One Bite At A Time: Agile Attractor #10

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Can we be real for a moment? We’re in the thick of the holiday season. Many of us are logging several hours sitting around a dinner table that is loaded with deliciousness. To put it bluntly, when it comes to our holiday meals, many of us are simply taking too many large bites. While devouring that extra helping of double chocolate fudge cake might taste amazing at the moment, the consequences of taking all those large bites aren’t quite as appetizing. In the short term, we’re uncomfortable and irritated. In the long term, we’re frustrated and lost, left to desperately reevaluate our wardrobe only to realize that what once worked, no longer does. Let’s face it, when we repeatedly devour large bite after large bite, it’s trouble.

The same could be said for an Agile Team. When a Team approaches work by devouring large bite after large bite, the same thing happens. Trouble. If a Story is pulled from the Backlog and tackled in one huge gulp, guess what, the Team becomes uncomfortable and irritated. If this behavior occurs again and again, the Team becomes frustrated, lost and desperate. And desperate work never delivers a quality product.

That’s why this month’s Agile Attractor is One Bite At A Time.

One bite at a timeAs a Well-Formed Team, we acknowledge that sometimes are eyes are bigger than our stomach. We meaningfully and systematically break down the requirements of every Story into small, deliverable bites or tasks. We agree to only allow ourselves one bite at a time. And, if we are done with our first bite and are still hungry, then and only then, do we go for the next forkful. Like any good diet, it requires some discipline. But, the payoff of delivering the right product at the right time is the icing on the cake.

Craving a taste of our past Agile Attractors? Dig into: Bias for Action, Laugh Often and SmileAvoid and Eliminate Confusion, KISSNo Head Works Alone, Quality Products at a Sustainable Pace, Pride in CraftsmanshipEveryone Engaged, and Clean Up.

As Always, Stay Agile.