Scrum Resources - Scrum Ireland

Scrum Daily Standup Meeting(s)

This daily standup meeting has various names…

Standup meeting
Daily Standup
Scrum Meeting
Daily

… but its reason-for-being is for the development team to collaborate, keep up to date on progress towards the spring goal and identify any impediments to the upcoming days work. It can be facilitated by a Scrum Master, or a mature team may run it themselves.

See what scrum.org has a to say about them

According to the Scrum Alliance

It is…

Timeboxed to 15 minutes.

Collaborative.

SHORT and SHARP.

With PACE and ENERGY.

A fundamental Scrum event

It is not…

A status update.

For problem solving → these can take place immediately after with the necessary team members.

Run a Successful Daily Standup Meeting

Round Robin – Go to each person in sequence for their update.
Walking the (kanban) board and the progress.

Set a environment for success

Psychologically safe environment – free to ask question and make mistakes, without retribution. Value everybody’s opinion.

Its the team’s duty is to flag any blockers.

Change how you facilitate if things change (new members etc.) – remember the meeting Purpose.

Fixed Agenda Daily Standup Questions

What did you achieve yesterday?
What are you doing today, aiming to achieve?
Are there any blockers facing you today?

Tips for a Great Daily Standup Meeting

Fix the time and location.
Start on time.
Avoid disruptions. Late comers need to catch up.
Stick to the agenda (avoid small talk).
Be VERY attentive.
Use a parking lot → record the issues to be discussed after.
Set Ground Rules (Establish norms, with the teams input):

Limit time for each person. The person ‘on the floor’ holds a ball or something (one person reporting at a time).
Electronics (phones) on exception.
Update are directed towards the team and the board, not the facilitator.
- Appropriate level of detail.
- Move / amend / add tasks on the board, add comments, add estimates/dates.
Decide on a specific mini celebration for tasks moved to done.
No sitting.
No Side conversations.
Sponsor (only an observer) and cannot ask for updates.

Any impediments / dependencies?
Question for the meeting facilitator at the end of each update.

Anyone need to get together to do some peer programming?
Question for the meeting facilitator at the end of the meeting.

Sample Agenda for a Scrum Daily Standup

Check if participants are there. If enough are there…start. If not, address this immediately.
Thank you for joining
This is Day X of the 14 day sprint
Go over dashboard
Go to each developer and tester
Encourage my team to continually add comments to any upcoming story.
Any open questions.

Useful Videos on Daily Standup Meetings

The Truth in you is Wisdom

Camino is the Spanish word for way. It is a pilgrimage based walk in Spain that many refer to simply as ‘the Camino’. People do it and often receive life altering revelations, others just do it for the fun. For me, it was a bit of both. On returning home and sharing my ‘revelations / wisdoms’ I was surprised to see how many people could relate to them in their own lives.

So here I will share a few and, who knows, maybe the hit an inner musical note with you.

The one word I would use is FOCUS.

Live life like a Camino

If I could live life like a camino, I would…

Have a long term end goal

The end goal in the Spanish Camino is ‘where (or when ) you choose to finish your walk. If you make a committed decision to do this it make the whole journey easier. The is the same for your life, a section of your life or even a project you have chosen to undertake. This over arching goal is you ‘mountain peak’…you don’t need to know how you are going to get their on day one, but, by taking one step at a time you are getting nearer to it.

Have a day goal along the way (and in the right direction).

Don’t fret about your day goal or how, or if, you’ll make it. You make it you don’t…It will all work out somehow. The quality of your day is more important than the kilometer count.

The more crap we have the more complicated we make our life.

On the Camino most people carry their own backpack and stay in hostel accommodation. and others’ have other, totally fine ways. The important thing on the Camino to remember is that there is only one way that is your way…so be comfortable with it. when you carry all your belongings on your back you soon realize what is worth carrying and what is not, hopefully you will have thought of this before you pack. On returning to normal life many people get dismayed with all the ‘things’ we have in our life….the revelation is two fold:

We don’t need many of the things and
The less ‘things’ we have the easier it is to move forward, to make decisions and to be organized.

