Methods

Topic Teasers Vol. 11: Agile Slackers

by Barbee Davis, MA, PHR, PMP, PMI-ACP June 10, 2013

Question: I love working with my agile team. All the personalities are great, and everyone gets along fine. The problem is one person who we can’t rely on to finish her tasks on time. With no project manager to keep tabs on people, how do agile teams deal with slackers?

A.	Ask the ScrumMaster to perform the project manager’s task of keeping tasks coming in on time and disciplining non-producing team members. He or she is responsible for team member actions.
B.	No one is expecting agile teams to estimate accurately, so allow the person whose work is not done in a timely way to continue at her own pace. Team harmony trumps speed.
C.	With a self-directed agile team, the team members must confront the non-performing members to keep the flow of iteration work on track. Agile doesn’t mean “no accountability”.
D.	Allow the slower team members to choose the latest tasks in the dependency chain, so that they don’t hold up the team.

Topic Teasers Vol. 9: Story Points or Hours?

by Barbee Davis, MA, PHR, PMP, PMI-ACP May 15, 2013

Question: My team prefers to work in Story Points, but it sometimes becomes hard to deal with the realities of how to estimate a first iteration and how to deal with the availability of the team members. How do experienced agile teams handle these realities?

A.	If you want to be agile, you must estimate in Story Points. Nothing else will really work for a team once they begin to do the work of the project.
B.	Neither is the correct approach. Estimate your Product Backlog in Ideal Hours, and then they will transfer over easily to the iteration work of the team.
C.	If you create software, use Story Points. If you use agile for any other type of project, estimate in work hours, which you can input into MS Project.
D.	Use Story Points for the Product Backlog, but actual hours for the Iteration Backlog.

Principles

Of Martial Arts and Methodology

by Patti Gilchrist, PMP May 28, 2013

Choosing the best framework or methodology requires thought, but be careful not to overanalyze it. PMs can gain valuable insight from Bruce Lee’s philosophies, which offer a sound approach to achieve success in any area.

Agile: What’s in It for the Project Manager? (Part 2)

by George Dinwiddie May 9, 2013

Making a transition from what you’re currently doing to an effective agile process is a project in itself--but it can easily be worth it. Let’s look at what we can gain by adjusting our approach--our concluding installment looks at interpreting requirements and tracking progress, and offers some further caution and advice.

Practices

Agile: What’s in it for the Project Manager? (Part 1)

by George Dinwiddie May 9, 2013

Making a transition from what you’re currently doing to an effective agile process is a project in itself--but it can easily be worth it. There are no guarantees, but let’s look at what we can gain by adjusting our approach...

Topic Teasers Vol. 7: Using Agile Hardware

by Barbee Davis, MA, PHR, PMP, PMI-ACP April 15, 2013

Question: The software developers in my IT department are hardcore agileists. I maintain legacy systems and do operational work. Is there anything I need to know about the agile world that could affect my work with hardware?

A.	Yes. Cloud computing is an agile practice and a major trend that will probably be discussed in your workplace soon. Learn about it so you don’t look dated and out of touch.
B.	No. Agile is only for software developers at large shops like Google who need to support online retail sales and search engine banks.
C.	Yes. All hardware purchase and installation projects should be converted to a Scrum process for the greatest impact and cohesion between teams.
D.	No. The government has legislation pending to block agile practices as potential antitrust violations.

Agile

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