August 15, 2019 by Drew Kincius Leave a Comment

What is the Difference Between Scrum and Kanban?

In the Agile world, the words “Scrum” and “Kanban” are as common as zone and man-to-man defense are in basketball. Both the Scrum framework and Kanban processes apply the Agile methodology to managing and implementing workflow in a way that promotes both quality and efficiency. But what’s the difference between the two, and how do you decide if one or both are best for your business? Let’s break down the biggest differences between Scrum and Kanban, no sports knowledge required.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is an application of the Agile methodology that hones in on carrying out complex processes by simplifying them into shorter, speedier projects. This project management style emphasizes communication strategies and the production of high-value deliveries and rapidly, repeatable iterations.

What is Kanban?

The Kanban method is centered on being able to visualize workflow and processes with the objective of identifying and correcting bottlenecks and roadblocks that could slow down or disrupt progress. In Kanban, deliverables are broken down into smaller tasks that are represented as touchpoints on the Kanban Board.

The Team Perspective

Scrum

Groups utilizing Scrum are given one of three defined roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Team. Each of these roles commits to specific work responsibilities and executes those tasks repeatedly until the project is complete. The Team itself in Scrum is cross-functional, meaning each member has a particular expertise that equips them for a unique contribution and prevents team members from being siloed in a particular skill set or task.

Kanban

On the other hand, Kanban has no set roles. Flexibility is the name of the game with Kanban, so responsibilities can shift depending on who is facing an obstacle or delay. Every member on the Kanban team is a leader collaborating on the most creative solutions to reach the end goal. The Kanban team is specialized so that any individual can tackle any task within the backlog.

Obstacles and Obligations

Scrum

Scrum processes revolve around the planning and preparation of a repeatable schedule referred to as “ceremonies”, one type of which is the sprint. These sprints rely on regular and punctual output that is reviewed and revised on a loop. The Team focuses on task completion while other roles, such as the Scrum Master, are responsible for removing any obstacles that arise so the Team members can execute.

Kanban

With an emphasis on adaptability and flow, Kanban consistently re-evaluates processes and obstacles in order to constantly improve the process and maximize efficiency. Kanban tasks are based less on specific deadlines, timeframes, and deliverables and more broadly on a continuous flow of productivity.

In typical Agile fashion, we have further broken down the differences between Scrum and Kanban in an easy-to-read visual for you to reference.

Still have questions about Scrum and Kanban, or need help deciding what’s right for your team? Contact an Agile expert at beLithe today.

June 11, 2019 by Beth McDonough Leave a Comment

What Are a Scrum Master’s Roles and Responsibilities?

Three primary roles exist within the Agile realm of Scrum: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and the Team. According to Agile’s core foundations, the Scrum Master is meant to facilitate rather than dictate, focusing on empowering teams to be autonomous and to self-organize. Scrum Masters should encourage team members to endorse an Agile mindset, prioritizing individuals and interactions over processes and tools to create a powerful, iterative environment.

Let’s drive some clarity on what this means and break down the roles and responsibilities for this team-based servant leader.

A Scrum Master should:

Maintain the pulse of Team dynamics.

When a group of people works on a project, a storm of different styles and personalities interacting together can lead to varying or unhealthy Team dynamics. The job of the Scrum Master is to keep tabs on the health of these dynamics and jump in to facilitate conflict resolution and opportunities for growth where necessary. Scrum Masters don’t force change, they empower individuals to do their best work to help build a high-performing Team.

Remove obscuring obstacles from the path.

In order to make it to the finish line of a sprint goal, distractions need to be blocked and impediments alleviated to avoid stumbles along the way. It’s the Scrum Master’s responsibility to remove these roadblocks and maintain a focused path for Team members to reach their goals. Setting up the Team for success is a pivotal responsibility of the Scrum Master, and sometimes that can mean simply clearing the way for individuals to do what they do best.

Facilitate the flow of work within the team.

The Scrum Master’s primary role is to be a facilitator. Part of this general facilitation includes leading Team meetings, establishing clear goals, and assisting the efforts of both the Product Owner and the individual members of the Team. In assisting the Product Owner, the Scrum Master can help prioritize workload backlogs and manage project scopes to better align with the desired results and definition of the value of the current project. By challenging outdated processes, utilizing feedback from the team, and keeping best practices relevant, the Scrum Master enhances performance and flow for the team.

