Hi,

Just wanted to let you know I will be in Boston teaching a CSM Class next week in Boston. If you are interested, please contact me offline! I may also be available for a pub run on Wednesday evening too (smile).

Thank you.

- mike vizdos
www.michaelvizdos.com
www.implementingscrum.com

Interested in becoming a Certified Scrum Master?
Come to my next workshop!

Wow. I saw something at a client site a few weeks ago that inspired the cartoon for this week.

This is real life.

As it is every week and every posting with me.

And.

Unexpected to say the least.

I’ll let you in on the actual pictures of the inspiration tomorrow… but for now let’s continue with the point for this week.

Sometimes it feels like you are working on the same thing day after day.

At least sometimes it feels that way to me. Maybe it is just me (smile).

Kinda like a treadmill. This is something that you walk on forever and actually get nowhere.

Are you there in your [work] life?

What about your Team?

And your Organization?

What can help you get out of this — or “off the treadmill?”

Umm.

I could sugar coat it with a bunch of inspirational bla bla, and sometimes I do that.

Tonight… zero sugar coating. It is not going to happen, as sometimes you need to hear this and actually take a hard knock of reality (like sometimes people on the team need to be “voted” off the island!).

Here goes.

The only way off the treadmill is for you to make a change.

Take responsibility.

Be accountable.

To who?

You.

The rest of the Team and Organization will follow.

Or will they?

Does it really matter to you?

Worry about you first.

Really.

The rest will follow.

Or not.

Gotta run… Please send comments, questions, criticisms, ideas, or whatever here.

You can also enter The Forum to discuss this entry and other Scrum topics. Thank you!

Hi all.

Well I have done quite a bit of traveling around this great planet of ours, and a lot of time spent in the clouds (thinking of course while I fly to destinations afar).

So, tomorrow you are going to see something that I did not think I’d ever see.

We’ll start with the cartoon and try to turn a story around it related to Scrum — something you all know I am good at doing.

And the next night I will send you the inspiration for the cartoon this week.

Wow.

Inspirational?

I hope so LOL.

Thank you,

- mike vizdos
www.michaelvizdos.com
www.implementingscrum.com

Interested in becoming a Certified Scrum Master?
Come to my next workshop!

I sincerely apologize for the lack of a new posting last week. Sometimes even I need to remind myself that I am human.

And.

The cartoon for this week really says it all.

Keep IT Simple Stupid.

In the past, I have seen the “KISS” stuff look like: “Keep it simple stupid” or “Keep it super simple” or many other variations.

Note the capitalization of “IT”?

That’s where you and I come in a lot of the times.

So.

Really.

Keep IT Simple Stupid.

I am not calling you stupid. If anything, this is a great reminder for “me” to not get stupid.

A few weeks ago I was with a client (actually doing the work thing, which I doooo actually “do”!) and they have been spending a lot of time planning for their agile rollout.

What is a lot of time?

This will vary.

Let’s just say it looked very much like a waterfall process — nothing near agile.

And I had to tell them this.

Will “they” listen?

Who knows.

But.

It was a great reminder to me that taking months and months planning for an agile rollout of more than ten teams at one time is not a good idea for people starting agile stuff.

What is my recommendation?

Get ready for “Captain Obvious.”

Start with one project.

Today.

Now.

And stop the planning game.

Really.

Get good at what you do.

And the only way to do this is to get started.

One project at a time.

Don’t worry about the enterprise rollout today when you have not started even one project.

Scary thought?

Yes.

Reality?

It does work.

Worry about the “enterprise” stuff later.

Start producing working software.

Today.

Think about it and challenge the way you currently do things today.

Results will vary, but all will surprise you.

Gotta run… Please send comments, questions, criticisms, ideas, or whatever here.

You can also enter The Forum to discuss this entry and other Scrum topics. Thank you!

Hola.

I have a few seats open for a CSM Workshop in New Mexico this week. See www.michaelvizdos.com for more info.

I’ll finish blogging about what I started last week tomorrow.

I promise.

Thanks for hanging with me.

- mike vizdos

OK.

I am overwhelmed right now.

So I am going to admit I am human (smile) and will post a new cartoon next week.

The good news is I have had a GREAT week working with teams and learning tons.

About a lot of things.

My apologies.

- mike vizdos

Hi all.

The topic this week is about keeping things simple.

And picking one thing at a time and doing it well.

Very well.

Tonight I am writing a little bit about it.

Let’s see if I can actually get the comic strip up tomorrow (when I make my drive over to Portland, Maine).

You’ll see.

Hmmm…

As complicated as this week seems to me and you.

There is always a simple solution.

Really.

- mike vizdos

Hola.

Been a long day for me. The comic strip is ready.

Sometimes this seems like the simple thing.

Maybe that makes sense .

I’ll post it tomorrow.

- mike

… if anyone is interested in meeting for breakfast or dinner I’ll be on the road this week.

M-T-W in Hartford, CT (Actually Windsor)

T in Portland, Maine.

Let me know. Individually or in small groups… let me know!

Contact me.

Thank you,

- mike vizdos
www.michaelvizdos.com
www.implementingscrum.com

Interested in becoming a Certified Scrum Master?
Come to my next workshop!

So.

A few weeks ago had someone in a class explain this. He was trained as an Antropologist — not a software developer.

Interesting dude. Really.

Let’s say your current organizational system is like a river flowing down stream.

How rough varies.

Introduce change.

Any change.

Just one.

Scrum for example (funny how that gets worked into this conversation, eh?).

Pretend that change is a boat (or canoe, as drawn!).

Insert a Chicken and Pig for some humor (smile).

Following along with me?

Now.

Paddle.

What happens when you stop paddling?

The river flushes you back down stream.

That’s the gist.

Easy brilliance.

Does this apply in your current situation?

If you are about to just embark on this journey, remember to always keep paddling!

Stop paddling and you have made a choice to give it up — and make room for something else to take its place.

Gotta run… Please send comments, questions, criticisms, ideas, or whatever here.

You can also enter The Forum to discuss this entry and other Scrum topics. Thank you!