Neat planning post - Re-thinking the foundations of the strategic business process

A very comprehensive review of some planning models here, including the The GE–McKinsey nine-box matrix. Mine this later. :)

Emerald | Re-thinking the foundations of the strategic business process

InfoQ: Craig Larman on the Challenges of Scaling Scrum to Large Organizations

This interview with Larman is awesome. He's so methodical and well spoken. He really runs down the value of management as overhead and that includes program managers and project managers. I get what he's saying but I'm not sure that role assault is where I would begin with an agile transformation.

InfoQ: Craig Larman on the Challenges of Scaling Scrum to Large Organizations

Having said that, I really like his bit on outsourcing, and still wonder how he gets any work with that perspective :)

Go get'em Craig!

-Joe

InfoQ: Daily Standup Tips - a Roundup

A great brief on daily standups. I've struggled with this since I grow tired of routine quickly. My take aways and adds?
Focus on Accomplishments - love that.
Mix it up - make it at the coffee break..
Keep V1 up all day- Nice!
InfoQ: Daily Standup Tips - a Roundup

Kanban...the Lesser Agile

Just read an article by Alistair Cockburn about the Taylor-ism of Software Development. I have to believe he's onto something. It seems that the whole system, starting with the Forrester researchers and reaching into the larger organizations, are reacting to the paradigm shift that Agile represents.

Kanban is an easier system. No org changes. No team bonuses. No silly commitment. No estimation. Its all about the flow.....

Seriously, I've only used Kanban at my current employer for those who cannot achieve true agility. Perhaps they don't have a good product owner. Perhaps they don't have a cross-functional team. Perhaps they're really small, or they can release whenever they want to ( read: facebook) . Then great. Just throw that stuff out there.

For me, I like the cadence and discipline an Agile process will provide teams and organizations. I like it in the middle, where the value can be released iteratively. It is possible that an enterprise could roll iterative products into a kanban to flow the release, but for me, I'll take the iteration over some nebulous flow any day.

-JF

I'm speaking at Agile 2011! The Agile Cafe

For those who know me I have been very busy writing for other things, but I know write with good news. I'm going to be a speaker in Salt Lake City - Agile 2011! This is my favorite convergence of all - I always learn a bunch and speaking is great practice for me.

First, a quick description of the Agile Cafe- It is simply a variation of the World Cafe. Right now I'm working on the whitepaper, which I will post here when its done, but for now here is some points:
1. The Agile cafe is to gain visibility of agile in a large organization
2. The AC is a way to get people to meet and talk where there would be no other reason for them to do so.
3. The AC is for us to have fun at work, lighten the load, and be ourselves. To be human, and to leverage the oldest form of learning - conversation - to get us to the next level.

I'm excited to present, and excited to help others with how to set one of these up.

- Joe

Agile & Business: Middle Managers and Scrum

Agile & Business: Middle Managers and Scrum: "In a lot of organizations I work with, we need to do a better job of explaining Scrum to the middle managers. Most of the people in the Te..."