Protect each team and their work from external distractions.

Scrum Masters should act as representatives of their Team in Scrum of Scrums (SoS) meetings and other executive discussions. The Scrum Master collects and communicates information between Teams, and between upper-management and the Team. This coordination with outside parties creates a protective barrier which allows members of the Team to focus on their work and the project at hand without the concern of impending distractions that may cause delays or task expansion.

Coach team members on self-management.

A Scrum Master doesn’t exist to be “the boss”. Their goal should be to foster individual ownership and personal responsibility within each of their Team members. Accomplishing this might involve teaching specific techniques to the Team for problem-solving while equipping them with the capabilities and confidence to tackle and resolve issues themselves. Self-discipline is a pillar of Agile, and the Scrum Master exists to implement these values and practices.

To learn more about this role and how to empower your organization’s growth within Agile, sign up for a Scrum Master course or contact the team at beLithe for information.

October 19, 2018 by Drew Kincius Leave a Comment

Embracing Assessments for Authentic Self-Discovery

10.19.18 | Kendrea Williams |

As many of you may (or may not) know, I consider myself a novice in navigating the tech ecosystem. From learning to code to discovering how to manage and deliver software products, this past year provided an immersive experience in personal discovery. By unpacking how to overcome these new career challenges through exploring new ways of doing business, I am identifying a new me.

Now, when I say that I am “discovering a new me,” I am referring to the realization of my underlying strengths and weaknesses since I embarked on this new journey. I’ve taken a plethora of assessments as part of this adventure, including DISC Assessments, Kolbe Evaluations, and Clifton Strengths, in addition to employer-provided skill assessments apps such as Agile Onion and Pocket Prof.

I can wholeheartedly confess that I’ve improved my ability to define my personal and professional strengths and weaknesses accurately. It’s been instrumental in my transition from the not-for-profit sector into a career in technology.

Digging In

So what did these assessments reveal? Plenty; a plethora of new things about me personally and professionally. My initial takeaway was beginning to understand my values and what guided me in my professional work. Don’t get me wrong – we are all raised with a particular set of values, whether good or bad, which guide us into our adult years. However, we are rarely directed about professional values. “Ideal” professional ideologies should come naturally from our “ideal” personal values, well, at least they are supposed to be, right?

According to Gallup, the most dynamic people are those who truly and deeply understand their strengths and behaviors. This recognition of the skills you have acquired throughout your career can provide you with an underlying sense of your current abilities, as well as an accurate perspective regarding your natural talents. All of which offers a keen insight regarding your professional “why.”

It’s essential for an individual to find out where their work values lie. When we value our contributions, we increase the chances of being satisfied in our careers. Though not every job will fulfill our every move, knowing what we appreciate upfront is essential to determining if that outstanding job offer is from a company whose culture and values are somewhat in alignment with ours.

The Big Reveal

Here’s what I discovered from these assessments regarding my strengths:

Contextual: Looking back to the past to understand the present. I like to ask questions and allow the blueprints to emerge.
Restorative: Enjoy the challenge of solving problems by analyzing the solution. I like to bring things back to life.
Strategic: (my favorite and most likely most dominate trait) It is not a skill that can be taught. I am always playing out scenarios and asking, “what if this happened.”
Developer: Ability to see the potential in others. In my view, everyone is a work in progress, and I enjoy helping them discover their potential.
Input: Collecting and holding onto things of interest. It’s true, while I would not consider myself a hoarder, I can pride myself on my impressive home library…i.e., book collection.

Moving Forward

Empowered with this information, I have found areas of weakness where I could use additional training, as well as rediscovering areas of strength.

Diving in with these assessments has been incredibly valuable in helping me know the real me. I challenge you to take the time to invest in yourself and empower your authentic identity.

Let’s connect.
Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | www.beLithe.com

October 16, 2018 by Drew Kincius Leave a Comment

We Belong Here In Tech

10.16.18 | Kendrea Williams |

Last month, I hopped on a plane to Houston ready to celebrate and network with thousands of other women in tech and computing at the annual Grace Hopper Celebration. The Grace Hopper Celebration is the self-described “world’s largest gathering of women technologists.”

