Category: Agile

  • Christmas retrospective – Many Faces of Santa

    Christmas retrospective – Many Faces of Santa

    Regular retrospectives are essential for continuous improvement, but they can get a little tedious if the same format is constantly used. Having variation in location and structure helps to create some interest and hopefully a bit of fun! There are various places to look for ideas, here are a few I use: Fun Retrospectives Retrospective…

  • The OODA loop and agile

    The OODA loop and agile

    Agile software development principles emerged from a desire to improve from “heavyweight” methods of producing software. The current Agile methodologies we have evolved through observations with the intention of improving the development life-cycle. We learn an enormous amount looking at our own processes and finding ways to continuously improve as a team or organization. We…

  • Try out new things

    Try out new things

    Do you get that air of excitement when trying something different? The anticipation waiting for the outcome builds the tension. Will the result meet expectations or will there be a surprise? Whether it’s a personal or team change there is a sense of intrigue trying to prove a theory or simply a hunch. Then the…

  • Constant reminder to be agile

    Constant reminder to be agile

    A lot has already been said about “Doing Agile versus Being Agile” so there’s no need to keep repeating – or is there? Constantly repeating something to teams doesn’t usually make you very popular! But there can be a need to give regular reminders in areas that are important. How we work and the culture…

  • Understand value before change

    Understand value before change

    Have you ever found an agile methodology to suit everyone? I don’t think there is one! You find people very passionate about a particular methodology who dismiss any notion of trying something different, they become very protective over which practice is used. I like people who are passionate about what they do, however there are…

  • Agile is a practice not a state of mind

    Agile is a practice not a state of mind

    “Yeah, we’re doing agile. Been doing it for some time now.” Really? I know it’s not good to doubt straight away but I’ve developed this skepticism when people say they are doing agile. It has come from speaking with different team members and senior management about their impression of ‘agile’. For sometime now agile has…

  • Take a deep breath…

    Take a deep breath…

    …and post! First blog for stevesitton.com – check! Now to the list of everything else! I had thought of starting a blog for sometime, now I’ve finally taken the step from thinking to doing. The first challenge came quickly – coming up with a name for the blog! I originally put the blog on geekymanager.com…