Tag Archives: project management

Forget Agile. Focus on What Works

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Back in 2001, having recently arrived in the UK from New Zealand, I stumbled upon Extreme Programming (XP). This framework, and its relatives, promised to revolutionise software development. At the time, “Agile” was an enigma – a term met with puzzled looks and raised eyebrows. Fast forward 24 years, and the landscape has shifted dramatically. “Agile” has come and gone. People are shouting “Agile is Dead!” If somebody says “Agile” they are met with scepticism and, in some circles, outright disdain. Anti-Agile is the new Agile dogma but I’ve never been much for dogma. I care about what works. Despite the changing tides of terminology and perception, the core principles that drew me to Agile remain the bedrock of my daily practice. I just don’t often say that.
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Leaders Turn Up

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I’m proud of all my teams – good people doing great things. But I’m particularly proud of my current team because it was the hardest to form, being split between London and Berlin. I formed this team by turning up. A simple message although quite painful for myself and my family. Actually that pain is part of the reason my approach works. Leaders turn up and the team appreciates that.
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Work Item Tracking, to See or Not to See?

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Work Item Tracking, to See or Not to See? This is always an interesting debate. The lists are much longer but for simplicity I’ve surfaced a few salient points. So which is best? Physical or virtual? For me physical boards win hands down, but there are occasionally good reasons for a careful blend.
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