Thank God I prepared! For the next three days, I had the honor to meet with some of technology’s best and brightest women leaders in the industry. Women, corporations, and universities from around the world were a part of this dynamic experience. The crowd was undoubtedly diverse, including students, new graduates, and women like me who have transitioned into a computing or technical role, mid-career. It was amazing!

Power in Unity

Our keynote speaker was a phenomenal woman by the name of Jessica Matthews, a Nigerian-American CEO and founder of Uncharted Power which produces Soccket, a soccer ball that can be used as a power generator. She delivered a powerful message regarding women and the available roles in the tech space, in addition to demonstrating a new power-generating jump rope. All while wearing heels!

Another phenomenal woman that I met while at the conference was Jovita Jenkins. While Jessica Matthews can be considered a millennial and a new female thought leader in the tech space, Mrs. Jenkins is regarded as a pioneer. In a time where educational opportunities were a rejected notion altogether, Mrs. Jenkins overcame those odds and entered the tech space by receiving a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mathematics. Her academic success qualified her to work in a technology lab, working on fascinating projects like the first B150 bomber, as well as spending much time working for NASA. Her arguably most notable accomplishment is that she retired as a lead engineer for TRW, Inc., where she led a team of men.

This expansive, impactful experience concluded with a strong message from professor Anita Hill in the wake of the #MeToo movement. She encouraged women to show up and be present. She invited us to speak up for ourselves and our fellow sisters when it comes to dismantling systems meant to oppress or silence women.

A Sense Of Belonging

I left that conference with not only a sense of relief, but I also left feeling like I could finally shed the dreaded “imposter syndrome” which was keeping me from exploring a technology-related career. And it was the messages from the likes of Jessica Matthews, Jovita Jenkins, and Anita Hill, all screaming loud and clear:

“You belong here…in tech!”

Let’s connect.
Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | www.beLithe.com

October 12, 2018 by Drew Kincius Leave a Comment

Fostering Tough Conversations In The Name Of Inclusion

10.12.18 | Chris Daily |

I had the privilege of speaking Wednesday night at this month’s Northside Agileindy monthly meeting.

Our focus topic: managing diverse teams.

To be utterly frank, I’m not sure what I was thinking when I agreed to unpack this tense subject. Figuring out how, and what, I was going to talk about was tough.

A Source of Stress

Early in my IT career, I didn’t recognize the unconscious bias that was all around me. As my life and career have progressed, I’ve realized that diversity and inclusion is not something that just happens, but rather a culture that leaders have to foster intentionally.

The day of the actual presentation was pretty stressful for me. Not because I didn’t know the material or that I had a lot of other things going on, but because I knew what was yet to come that night. I tend to get butterflies before I present, but this time was different.

It seems as though we, as a nation of individuals, are drifting farther apart than ever before. I knew that this meeting could very likely stir up raw emotions. The values of diversity and inclusion, or a lack of it, have been focal points of passionate conversations, violence, and even death for decades.

Strength From Vulnerability

Fostering an environment of vulnerability and honesty was vital, as I first shared my struggles with acknowledging my own biases. We defined diversity and its benefits for any business. Living the values of scrum aligns with the concepts of diversity and inclusion.

Thankfully, the atmosphere remained engaged, passionate, and constructive.

I had fantastic follow-up conversations with attendees after the event, further discussing the importance of diving into these challenging topics. My underlying hope is that they left feeling that they gained some new insights in addition to a fresh perspective on diversity and inclusion.

I know I sure did.

Thanks, Agileindy, for the growth opportunity.

Chris

Let’s connect.
Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | www.beLithe.com

What is the Difference Between Scrum and Kanban?

What is Scrum?

What is Kanban?

The Team Perspective

Scrum

Kanban

Obstacles and Obligations

Scrum

Kanban

What Are a Scrum Master’s Roles and Responsibilities?

A Scrum Master should:

Maintain the pulse of Team dynamics.

Remove obscuring obstacles from the path.

Facilitate the flow of work within the team.

Protect each team and their work from external distractions.

Coach team members on self-management.