I love managing and mentoring teams. Creating high performing teams out of groups of individuals has always been a major PM challenge and remains a distant dream for many. Discovering Agile Scrum offered just the framework I was looking for. I have several years experience managing projects, mostly using the traditional “waterfall” method. Scrum came into my professional career at a time when I was striving to find answers to frustrating issues.
Scrum enables me to lead projects that finally make sense. Pulling estimations out of thin air is replaced with estimates based on throughput; actual trackable comparable numbers! Being embarrassed by oversights is replaced with Kaizen (continuous improvement). Carrying the entire weight of the project is replaced by cross functional teams, jointly responsible to deliver a potentially shippable product on a regular cycle. Creating products customers no longer want is replaced with basic functionality that is improved continuously. Team members are no longer singled out as making mistakes that waste everyone’s time. We now all succeed or fail together! Work is fun again. Customers are happy and my teams are working together to solve tough challenges.
Because of the cultural changes required throughout the organization, Agile adoption may not be easy, but it is definitely worth it.
