This week we continue in the minefield of why starting everything you are asked to do is problematic that we began in SPaMCAST 785. Framing the discussion is a text from a friend of the cast which highlights those requests that you just can't say no to. Lots of rationalizations and negative impacts. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente and her Not A Scrumdamentalist column. In this installment, we discuss the idea that everyone has a book in them. Re-Read Saturday News Vacanti begins Chapter 3 of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability, by reminding the reader: "A predictable process behaves in a way we expect it to." Further a predictable process exhibits only routine variation which means learning to distinguish signal and noise. Buy a copy and get reading - Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. The current re-read entry Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface – https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Week 2: Wilt The Stilt and Definition of Variation – https://bit.ly/4aldwGN Week 3: Variation and Predictability - https://bit.ly/3tAVWhq Learn to Solve IT's Dirtiest Secret! Work input, which includes prioritization and sequencing, is how work gets to an organization or team. If you get it wrong you are throwing time and money away. Simply put, poor work intake means "no agile for you". Jeremy Willets and I have written Managing Work Intake tackling the topic that JRoss Publishing will publish in January 2024. In support of the book, we are building a live, workshop-based course for anyone deciding on what work gets completed! This includes Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers - lots of people are involved which is part of the problem! The workshop will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. This cohort-based course will combine concise lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We're using a survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort – link below. We will use the list to alert you when the workshop is available. https://bit.ly/3MdmvQa Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 788 we will feature the annual SPaMCAST panel. As always the conversation will be rollicking. The topics will cover AI, working in the office, and a look into 2024.