relate that to your Agile team's ceremonies. Can you picture -- in your mind -- your team telling stories around a camp fire like the picture below? Each Agile ceremony is about shared consciousness -- sharing thoughts, ideas, impediments, challenges, achievements, insights, etc. -- is it not? Everyone knows the gist of what's being shared. They follow the story that's unfolding. Rugby players have that shared consciousness as well... one player can successfully pass the ball to a teammate behind him without even looking long enough to make sure that the ball…
Nothing to demo at the end of the Sprint? Was there a story of value that was created in your Sprint? If yes, then go demo that! If not, then you might just be blowing smoke (i.e. you are claiming that you are working and completing stories of demonstrable value but there is no evidence (a demo) to support that claim!) Might be that your stories were actually tasks... a symptom that you were unsuccessful in shifting your mindset from thinking in terms of task (Work Breakdown Schedule of tasks) to thinking in terms of value (Roadmap of values)! Or...you…
Adaptability: In the Car Shop industry, work flows to them -- from customers walking in with their car problems, everyday, 7 days a week -- without knowing in advance what is required. These folks have the ability to create an unknown output from an unpredictable input. They have a system that is designed for adaptability: a flow-based system. A system with prioritized work flow vis-à -vis resource capacity. Yes, I cannot just walk in and demand for my car to be fixed right away at that moment. They always have a work in process all the time, and, on top of…
Happy Mother's Day to my wife and to all moms! It's a Sunday afternoon, 3PM EST, May 13, 2018, Mother's Day -- hot 92F, sunny and breezy, the cool breeze made it a very pleasant weather-- when my wife, son, daughter and I walked in to a restaurant to have a late lunch, after church, to celebrate mother's day. We had a great lunch...then the dessert came. All very delicious! One dessert caught my attention while we were eating it -- the strawberry short-cake. As we shared it amongst us, we each took turns cutting (with our spoons) slices of…