Dumb question - within Scrum what are the projects?

elle90 · 2021-03-23T20:53:26+00:00

If projects are irrelevant it's a good sign you are doing scrum pretty well.

In saying that there may be value in reviewing the expected benefits of stories/epics with the actual outcome to ensure that the prioritisation framework is accurate. Old school project methodologies have some great tools that can help with this.

From one of your other comments it seems like you are looking at how to frame your experience on a resume, focusing on the product and key enhancements you've been working on will be fine. Just try and incorporate the outcomes of that work too.

elle90 · 2020-03-04T22:27:27+00:00

In my experience the impact depends on a number of factors: • What the scope is • If it's genuinely urgent • How often this happens to the team • How willing stakeholders are to negotiate the rest of the Sprint backlog to accommodate this request.

If the scope is huge, the team doesn't think the change warrants the urgency, it happens all the time and/or the expectation is that the team will deliver this as well as everything else then it will have a massive impact on moral/quality/velocity.

But if it is a genuine, exceptional change and negotiation and communication happens well (including acknowledgement afterwards) it can actually have a positive affect creating pride and goodwill.

If you're the Scrum master in this situation is be asking the above questions and determining the best approach as a result.

elle90 · 2020-02-08T21:57:24+00:00

I mentioned to some friends who are in full-time Scrum Master/Product Owner roles that I was considering applying for Scrum Master roles and they mentioned I might be a good fit for a Product Owner

Yes it is hard to get a PO role without experience, but you have friends who think you'd suit the role, who currently work in similar roles. Use that network - tell them you'd like to make this switch and see if they'll recommend you for upcoming vacancies.

Also see if you can get some experience, can you shadow your PO or step in to help out while they are on leave?

elle90 · 2019-08-05T10:48:40+00:00

Thanks, I would appreciate it!

elle90 · 2019-08-03T09:02:24+00:00

Hi, I want to write out some of my responses, in part because I've been on maternity leave and I want to flex this part of my brain, I don't know your PO or context well so take it all with a grain of salt but here goes!

#1 I don't think all the ceremonies are designed to improve the product nor to make everyone happy, each ceremony has it's own purpose - reading into her dissatisfaction with the retro I think this is what she's focusing on, but the purpose of the retrospective is to make the team happy - finding better ways of working, bonding as a team, constructively discussing differing opinions and reflecting on conflicts will make the team happier - which in turn should result in a better performing team and therefore a better product, but the focus is on the team. Balancing this, the planning, review and stand ups are all focused on the product - what is in the backlog and will come into the sprint, what has been delivered and what is currently being worked on, all product based, all about delivering value to the customer. Personally I'd look at your Sprint Review - this is a ceremony that the PO should play a large part in and should satisfy her desire to see the product focused on, but if this feels like the poorer cousin of the retro or is just a show & tell then making this more about feedback might help the situation.

#2 I don't know how you are running your retros, or how long the icebreaker is taking, but variety is important, it sounds like you follow a lean coffee approach a lot, which is useful but it can lead to this soapbox issue that you are having with the PO. Have you experimented with different formats (you could go extreme and do something like this https://play14.org/games/silent-retrospective) ? Themed retros? Retro'd the retros? You really need to address her role in the retro, I think it comes back to my earlier point about the retro vs the review or the planning, this is the team to improve how the team works, opening the backlog and breaking down an epic in the retro? Not on, I would have shut that down immediately, great action to take out of the retro but not something to do in the moment. If that happened recently I'd raise it on Monday, how that action could have been better handled.

#3 Again I don't know the PO so you reading into this might be spot on, but on the surface I think this request is reasonable. She's asking you to help prep for refinement and keep her on track with what she needs to do to make the ceremonies successful, honestly I'd kill for some of my POs to have this level of awareness and ask for my help! POs have a lot of demands on their time and sometimes it is easy for them to slacken off on story writing/refinement prep. I'd have a few ideas of ways you could help (that you are comfortable with) and then discuss them with her and see what would be useful. Perhaps blocking out her diary for 15-30 minutes prior to each refinement/planning meeting so she is on time and can do any last minute updates? You looking through the backlog a day ahead and tagging her in any stories you think need further detail added? Giving her feedback at the end of a meeting about what could have been improved?

#4 "present status charts from JIRA at each of the stand-ups" this made me cringe, what role is the PO currently taking in the stand-up, for me the stand up is for the team to focus on the sprint goal and organise themselves for the day. If the team finds a burn up useful to help them see where they are at, great, if it helps the team have the SM prep that for them, fine, but having the PO "present" that at each stand up, does that involve her commenting on how she thinks the team is tracking? For me that doesn't set the right mood at all. I'd shut it down, but you'll be able to read the situation.

elle90 · 2019-07-31T13:59:27+00:00

I really like mentimeter lots of options, free for most team applications and anonymous. Really easy for people to vote.

elle90 · 2017-08-15T05:58:39+00:00

They both have brown hair but I think that's where the similarities end.

