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Prioritizing Invisible Work

There are work items that will give the team an operational boost and perhaps avoid a crisis, but that never make it to the top of the priority list—like build and deployment improvements, or paying down technical debt. For enabling work that is valuable but too invisible to be a priority, consider breaking it down.

Steve Berczuk's picture
Steve Berczuk
Two agile team members on a video call and wearing face masks Team Agility in a Post-Pandemic World

COVID-19 has necessitated entirely remote environments, and people the world over have had to inspect their foundations of working, adapt to a new way of remote execution, and integrate their personal and professional lives more than before. Organizational leaders need to embrace a new outlook in four critical areas.

Gautham Pallapa's picture
Gautham Pallapa
Cameraperson pointing a video camera at a stage 3 Reasons Saturday Night Live Is the Perfect Example of Agility

Saturday Night Live has delivered iconic, award-winning content and thrilled its audience for more than four decades. The practices used to deliver this sketch comedy television show every week actually have quite a bit in common with the practices of agile businesses. It's all about continuously, reliably delivering value.

John Krewson's picture
John Krewson
Agile team member pointing at user stories written on sticky notes What’s the Problem with User Stories?

Agile projects focus on very lightweight, simple requirements embodied in user stories. However, there are some problems with relying solely on user stories. They often don't contain enough accuracy for development, testing, or industry regulations. There's a better way to write detailed requirements that are still agile.

Adam Sandman's picture
Adam Sandman
How to Make a Fixed-Scope Contract More Agile

Establishing a contract that genuinely supports agile methods can be a significant challenge. By its very nature, a contract that specifies detailed, upfront deliverables contravenes the principles of flexibility and adaptation that are at the heart of agile. But it is possible—both parties just need to focus on results.

Jamie Cooke's picture
Jamie Cooke
Software designers, developers and other team members collaborating The Real Value of Cross-Functional Agile Teams

Agile teams know that cross-functional collaboration is central to the methodology, but there are often barriers to fully embracing this idea. If teams are used to handoffs, it may seem like it makes sense to maintain the status quo. Try collaborating on something small to realize the true value of cross-functional teams.

Steve Berczuk's picture
Steve Berczuk
Group of game pieces with one left behind Leave No Tester Behind

Creating comprehensive automated tests within a sprint can be a challenge. If the testers don't finish the automation and the rest of the team moves on, testers get left behind and can't catch up. You need some techniques to keep everyone together and ensure that all essential work is accomplished—including test automation.

Hans Buwalda's picture
Hans Buwalda
An agile acrobat holds himself perpendicular to a wall An Agile Mindset Teaches the Lessons We Need for COVID-19

Since we can't control the COVID-19 situation besides following safety protocols, and updates change almost daily, our circumstances necessitate agility from everyone, from employees to company leads. Let’s look at the practical agility lessons COVID-19 is teaching us and why an agile mindset is even more important now.

Bharathan Venkateswaran's picture
Bharathan Venka...