Food for Agile Thought #351: Agile and Deadlines, Why We (Often) Lack Strategy, Making Room for Discovery

Welcome to the 351st edition of the ‘Food for Agile Thought’ newsletter, shared with 35,559 peers. My name is Stefan Wolpers.

This week, we delve into ‘Agile’ and deadlines, debunking the myth of many managers that being agile only works in environments without them. Moreover, James Shore and Aino Vonge Corry dissect a core event to help teams reflect and improve. Also, we learn how Safesite went from two-week sprints to an approach that helped them understand ‘our customers better and [validate] what should be built next.’

Then, we reflect on disincentives to thinking strategically, starting with system design, and we describe Paypal’s innovation system that involves a ‘blockchain-based token system that lets employees place wagers on ideas.’ Also, we list suggestions to free yourself from administrative tasks for the benefit of figuring out what is worth building.

Finally, we analyze why most managers are good at managing but lack a critical skill of the 21st century, and we define lean metrics based on insights from the leading organization in everything ‘Lean’—Toyota. Lastly, we delve into the lessons learned from mastering mobbing together in a live stream.

PS: 🗞 Did you miss past issues? No worries, here we go: 349, 350.

📈 🔬 Join 400-plus peers and contribute to the anonymous poll for the upcoming free ‘Product Owner and Product Manager Salary Report 2022!’

🏆 Tip of the Week

Medium: Todd Lankford debunks the myth of many managers that being agile only works in environments without hard deadlines: "Can Agile and deadlines coexist in perfect harmony?"

➿ Agile & Scrum

• 📺 James Shore and Aino Vonge Corry, the author of the book ‘Retrospective Antipatterns,’ dissect the core event to help teams reflect and improve: "Agile Book Club: Retrospectives."

• Medium: Cory Torres Bishop describes how Safesite went from two-week sprints to an approach that helped them understand ‘our customers better and [validate] what should be built next:’ "Why we transitioned from Sprints to Basecamp’s “Shape Up” methodology."
  
  

• Reforge: Natalie Rothfels analyzes why most managers are good at managing but lack a critical skill of the 21st century, namely in industries striving for business agility: "Why Most Managers Aren’t Effective Coaches."

🎓 🖥 💯 🇬🇧 Hands-on Agile #44: Honey, I Shrunk the Backlog with Allan Kelly — September 5, 2022

The backlog was a great idea until it wasn't. Many successful teams deliver backlog items daily, but their backlogs aren't getting any smaller. The never-ending backlog overshadows delivery success. Product discovery, dual-track agile, OKRs, etc., make it worse by accelerating backlog growth without taking any of the rotting items away.

Worst of all, doing the backlog distracts from delivering benefits to the customers and responding to change. So what are we to do?

In this presentation, Allan "Nuke the backlog" Kelly suggests you rethink the very idea of the backlog and rebuild your agile process around outcomes. You have nothing to lose by your burn-down charts.

RSVP now: 🖥 💯 🇬🇧 Hands-on Agile #44: Honey, I Shrunk the Backlog with Allan Kelly — September 5, 2022.

👉 From time to time, we can offer last-minute seats for Professional Scrum training classes at cost to individuals who do not have access to a corporate training budget. If you like to be notified about these opportunities, please apply here.

🎯 Product

• John Cutler reflects on disincentives to thinking strategically, starting with system design: "Why Don’t We Have a Strategy?"
  
  

• Harvard Business Review: Gerry Tsoukalas describes Paypal’s innovation system that involves a ‘blockchain-based token system that lets employees place wagers on ideas:’ "How PayPal Gets Employees Invested in Innovation."

• Medium: Markus Müller lists suggestions to free yourself from administrative tasks for the benefit of figuring out what is worth building: "13 ways to free up time for Product Discovery."

🛠 Concepts, Tools & Measuring

• Nigel Thurlow defines lean metrics based on insights from the leading organization in everything ‘Lean’—Toyota: "All About Lean Metrics."

• Cucumber: Karin Dames and delve into the lessons learned from mastering mobbing together in a live stream: "Cucumber Open New Contributors Ensemble."
  
  

✂️ Cutting Room Floor

• Medium: Brian Link advocates the benefits of small work items: "Why Split Big User Stories?"

📅 Training Classes, Meetups & Events

Upcoming classes and events:

• 🖥 🇩🇪 Aug 29-30 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Scrum Master Training (PSM I; German)
• 🖥 💯 🇬🇧 Sep 5 — Live Virtual Meetup: Hands-on Agile #44: Honey, I Shrunk the Backlog w/ Allan Kelly (English)
• 🖥 🇬🇧 Sep 6-9 — Live Virtual Class: Advanced Professional Scrum Master Training (PSM II; English)
• 🖥 🇩🇪 Sep 26-27 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Agile Leadership Essentials Training (PAL-E; German)
• 🖥 💯 🇬🇧 Oct 4-5 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Scrum Master Training (PSM I; English)
• 🖥 🇩🇪 Oct 18-21 — Live Virtual Class: Advanced Professional Scrum Product Owner Training (PSPO-A; German)
• 🖥 🇬🇧 Oct 31-Nov 3 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Scrum Product Owner Training (PSPO I; English)

See all upcoming classes here.

📺 Youtube Channel

• Janna Bastow: Hands-on Agile #42: Lean Roadmapping and OKRs.

Your Opinion Matters

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Best,