Agile Coach Journal

Leave Some Space Between the Notes

This is an old post that got lost in a technology shuffle. I was reminded of it recently while reading Tom DeMarco’s great book Slack.

One of the things I do when I am not working is play guitar. I also study guitar, though I have made slow progress over the years. It is still fun. One of my favorite teachers is Ronnie Earle. I have an old VHS tape of his in which he shares his philosophy of playing. And he makes this statement that has stuck with me for years: ”Sometimes, you have to leave some space between the notes.”

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Certified Scrum Trainer

I am now a Certified Scrum Trainer®.

Ping me if you would like to schedule a Certified ScrumMaster or Certified Scrum Product Owner class.

Sort of Agile – Bikes and Skateboards

More often than desired, clients ask for guidance in doing a project in a way that is “sort of agile”. I do my best to be reasonable, relating to this caution. One of my favorite pastimes in youth was exploring the hills of my native Southern California for new swimming holes. (Yes, there are actually quite a few.) And yet, no matter how hot the day and how inviting the water, I was always slow about getting wet. Somehow it did not suit my nature to just jump in, averse to the shocking temperature difference. For someone new to Agile, the pool can look both inviting and threatening. Even more so if the water is murky.

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Testing the Hard Stuff

My favorite class to teach is TDD. I like to challenge developers to stretch their brains into new territory. They do it every day in other ways. Learning TDD is a level higher than solving algorithm and design challenges. It is about changing the way you approach programming altogether. And my favorite situation is to see the light go on in the mind of someone who starts out as a skeptic. “I’m here because my boss said I had to go” kind of people. Great fun.
Sometime I get challenges back. By now, after doing this for a few years, I can answer many of the predicatable questions pretty easily. Every once in a while I get some harder questions. I thought I would share some of these and the answers I came up with.

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