🚶‍♀️

“There is only one way that is my way.”

🚶‍♂️

Going the extra mile makes the treat all the better.

Extra effort, and getting things somewhat wrong, make up the more memorable moments.

Opportunities are ‘there’ its up to you to see them

Don’t get too fixated on short-term goals to appreciate the glory that is in front of you. Opportunities are ‘there’ it’s up to you to see and seize them. (Waterhole).

Appreciate Generosity! (offered or given)…Trust your instinct.

Decision Making

You need to make decisions, and not rethink them after they are done.
Change your state before a big decision (flight date).
Remember that you decide with the INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE NOW therefore it is pointless going over it later.
Make a decision and do not look back.

A balanced day for you

Take a off day, or multi-days off.

Replace your single vision glasses and turn on for a single ACTIVITY focused vision. Make a day whole by relaxing, Focus on what is interesting/important to you and then do it.

Physical 🚶‍♂️
Mind (relaxing)
Cultural
Growth (learn something new)

My Revelations

The things you give out about are often present in your own personality and actions. It was very different leaving a house full of children. The transition from ‘always busy and noisy’ to solitude takes time.
I can’t stand the noise after the quietness of the last few days, and visa versa, when starting the Camino.
I love the freedom of going where I want … and the solitude of being alone.
I like to meet people for short periods.
Be patient and be prepared to take at least a week to adjust before taking anything strenuous or serious to learn to relax. In life, try to give yourself an idea of how long you are willing to stay doing something to give it a proper try. The more committed your are to your decisions the more likely you are to succeed.

Links: blogs, videos, podast, books +

Here we share the online resources we found most useful and in line with the official Scrum guide.

Sites and Blogs

These guys lead by example and have some great articles and resources:

Definition of Done – DoD

5 challenges creating-done-increment

Team Ownership -done

Team Collaboration -done

General Information

https://www.agilesocks.com/ Stephanie Ockerman

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scrum-trainer/ Brett Maytom

https://nader.pm/ Nader

https://litheworks.com/our-trainer/ Lucas Smith

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucasdavissmith/ Lucas Smith

https://nkdagility.com/ Martin Hinshelwood

Productschool.com Resources specifically for those interested in the Product Owner role

https://theliberators.com/resources/

https://www.scrumalliance.org/about-scrum

https://www.scrumfacilitators.com/products/

Scrum.org: Great place to start learning and to take certifications

Psychological Models In Scrum

Product Owner (PO) Learning Path Here (SM)

Scrum Master (SM) Learning Path Here (SM)

PSM 1 v PSM 2 here

PSPO2 suggested reading

Elevator Pitch: Agile

Product Owner

Telling It Like It Is Here. Ken Schwaber’s Blog:

PO Pdf Checklist HERE

PO: Tips for PO (see links at the end of the page) Here scrum.org

Tools and Templates

Podcasts

Scrum Master Toolbox

https://scrum-master-toolbox.org/

SAFe Business Agility Podcast

Podcast link

Guaranteed Irish Business Podcast

Podcast link

Visual & YouTube

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Tutorial

User Story Mapping

Agile Product Ownership in a Nutshell

Irish Tax: VAT basics

Scrum Master Interview

Learn Jira

UX User Experience Design

Reactjs to build user interfaces. Learn how here

Wireframe: https://balsamiq.com/

Sample website and app designs: https://dribbble.com/

Books: Reading / Audio

The Professional Product Owner Buy Here

Authors: Don McGreal Don’s site

Ralph Jocham: Ralph’s site

The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time

Buy Here

Author: Jeff Sutherland (co creator of scrum)

The Hitch-hikers guide to Agile Coaching

Buy Here

Authors: The agile 42 Coaches

Agile42’s Site

The Goal:

Topic: Lean production journey for production plant

Buy Here

Author: E. M. Goldratt

The Phoenix Project

Topic: DevOps

Buy Here

Authors: Kim, Behr & Spafford

The Lean Startup

Buy Here

Author: Eric Ries

Product Value and EBM

Can you define what value is?

