Scrum

What is Scrum?

Posted on 10.27.16

We often hear words in a business context that don’t always make sense. Sometimes we are familiar with terms from other areas of life, but they just don’t seem to fit into our expectations. “Controlling,” for example is one of those words. In our day-to-day lives, controlling is often a negative word, meaning a person who exhibits manipulative behaviors or restricts the actions of another person. Parents “control” their children to prevent them from grabbing items off the supermarket shelf.

However, controlling in the business sense means comparing the gap between our planned performance and our actual performance. By implementing corrective actions, we “control” the situation to better align business results with an expected strategic objective.

Another strange word that we often hear associated with project management is “scrum”. In rugby, a scrum is a play in which eight-membered teams attempt to gain possession of the ball and move it downfield. It is loosely similar to a “scrimmage” in American football. A sports fan may have watched a rugby match on television and viewed the scrum, involving strong athletes and a force of will.

Scrum as a Project Management Framework

In the world of project management, Scrum is a relatively new framework to conduct project activities. Scrum applies to both small and large projects, and can be used to execute projects, programs, and portfolios.

Scrum is a framework, not a prescription, to guide project work for the team executing the project activities. It is built on the Agile philosophy and utilizes lean development tools. The fundamentals of Scrum include prioritizing work on business value, highly collaborative teamwork, and iterative development.

Prioritizing Work

Following the principles of lean product development and of total quality management, we know that waste occurs in many processes. Waste in project management occurs when the customer and stakeholders are uncertain of the final result or when there are many alternatives to accomplishing the project deliverables.

Scrum reduces waste in development by delivering high value product results on a continuous basis. Project work is conducted in sprints lasting from one to six weeks (typically two to four weeks). A customer representative, knowns as the product owner, delineates the highest value features for project delivery during each sprint.

As the conclusion of each sprint, a workable result can be delivered to the product owner. By prioritizing the work, business value is continually realized which not only reduces waste but is motivating to team members. For large scale projects, the quick hits of a sprint yield a better understanding and selection of alternative solutions thereby creating higher quality investment decisions.

Collaborative Teamwork

Scrum teams are absent the hierarchy of traditional project teams. Rather than a boss telling people what and how to do a task, Scrum team members self-organize to select activities within a sprint for completion. Team members are both specialists in their area of expertise and generalists to help reduce the project backlog during a sprint as necessary.

Normally, Scrum teams are co-located in a single location. Often known as a “war room,” team members work together on tasks, sharing a workspace to increase collaboration and creativity. Team members literally move from contributing to one project task to another as demand requires. Skills are acknowledge in this flat organizational structure, rather than seniority.

Iterative Development

As discussed above, the Scrum framework is built upon iterative development. Basic project work is broken down into sprints lasting an average of two to four weeks. Team members commit to completing one or more of the prioritized project tasks during the iteration. At the conclusion of the sprint, the deliverable is demonstrated to the product owner.

The product owner, acting as the voice of the customer, will approve the sprint deliverables. During the next sprint, the Scrum team will work on the next highest value project tasks.

In this way, the project continually delivers business value. More importantly, when projects involve a high degree of uncertainty as in software development or radical innovation for new products and services, the product owner can view deliverables progressively. Feature sets can be altered based on market demand and technical capability during the project since the sprints allow for rapid experimentation and product evolution.

Learn More about Scrum

Scrum is an effective framework for executing projects with uncertainty. It can be used for projects of all sizes and types. Key features of Scrum include continuous delivery of high business value priorities, collaborative team work, and iterative development. If you’d like to learn more about Scrum, please join us for a free webinar or 2-day Scrum Master certification workshop. We want to make it simple for you to study, learn, and earn!

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

© Simple-PDH.com

by Global NP Solutions, LLC

Individual Learning vs. Team Development

Posted on 10.13.16

Continuous learning is crucial for any person’s long-term success. In today’s rapidly changing world, we must learn new technologies and new ways of doing business just to survive. To thrive in a diverse economy, we also must learn how to develop relationships and master new skills.