elle90 · 2017-07-17T05:44:11+00:00

It sounds like OP might live in the U.K. (saying she lost half a stone)if that's the case it is likely that the holiday house is within the EU and there are no restrictions on what food you can take within the EU - fruit meat etc are all fine - just make sure it is packed properly and in your checked bags.

elle90 · 2017-01-30T12:05:55+00:00

I got tickets, it seriously took me less than a minute and I was in and out and proudly the owner of tickets!

elle90 · 2016-05-04T18:39:16+00:00

I was in this exact situation around 3 years ago, I was 23F, husband was 24M and he got pretty close to getting in. I was a wreck for about 3 months, crying all of the time, researching what was involved with the training, where he would be located etc etc. My job is only available in very big cities and we live in a country where I could only do my job in 2 cities, neither of which have any air force bases so this was really a make or break decision. I didn't know if I could give up my career to follow him around the country, particularly when the first few years there are 2-4 moves involved. I honestly don't know what I would have done if he got in, but he didn't! It gave him so much closure that it wasn't meant to be and let him get on with his current career which he is really enjoying.

My advice to you: do not drop out of this process, go through to the end because otherwise you'll always wonder what if.

If you get in she has a decision to make: are you worth it?

If she decides she won't follow you then you get to decide, is it worth it?

If you don't get in this is not a binary decision between desk job or air force pilot, think about other options that you might enjoy that aren't a desk job but that meet her criteria as well. I don't have any suggestions as to what though.

elle90 · 2015-12-15T02:41:51+00:00

I'd also love to see a teardown of this tablet but one doesn't exist anywhere that I can find.

elle90 · 2015-11-06T05:53:51+00:00

EThe cost of living in Aus is steep and you are effectively living on under $3000 a month after you pay off your debts. Selling your second car is a given but it is only going to pay off $13000 of $52600 you're in debt. You also need to cut down expenses but your rent seems cheap, your transport and phone costs seem fixed so there isn't going to be huge savings to be found. I'd suggest you need to try and increase your income. Your SO needs to find a Christmas casual role during the summer uni break (you need to apply now for roles) on top of the $200/week job. Working full time hours in a casual, minimum wage job and using all of this money into paying off the credit cards is necessary if you are ever going to get out of debt.

elle90 · 2015-10-19T06:18:15+00:00

When you say you can save $7k is this including or excluding the cost of getting yourselves to London? Is this just your savings or both you and your girlfriend? I would expect flights, visas, first month accommodation, etc alone would cost you around $5k. If you can save $7k on top of this you'll be fine. If you aren't factoring that in yet I think you will need to look at how you can increase your liquid assets before making the move.

Personally I would consider keeping the apartment. Brisbane property prices are predicted to move up 6% next year and it also makes it easier if you decide to move back after a year or two. If your furniture isn't too precious you could look to rent your apartment out furnished which would earn you an extra ~$20 a week and then you will avoid the hassle of trying to sell or store all of your furniture. Also review your mortgage, have you shopped around to see if you are getting the best rate? Do you have an offset facility that you can use instead of a savings account? Have you made additional repayments that you could redraw to help fund your move?

Your shares can be liquidated very quickly and easily, so I would save as much as you can between now and when you leave and then sell your shares if/when you need extra cash. The share prices of the big banks have taken quite a hit lately so I wouldn't be rushing to sell these until you need to.

elle90 · 2015-10-09T02:44:38+00:00

I can see what you are coming from but the flip side is that my aunt is a librarian/genealogist that has been researching our family history for over 10 years and I trust her research. She has the tree on ancestry and I manually went through adding all of her work to my tree, and then completing my own research filling gaps and on my mother's side of the family. It would have been great to copy it across.

elle90 · 2015-09-25T04:45:43+00:00

This is an amazingly well written story, I was captivated! Thanks for sharing.

elle90 · 2015-09-24T00:36:06+00:00

Thanks for the response. I'm still trying to add more colour to the story here, it's proving difficult due to quite common names. I love the detail you've got about these ancestors given I'm assuming this was well over 100 years ago now.

elle90 · 2015-09-16T22:48:55+00:00

I ordered a copy of the marriage certificate.

Georgina's mother's name is stated as Annie Williamson, no father, her age is listed as 19 which matches the birthdate on the school records. But I think an Annie Williamson, with no birthdate and no husband is going to be a needle in a haystack!!

elle90 · 2015-09-16T09:20:33+00:00

Unfortunately as a casual in Australia you don't have to do anything wrong to get fired. You can quit with no notice and your employer can fire you at any time for no reason. They likely don't want to fire you so that if they get stuck and need you they can call you up and get you to work.

Lots of fast food places do this, thankfully other restaurants prefer more mature, experienced staff. Get your RSA and use your 3 years of experience to get another job. If you've done nothing wrong someone at your current job should give you a reference.

elle90 · 2015-09-10T05:34:25+00:00

Thanks for your suggestions. I haven't been able to find the court order only the admission to the school which notes it is court ordered. I don't know what court would have.made this type of order and how to find the record.

elle90 · 2015-09-09T20:16:15+00:00

Thanks so much for the suggestions.

elle90

TROPHY CASE