When you, as the producer benefit from a product, you are receiving value. This value / producer benefit can be either:

Money
Improving society

Value is only realized after the product (or a version of it) is RELEASED.

Therefore the quicker the first release the quicker ‘return on investment’ starts to be realized.

EBM – Evidence Based Management

Evidence-Based Management is the process of using data to make decisions and create strategies for a business.

Evidence-Based Management is becoming increasingly popular in today’s business world. It is the process of using data to make decisions and create strategies for a business. Companies are increasingly recognizing the value of using data to inform their decisions, as well as the potential advantages that evidence-based management can bring to their operations. Evidence-Based Management is being embraced by companies in a range of industries, from healthcare to manufacturing, and its popularity is only likely to grow in the future.

EBM is not limited to agile companies. The approach can be employed by businesses of any size and in any industry. That said, agile companies may be particularly well-suited to Evidence-Based Management, as they are better-equipped to quickly analyze data and use it to inform their decisions and strategies.

Metrics

EBM does not tell you what metrics to measure, thus allowing the framework to remain adaptable. The metrics below are some of those commonly used cross industries:

Note that when looking at any metrics or data that you keeping mind whether it is a leading or lagging indicator.

Tracking Metrics Methodologies

Ensure metrics are value neutral: Keep them free from influence and judgement. There is not good or bad information; there is only the current reality. This is what is meant by value neutrality.

Spider Graph

An important aspect of putting value metrics in place is establishing the discipline to remeasure over time. The trends that emerge are as important as the data itself. Use to show metric changes over time.

Scoreboard Style Spreadsheet

Divide it into:

Circumstantial progress metrics
Leading metrics
Lagging metrics

Product Vision

Vision Definition

A picture of success of a project at a particular point in time.

It should be:

Inspiring
Technically sound
Documented
Communicated

A focused vision needs to be both

Practical (tell it) and Emotional (sell it)

Personal – Corporate – Product Vision

The most persistent visions are the ones that we emotionally embrace. Our emotions are part of our subconscious and thus part of ourselves and not something we can physically express at the early stages. If we study the above diagram we can summarize that our past experiences (personal and professional) and our ability to fantasize give us ideas. Those ideas when coupled with will and pragmatic analysis product a vision. A vision that is constantly reinforce becomes a goal.

People who ‘buy into’ your vision are the people you want on you team. They are the producers and the consumers of your product.

Agile Methodologies for Product Vision

Business Model Canvas

The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management and entrepreneurial tool used to develop new or document existing business models. It is a visual chart with elements describing a firm’s or product’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. It allows entrepreneurs to describe, design, challenge, invent, and pivot their business model. It assists firms in aligning their activities by illustrating potential trade-offs.

No.	Producer Benefit Revenue Identification
1	Customer segments
2	Value proposition
3	Channels
4	Customer relationships
5	Revenue streams
	Cost Identification
6	Key activities
7	Key resources
8	Key partners
9	Cost structure

https://a.storyblok.com/f/118861/4000×2251/94bdd85692/bmi_2022_ppt-canvasses_business-model-canvas.png

Lean Canvas

The Lean Canvas is a strategic business model created by Ash Maurya that helps entrepreneurs quickly develop and communicate their business ideas. It is a one-page document that helps entrepreneurs identify and prioritize the key elements of their business.

The Lean Canvas is composed of nine boxes that represent the key elements of a business. These boxes include customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key metrics, key resources, key activities, and cost structure.

The Lean Canvas highlights aspects of a business that are essential for success and allows entrepreneurs to quickly adjust their business plans based on customer feedback.

https://next.canvanizer.com/demo/lean-canvas?utm_source=newcanvas&utm_medium=link_page&utm_campaign=next

Value Proposition Canvas

The Value Proposition Canvas is a tool used to design and develop a product or service that provides value to customers. It is a visual tool that allows companies to map out their value proposition in a structured way, by identifying the customer’s problem, their needs, and the product or service features that solve their problem.