Today’s world is not only changing at an ever-increasing pace but it also requires that we work intimately with others to achieve our goals. Teams of workers create products, services, and results that cannot be accomplished by individuals working alone. And like all people, teams must engage in continuous learning in order to maintain high levels of performance.

Both individuals and teams must continuously learn new skills and develop critical knowledge. Individual talents can also help a team to grow while team growth in turn drives individual performance improvements.

Individual Learning

Individuals learn in a number of ways. For example, we learn a lot of skills on the job. By performing a specific task, we learn how to do the task correctly. As we continue to do the task over and over again, we learn how to perform the task more effectively and more efficiently. Learning on-the-job improves our skills to perform specific tasks and activities.

Individuals also learn through organized skills and knowledge development activities – conventionally known as “training”. Education delivers a broad set of theories and practices, tested over history, to an individual seeking to learn. Formal education, such as a college degree, includes cross-functional knowledge that an individual must integrate to gain a new perspective.

For instance, as an engineering major, I didn’t understand the value of classes like psychology or music history. Years later, serving as an engineering manager, theories from psychology helped me succeed in building cohesive teams. Finding common topics to discuss with customers and clients, such as the influence of Gregorian chant on the music of the 1800s, allows a person to build camaraderie and trust.

Individuals also can improve their skill sets through targeted learning. Training in one’s field of study develops knowledge that amplifies on-the-job learning. In particular, professional certifications offer targeted learning delivered at the right time in an individual’s career. Professional certifications normally involve demonstration of experience, mastery of best practices within the field, and continuing education to maintain the credential.

Finally, individuals learn from others. Interactions with team members include sharing of best practices and tools of the trade. Such informal learning supplements formal educations and professional training.

Team Development

Teams must also learn together in order to accomplish their goals and objectives. As individuals gain skills, these are shared with the team through informal interactions and implementation of best practices. As a single person demonstrates an improved process, the rest of the team learns how to approach the task more effectively.

Psychology, specifically the work of Bruce Tuckman, teaches us that teams naturally progress through known stages of development as they learn to work together and gain knowledge to improve task completion. These stages are:

Forming,
Storming,
Norming, and
Performing.

When the team’s work is finished, the team disbands during a final stage called “adjourning.”

As the team comes together (forming), individuals bring specific skills to the group. The team begins to identify necessary tasks, skills, and knowledge during the storming stage and then designs work practices, policies, and procedures through the norming stage. With a high level of interpersonal trust and knowledge sharing, teams reach the level of performing that supports sharing and learning.

In addition to informal learning that occurs among team members as the team develops, many groups also benefit from formal training. For instance, individuals benefit personally and professionally by earning credentials in project management, new product development, and engineering management. Moreover, an entire team that goes through the training together realizes even greater benefits.

When an established team takes professional certification training together (whether online or in person), knowledge and skills are developed to address professional growth as well as specific, real-world problems. A team that enrolls together in Scrum Training will learn the practice of Agile project management as well as individual skills. Even more so, the team will collectively gain formal knowledge to deploy best practices in their own specific situation while at the same time learning to interact and share as a group. For this reason, at Simple-PDH.com, we offer special discounts for multiple attendees from the same company. We believe in the most effective training to develop teams quickly.

Learning as an Individual and as a Team

Individuals and teams cannot stop learning new information or new skills. Their very survival depends on continuous learning. Informal learning, such as on-the-job and shared experiences, can help to improve specific task performance. Formal education, like a college degree, provides board-based knowledge that individuals can apply at different times and at different depths to improve their own performance in a given situation.

Team development also centers on learning but in learning new skills and knowledge to solve immediate problems together. Learning as a team can be informal via shared experiences but knowledge retention is more powerful when the team participates together in targeted professional learning events. Join us as a team for Project Management Professional (PMP®), New Product Development Professional (NPDP), or Scrum Training. You will study, learn, and earn. It’s simple!

In the meantime, practice using early detection of problem areas in projects. EVM is one tool and frequent communication with team members is another. Good luck!

