From Stories to Test Cases
A story is a community of specifications. For both business people and developers the issue of how to identify Test Cases for a story is much easier if some simple conventions are adopted.
Busses and Trucks - Oh My!
Your team may be mature, stable, and highly productive. But are you really prepared for the inevitable loss of a team member?
Slicing and Dicing
Slicing stories can be challenging, but once you have done this, what do you do with the original, parent story?
Rotating the Scrum Master Role
Rotating the Scrum Master role within your team may be a disaster, or it may yield specific and desirable benefits if done carefully.
Dependency is a 4-letter Word
Dependencies are the downfall of many sprints. Viewing the team's Product Backlog too linearly can set any Scrum team up for failure.
Basics - Work Item Hierarchy
Each level of our backlog work items has a specific scope of coverage and precision of expression. Populating and managing our backlogs is much easier when we simplify these differences.
A Nuance on Standup Reporting
The Daily Standup is often regarded as simple and mechanical, yet it has multiple nuances. This post addresses two critical considerations for a Scrum Master about how the developers' progress reports are organized.
Cargo Cult Scrum
Each Scrum event is important, but an effective Scrum Master will understand that the nuanced outcomes of the events are the goals we should pursue
Backlog Management Observations
Four vignettes on where a failure of Sprint Backlog discipline can create pain.
My Top 3 Sprint Planning Mistakes
The top 3 mistakes I have observed in Sprint Planning events.
Distributed Communication
Distributed teams are the norm in today's software world, and working with a geographically distributed team brings its own, peculiar demands on a Scrum Master.
Nailing the Spike
The misuse of "spikes" by agile teams is common and unfortunate. Properly understanding the unique semantics and goal of a spike is important for the team's success.