The canvas also helps to identify the customer segments the product or service is designed to serve, the customer’s job-to-be-done and the channels through which the product or service is delivered.

It is a valuable tool for entrepreneurs, product managers, and marketers, as it helps to create a clear understanding of customers’ needs, and how to develop a value proposition that meets those needs.

https://www.strategyzer.com/canvas/value-proposition-canvas

Product box group activity

Product box vision tool is a software development tool that helps software developers and stakeholder visualize their software product as a 3D box. It allows developers to create a 3D representation of their software product so they can better understand the entire product architecture, the relationships between components and the overall impact of the features. It also helps them to identify potential weaknesses and areas that need improvement.

The product box vision tool can be used to quickly create detailed diagrams of the product, as well as to analyze the user experience and feedback from customers. The tool can also be used to create product roadmaps and to help prioritize development tasks.

Front of Box

Product Name

Product Image

Obvious target customer

Obvious value proposition fro the target customer

Back (and sides) of the Box

More detail about the features

Information relevant to different customers

Elevator Pitch

Vision Elevator Pitch Tool is a simple yet powerful tool designed to help entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses create an elevator pitch that clearly outlines their vision.

Fill in the gaps in the below sentence and then rewrite it a one, or two sentences. Come back to it, examine it and amend.

For …[target audience]

who …[need,want]

[product name] is a …[market category]

that …[one key benefit]

unlike …[competition or current situation]

our product …[competitive advantage]

Scrum Fundamentals

See how Scrum fits in the ‘Agile way’

Scrum Events

A scrum sprint is a time-boxed period, usually two to four weeks, during which specific work has to be completed and made ready for review. It is used in Agile software development and is part of the Scrum framework. During the sprint, a team works to complete specific goals and deliverables.

The main Scrum events are:

1. Sprint Planning: This event is attended by the entire Scrum Team (Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team). The goal of this event is to plan out the upcoming sprint and decide which items from the product backlog will be worked on during the sprint.

Less than 8 hours.

2. Daily (Stand-up) Scrum: This event is attended by the Development Team and the Scrum Master. The goal of this event is to review progress from the day before, identify any obstacles, and plan out what needs to be done for the day.

15 minutes

3. Sprint Review: This event is attended by the entire Scrum Team (Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team). The goal of this event is to review the work done during the sprint, receive feedback, and demonstrate the completed product.

Less than 4 hours.

4. Sprint Retrospective: This event is attended by the entire Scrum Team (Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team). The goal of this event is to review the sprint, identify what went well and what can be improved, and plan out actions to improve the process for the next sprint.

Less than 3 hours.

3 Pillars of Scrum (TIA)

The three pillars of Scrum are:

1. Transparency: All aspects of the process must be visible to those involved. This includes progress, issues, and actions.

2. Inspection: Regularly examining the progress and results of the process and adjusting accordingly.

3. Adaptation: Making changes to the process to improve its effectiveness. Empiricism is the foundation of Scrum and is based on three principles:

Empiricism

Evidence-based decision making:

All decisions should be based on observable, empirical evidence. Regularly inspect the process and results to identify areas for improvement. Make changes to the process based on the evidence gathered from inspection.

These principles ensure that the process is constantly inspected and improved, leading to better results.

Scrum Values

The 5 Scrum values are:

Focus

Commitment

Openness

Courage

Respect

The 3 Scrum Artifacts

These are the physical parts of scrum that can be touched. Not necessarily the only thing, but these must, at least, be included in every scrum project

The Product Backlog – committed to the Product Goal. Responsibility of the Product Owner
1. It gives an overall direction to all Sprints.
2. It helps the team stay focused and make better decisions
3. It makes it easier to inspect the incremental progress of the product
The Sprint Backlog – committed to the Sprint Goal. Why (goal), what (PBI’s), how (actionable plan to deliver the increment). Responsibility of the developer team.
The Increment – committed to the DoD. Responsibility of the scrum team.

