Agile Answers

We’ll take a look at why teams often use user stories to capture agile requirements and how the format often gets misused. If a user story isn’t a detailed requirement, then what is it? Mentioned in this episode:  User Story Mapping by Jeff Patton Like the podcast? I’d love it if you’d take 60 seconds to rate...

Andrew’s organization is small. Since the company is small, they’ve decided that the Product Owner and Scrum Master need to be the same person. We’ll discuss the possible pitfalls of mixing these two roles and what can be done instead. Like the podcast? I’d love it if you’d take 60 seconds to rate it in iTunes. Do...

I’ve been meditating daily for around 3 years, which has hugely improved my skill as an agile coach due to the focus it helps promote. In this episode my friend Hala asks for tips on how to get started. Since I think every agile coach and scrum master can benefit from setting aside a few minutes...

Susan wants to get a new job as a Scrum Master. The problem? She’s never been a Scrum Master before and it seems that employers are only hiring people with experience. She has become a Certified Scrum Master, but that alone isn’t doing the trick. In this episode, we’ll explore how she can improve her...

Alex’s team wants to be more agile, and he’s wondering what process they should try first. With so many approaches out there, how does one pick the right one? Even though I’m a Certified Scrum Trainer, my answer might surprise you. Like the podcast? I’d love it if you’d take 60 seconds to rate it in iTunes....

Dae-Ho’s organization has multiple Scrum teams, and one giant all-day Sprint Review. People come and go throughout the day, and stakeholders are not always present. He wonders if there’s a better way to do things. Even if your company only has one Scrum team, the tips in this episode will likely help improve your Sprint...

Anthony is looking for ways to make the Scrum meetings more engaging and useful. In this episode I’ll talk about how to get your team engaged in Retrospectives by making them FUN! If your team feels stuck, tools in this episode will help you break out of old patterns. If you’re already enjoying your retrospectives, this episode will...

Jamie has two questions: the first is about the Daily Scrum, the second is about how to account for work a team needs to do that doesn’t directly affect the product they’re building. I’ll answer both questions this episode, and let you know how you can help shape the podcast moving forward. Help improve the...

Duncan’s team has switched from waterfall to an iterative approach. Their iterations are 2 weeks in length, but it seems the team is just doing mini-waterfalls in the two-week timebox. I’ll share the 3 simple steps teams can take to extract themselves from this common agile antipattern. Like the podcast? I’d love it if you’d take 60 seconds to rate...

Switching from waterfall to an agile approach can be difficult. Managers, PMs, and others often cling to their old command-and-control ways in order to feel comfortable and, well, “in control”. Raj asks how he can help his organization move forward and improve their agile implementation despite this. Dave Prior, CST, PMP, and AAGG (All Around...