take5IRL Podcast

No, this isn’t a new Agile weight loss fad. It’s better! In this episode, Jeff and Mike talk about how thin slicing can help you get value to your customers sooner. Thin slicing gives you fast feedback loops, reducing the risk that you might be building something that users and customers don’t want. 

The term Minimum Viable Product means different things to different people. Join Mike and Jeff to understand what it was intended to mean and misconceptions in its use. Check out our Scrum training courses to maximize the value you bring to your organization: https://www.agilityirl.com/class-schedule/ Follow our Instagram page! https://www.instagram.com/take5irlpodcast/

Spikes help teams mitigate risk and explore unknown technologies; however, Scrum teams often misuse spikes as a solution to uncertainty. Join Jeff and Mike as they unravel the complexities of spikes, transitioning from uncertainty to wisdom in Agile, and the essential mindset shift needed for teams to “get things done”.

A dynamic Product Backlog requires continuous attention and adjustment. In this episode of take5IRL Podcast, hosts Jeff and Mike explore strategies for effective Product Backlog Management and debunk common misconceptions. Stay tuned for a condensed yet valuable discussion that will enhance your Backlog management skills and boost your project efficiency.  Ready to dive deeper into these technique...

Welcome to Product Backlog Quiz Bowl! In this episode, Mike shares questions about the Product Backlog from his recent class. Who can update the Product Backlog? Are User Stories necessary? How does a Product Owner better understand their customers? Stay tuned for a sneak peek into our upcoming Professional Scrum Product Backlog Management Skills (PSPBM™) training course with Jeff Lee, promising v...

Product Owners play a pivotal role in curating and communicating information to ensure that stakeholders have a clear understanding of the product's direction. In this episode, Mike and Jeff explore various methods for enhancing transparency such as using a product roadmap to provide a holistic view of the product's journey. Discover how Product Owners can harness this tool to foster a sha...

Explore the key prerequisites that organizations need to have in place to ensure a smooth and effective Agile implementation. Join our hosts, Jeff and Mike, as they emphasize the importance of understanding the outcomes you want to achieve, the business value you want to create, and the leadership alignment you need to succeed.

The validity of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) as an Agile solution continues to generate headlines and social media debate. In this episode, Mike and Jeff suggest a simple answer to end the debate forever. It doesn’t matter.   The important question is if it helps your organization deliver value more effectively. Tune in to hear why. If you want to add a comment indicating your appreciation fo...

We have seen many Scrum teams attempt to resolve challenges by giving up and moving to Kanban.  Kanban stands on its own and can also seamlessly complement the Scrum Framework. However, the decision to switch from Scrum to a Kanban typically arises not from Scrum shortcomings, but rather from challenges in its implementation. In this episode, Mike and Jeff explore misguided reasons to move away fr...

You took a Scrum Master class, passed the exam, and you’re serving a team… Now what? Scrum Masters are lifelong learners. In this episode, Mike and Jeff share how Scrum Masters can grow in their careers and become a progressing asset for their Scrum Team. Learning is one of your responsibilities!

The Daily Scrum is meant to be a planning meeting for Developers. Is your team getting the most out of it? Tune in to improve your team’s Daily Scrum in 5 ways in 5 minutes! In this episode, Jeff and Mike emphasize the importance of NOT limiting yourself to the three questions. 

Scrum Masters are NOT project managers, and seeing them as such will make them fail. In this episode, Mike and Jeff discuss the role of Scrum Masters outside of their team and share how you can help them bring the most value to your organization. Are you empowering your Scrum Master to bring their full value, or are you helping them FAIL?

The Sprint Goal provides focus and direction for a Scrum Team and Sprint Planning aligns the team on the work of the Sprint. Should we ever do unplanned work that comes up during a Sprint? Tune in to this episode where Jeff and Mike share the importance of transparency and communication within a Scrum team before deviating from the Sprint plan.

As the person who represents business value in a Scrum team, the Product Owner is loaded with important responsibilities. However, some organizations unwittingly undermine their Product Owners. Tune in to this episode as Mike and Jeff discuss some common anti-patterns that set Product Owners up for failure. 

Does your Scrum team often find itself with carryover work from the previous sprint? Does that make your team an unproductive one? Whose fault is it? In this episode, Jeff and Mike share how to limit sprint-to-sprint carryover. Listen and share with your team so things get DONE.

In our last episode, we discussed FAILure in Agile… But what is the biggest failure organizations face according to thought leader Jim Ruprecht? Neglecting organization culture. Agile cannot be implemented effectively if the culture of the organization doesn’t evolve with the process. In this episode we invite a special guest, Jim (an agilityIRL founder), to share why and how organizational cultur...

(F)irst (A)ttempt (I)n (L)earning. Why do some organizations ‘fail’ at implementing Agile? Is it the leadership, the lack of adaptation from its members, or both? In this episode, Jeff and Mike share why some organizations struggle to evolve into Agile ways of working, and provide tips on how teams can improve their chances of success.

Does your team provide a safe and collaborative environment, encouraging its members to speak and share freely? Psychological safety is necessary to foster a strong and productive team. In this episode, Mike and Jeff share some tips for how to improve psychological safety and turn a ‘mediocre’ team into a GREAT one. Tune in now!

Is it important to have definite responsibilities within a Scrum Team? While there may be benefits to documenting a shared understanding of some functions, it’s much more important that everyone is aligned in their accountability and responsibility to build an excellent product. Tune in to Episode 11, as Jeff and Mike share ways that teams can enhance understanding of how they work together withou...

What would you change about Scrum if you could? Scrum is nearing the end of its third decade. The Scrum Guide has been inspected and adapted many times, yet we often get questions asking what we would change about this intentionally incomplete framework. As Agile trainers who have worked with a variety of teams and organizations, we most find that misunderstandings can occur due to verbiage and re...

When it comes to the effectiveness of Scrum teams, Jeff and Mike find that team size really does matter. Maximilian Ringelmann would agree. Tune in to this episode to find out why!

In Episode 8, Jeff and Mike share how User Stories can be used effectively. They take on some misconceptions and explain how User Stories can be used to improve team collaboration. Listen more to see what we mean!

The Sprint Retrospective is intentional time to reflect on the previous sprint and find ways to improve. However, we’ve seen many teams who want to cancel them when they aren’t finding value in them rather than leaning into how to make them more valuable. In Episode 7, Mike and Jeff emphasize how crucial Sprint Retrospectives are, and share tips on how to get the most out of it!

In this episode, Jeff and Mike share techniques on how to effectively manage conflict, because conflict is NOT bad! In fact, teams must be comfortable with conflict in order to improve their effectiveness and make work a better place. Give this episode a listen and strengthen your conflict-management skills!

Many of our clients try to “get more done” by having teams work on multiple efforts concurrently. That approach is counter-productive. Everything takes longer to complete and context-switching creates waste. In this episode, Jeff and Mike share some tips on how you can get the most out of your time!