Agile Manifesto & 12 Core Principles

See how the ‘Scrum Fundamentals‘ fit into Agile.

We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.

2. Working software over comprehensive documentation.

3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.

4. Responding to change over following a plan.

That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

The 12 core principles of the Agile Manifesto are as follows:

1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.

2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage. 3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.

4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.

5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.

6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.

7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.

8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.

9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.

10. Simplicity–the art of maximizing the amount of work not done–is essential.

11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.

12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes

Scrum Master Job Description

The Scrum Master is responsible for managing and facilitating the Scrum process, ensuring the team adheres to the values and principles of the Agile methodology.

The Scrum Master’s primary responsibilities include helping to define and refine team processes, removing impediments to progress, and guiding the team toward successful outcomes.

The Scrum Master acts as a coach to the team, helping them to become self-organizing and highly productive.

The Scrum Master will also work with the Product Owner to ensure a clear understanding of the product goals, and help the team to prioritize accordingly.

The Scrum Master will be responsible for setting up and running daily Scrum meetings, helping to plan and facilitate sprint reviews and retrospectives, and assisting with any conflict resolution that may arise. The Scrum Master will also need to stay up to date with Agile best practices and be available to answer questions and provide guidance to the team.

Qualities that make a Great Scrum Master

A Scrum Master is a facilitator and leader who helps a Scrum team to follow the Scrum framework and principles. The most important skills of a Scrum Master include:

Leadership: A Scrum Master must be able to lead the team and help them to work together effectively.
Facilitation: A Scrum Master must be able to facilitate meetings and discussions, and help the team to make decisions.
Communication: A Scrum Master must have strong communication skills and be able to convey information clearly and effectively to the team, stakeholders and other relevant parties.
Coaching: A Scrum Master must be able to coach the team members, help them to identify and overcome obstacles, and improve their skills.
Conflict resolution: A Scrum Master must be able to help the team to resolve conflicts and maintain a positive and productive working environment.
Problem-solving: A Scrum Master must be able to help the team to identify and solve problems, and make decisions that are in the best interest of the project and the team.
Knowledge of Scrum: A Scrum Master must have a deep understanding of the Scrum framework and be able to apply it effectively.
Adaptability: A Scrum Master must be able to adapt to the changing needs of the team and the project, and be able to guide the team through changes.

Scrum Developer Job Description

A Scrum Developer is responsible for creating and developing software (and other) products. They must use the Agile Scrum methodology to develop and deliver software products. The Scrum Developer should be able to understand the business requirements and create a plan to develop the software product. They must be able to work within a team environment and collaborate with other members to ensure the software product is delivered on time and within budget.

The Scrum Developer must have excellent problem solving and communication skills, as well as experience in software development and the Agile Scrum methodology. They should be able to work independently and with a sense of ownership for their projects. The Scrum Developer must have strong technical skills in areas such as object-oriented programming, software design and development, database design and development, web development, and software testing. They must also be able to use tools such as version control systems, automated testing frameworks, and bug tracking tools.

The Scrum Developer must be able to work effectively and efficiently under pressure, while meeting tight deadlines and maintaining a high level of quality. They should also have excellent interpersonal skills and be able to work closely with stake holders, project managers, and other development teams.

Scrum Product Owner Job Description

A Scrum Product Owner is responsible for managing the product backlog and ensuring that the development team is delivering value to the customer.

The Product Owner is the voice of the customer and acts as a liaison between the development team and the stakeholders. They are responsible for ensuring that the product roadmap aligns with the company’s strategy and objectives.

The Product Owner is responsible for anticipating customer needs and developing features that address those needs. They will also prioritize features and manage the development team’s resources to ensure that the most important features are developed first. The Product Owner will also be responsible for setting clear goals, defining acceptance criteria, and monitoring progress against those goals.

To succeed in this role, the Product Owner should have a good understanding of the product, the customer, and the market. They should have excellent communication and organizational skills and be able to work effectively with multiple stakeholders. Additionally, the Product Owner should have experience working with Agile methodology and be comfortable with data-driven decision making.