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

© Simple-PDH.com

by Global NP Solutions, LLC

Practice and Talent

Posted on 09.01.16

As we’ve watched the joys of gold medal winners at this summer’s Olympic Games, we recognize their hard work and dedication to their sport. These athletes practice and practice, putting in hours daily to achieve the highest rewards offered in swimming, gymnastics, and running. Many of these young athletes are lucky enough to become household names for a few weeks or months. Although, Ryan Lochte may regret sharing a special spot in the Olympic game of name recognition, competing alongside Tonya Harding as a great Olympic goof-up.

Even so, practice is the enduring and shared quality of athletes around the world. We may view their “talent” with great admiration from our armchairs in front of the television set (as I do Ryan Lochte’s speed and strength in swimming). After all, the 100m track race is over before I can even lace up a single running shoe. I’m still adjusting my goggles by the time the 100m freestyle winner has touched the wall. But, as Geoff Colvin presents in his 2010 book, “Talent is Overrated,” practice is what really makes the difference. He argues there is no such thing as in-born talent.

Is Talent In-Born?

Colvin presents significant evidence that counters our belief in natural talent. Using examples of Tiger Woods and Jerry Rice, Colvin chronicles their hours of daily practice – practice in the basics of their skills to be an elite athlete and practice that is almost painful, certainly not fun.

Of course, most of us have heard of the “10,000 hour rule” and Colvin presents examples form chess, music and sports fields to demonstrate the validity of practice over talent. Moreover, successful artists required years of non-success, and even failure, to reach the pinnacles of their careers. The Beatles toiled for nearly 10 years before their first hit album. Even Mozart produced so-so composition for a decade before writing the scores we love and admire today.

These examples hint at dedication and hard work, just as we see with the Olympians. But, how do we apply an argument of practice vs. talent to project management or any other business function?

Basic Skills Training

In “Talent is Overrated,” Colvin relays a story of Tiger Woods’ practice regime. Tiger would drop a golf ball into a sand trap and then stomp it into the ground as deep as possible. Then, he’d work to perfect hitting the ball out of the sand trap. And, he’d repeat the exercise dozens and dozens of times. When Tiger encountered the same situation in a real game, he was prepared to tackle the situation since he had practiced and perfected the basic skills required for a successful outcome.

Likewise, chess masters study the game board and moves in depth. They read volumes of different strategies and practice the moves mentally many times before participating in a high-stakes chess match. Again, the basic skills are practiced as much as the full game.

Of course, Olympic swimmers like Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky spend hours in the pool but also hours in the gym building strength and agility. Simone Biles left public school and had a private tutor so she could practice jumps, leaps, and balance on her quest for Olympic gold.

Engineers and project managers must also practice our basic skills. We must know the steps to initiate and plan a project. We must know the fundamental skills to motivate a team to accomplish great feats. We must practice communication and listening to understand the new product development needs of our customers.

However, our training is not so obvious as hours at the gym or running on the track. Engineering and project managers often demonstrate basic knowledge skills through education and experience. Instead of a gold medal worn around our necks, we proudly hang our framed credentials on our office walls – Project Management Professional (PMP®), Scrum Master (SCM™), New Product Development Professional (NPDP), and Professional Engineering Manager (PEM).

Certification Training

In business, engineering, and project management, our credentials demonstrate our dedication, diligent practice, and success. It takes hard work to become a PMP, SCM, NPDP, or PEM. All good Olympians have a strong coach guiding them in basic skills and training. You, too, need a great coach to guide you in gaining your professional certification. Simple-PDH offers convenient and affordable online courses in project management, new product development, and Scrum. We also offer you an easy way to maintain your certifications after you’ve passed the exam. It’s simple to study, learn, and earn. Check it out with a 50% discount for our popular Disruptive Innovation course. (Please email us at info@simple-pdh.com for the discount code.)

Good luck in your quest for the gold standard!

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

by Global NP Solutions, LLC

What is Empirical Process Control in Scrum?

Posted on 08.18.16

Scrum is a project management framework involving a collaborative effort to create complex products, services, or results. The Scrum methodology focuses on delivering high-value increments to the customer or other stakeholders quickly. In comparison to traditional waterfall project management methods, Scrum is lightweight and simple to understand. Yet, implementing Scrum requires a paradigm shift for both management and project team members.

Principles of Scrum

Scrum is based on six key principles that form the foundation of the project management methodology. These are:

Empirical process control,
Self-organization,
Collaboration,
Value-based prioritization,
Time-boxing, and
Iterative development.

Empirical Process Control

“Empirical” means “derived from or guided by experience” (dictionary.com). Scrum processes are guided by the practical experience of the Scrum Master and the project team members as well as the product owner. The Scrum Master is a facilitator working to ensure that the Scrum Team can complete the work in an efficient and productive manner. The Scrum Team is essentially a working project team.

Unlike a traditional project manager who issues work orders and controls the team’s scope, schedule, and budget, a Scrum Master interfaces with external influencers to ensure that the Scrum Team works on the highest value priorities first. A Scrum Master also removes roadblocks that could impeded the team’s accomplishments. This may include limiting project deliverables during a given phase of work or adding necessary resources to accomplish required goals and objectives.

The Product Owner is another unique role in Scrum. A Product Owner represents the voice of the customer by meeting with the client to fully understand their needs. Moreover, the Product Owner provides the Scrum Master and the Scrum Team a prioritized list of features, deliverables, and requirements. In this way, the project is able to deliver value at the earliest possible increment after the project has begun.

In addition to the experience of the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Scrum Team, empirical process control focuses on three concepts: transparency, inspection, and adaptation.

Transparency

Scrum processes in project management are viewable by all. This ensures transparency. Transparency includes a common understanding of the project work requirements by clients, stakeholders, Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Scrum Team. Often the Scrum tools used to advance project work share additional commonalities so that anyone involved in any project using similar resources can quickly assess the project status.

The concept of transparency extends to the flow of information throughout the organization. An open work environment is also a hallmark of Scrum. Scrum Team members practice transparency in a Daily Stand-Up Meeting in which they share work progress, work plans, and any challenges they face in completing agreed-upon work items.

Inspection

The second concept of empirical process control is the idea of inspection. Inspection means that project deliverables are continually monitored to ensure appropriate value is delivered to the customer or client. Inspection involves frequent monitoring of project progress as well as demonstration of completed work items.

Scrum projects are executed in short sprints, typically lasting from one to six weeks. Scrum Team members work on a few, specific, prioritized features or deliverables during each sprint. Scrum project documentation and artifacts, like the Scrumboard, illustrate the progress of the team toward completion of tasks in the current sprint. Final inspection validates the goals of the sprint for customer acceptance.

Adaptation

A pivotal difference between traditional project management and Scrum is flexibility and continuous learning. Whereas a conventional waterfall process lays out the definition of all goals, objectives, and deliverables when a project starts, Scrum projects utilize teams and inspection to quickly experiment and adapt to changing project requirements. It is often challenging for a client or customer to define specific product features or attributes prior to project initiation. Adaptation also means that the Product Owner is responsible for continuous verification of business value throughout the life cycle of the project. In traditional, waterfall product development processes, features are locked in and often a company finds itself committed to a losing prospect after incurring significant resource and development expenses. Scrum, on the other hand, forces flexibility and continued risk assessment through the short, iterative design cycles.

Empirical Process Control in Scrum

Scrum focuses on three concepts to take advantage of project team member experience. These are transparency, inspection, and adaptation. In contrast to traditional project management, Scrum uses short, iterative development cycles in which the Product Owner, representing the voice of the customer, continually evaluates the value delivery of the project. Scrum Teams are facilitated by a Scrum Master who removes roadblocks and obstacles so the Scrum Team can accomplish its work. Project work is highly visible (transparency), checked against goals frequently (inspection), and continually assessed for risk and value (adaptation).

To learn more about Scrum, please join us in a free webinar. Or contact me at info@simple-pdh.com to join a Scrum Fundamentals or Scrum Master course.

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

A division of Global NP Solutions, LLC