Agile Methodologies Overview

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Questions and Answers

What is NOT a time that an Agile team might hold a retrospective?

When the feature backlog has not been created and work is yet to begin. (correct)

When more than a few weeks have passed since the previous retrospective.

When the team completes or ships something new.

When the team appears to be stuck and completed work is not flowing.

What will you show the project sponsor to address their concerns about future items in an Agile project?

The Project Management Plan, that has outlined the project delivery in full.

The product roadmap, that shows planned future features and their approximate dates.

The team velocity chart, that shows how much the team completes each iteration.

The product backlog, that has the list of features the team will deliver. (correct)

What is a spike in Agile methodology?

A time-boxed task to explore or investigate an issue. (correct)

A demonstration of the feature to the product owner.

A shifting of the feature into another iteration.

A short meeting at the beginning of the day to discuss tasks in progress.

Which of the below is NOT a Scaling Framework from Agile that you might use?

Kanban iteration retrospective (KiR) Signup and view all the answers

How would you describe an Agile project lifecycle?

Both iterative and incremental, to refine work items and deliver frequently. Signup and view all the answers

After prioritizing the backlog in a sprint planning meeting, what should you do next?

Check the team's velocity against the number of points for the story cards you want to complete. Signup and view all the answers

Why would you look at the team's velocity chart when estimating how long remaining features may take to complete?

The team's average velocity across previous iterations is the best predictor of future iterations. Signup and view all the answers

What will you do first when planning for the next iteration?

Work with the product owner to prioritize the highest value ones to work on. Signup and view all the answers

What is a stand-up meeting?

A very quick meeting time-boxed at 15 minutes or less, where the team says what they have accomplished and reports any blockers. Signup and view all the answers

What does adding slack to the sprint mean?

Adding a card for refactoring code, that can be replaced if an emergency comes up Signup and view all the answers

What must an Agile project manager do to plan future sprints correctly?

Find your team’s velocity over the next few sprints so you can set a sustainable pace Signup and view all the answers

How can an Agile project manager promote individuals and interactions according to the Agile manifesto?

Create ceremonies such as the daily stand-up iteration planning meeting, demos & reviews, and retrospectives that encourage team interaction Signup and view all the answers

What leadership style should an Agile project manager embody?

Servant leadership, where you will lead the team by serving their needs, growing their skills, and removing blockers Signup and view all the answers

What should be done if project team members are despondent and not attending meetings?

Have a coaching session with the team teaching the 'what' and 'why' behind Agile ceremonies, and ensure each meeting has a clear outcome, time, and agenda Signup and view all the answers

What is one thing a project manager can change to embrace a more servant leadership style?

Ensure the stakeholders collectively agree on and share decisions Signup and view all the answers

Why should team members avoid making decisions visible through a show of hands?

By making their decisions visible, team members may be influenced by others in the team (especially executives) without the benefit of discussion Signup and view all the answers

What ensures that stakeholders stay engaged in the Agile process?

Ensuring visibility, transparency, and progress of the work through charts and information in the common team area Signup and view all the answers

Why is the Agile team often small, with only eight members?

Agile methods recommend the delivery team to be 12 or fewer members Signup and view all the answers

What does having 'T' shaped people on an Agile team mean?

A person with a wide range of general skills (i.e. design, development, testing) and one deep skill or knowledge area Signup and view all the answers

The number of user stories selected in Agile planning is based on what?

The team's 'Velocity', which is the rate at which a team can complete work Signup and view all the answers

What did the Agile Manifesto value?

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Signup and view all the answers

What is a daily stand-up in Agile?

A daily stand-up Signup and view all the answers

How does creating a safe environment for disagreement empower an Agile team?

The team is encouraged to participate in discussion and disagreement in order to make better decisions Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Agile Retrospectives

Agile teams conduct retrospectives at the end of iterations or when needed.
Retrospectives are NOT held when a feature backlog hasn't been created and work is yet to begin.

When a sponsor inquires about future development, the product backlog is the best tool to show them.
The backlog provides a list of planned features for delivery.

Agile Spikes

Spikes are time-boxed investigations or explorations for complex features that require deeper understanding.

Scaling Agile Frameworks

Scrum of Scrums (SoS), Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), and Large Scale Scrum (LeSS) are all scaling frameworks for Agile methodologies.
Kanban Iteration Retrospective (KiR) is NOT a scaling framework.

Agile Project Lifecycle

An Agile project lifecycle is both iterative and incremental, allowing for refinement and frequent delivery.

Sprint Planning Meetings

In sprint planning, after sizing and prioritizing the backlog, the team checks their velocity against story point estimates to determine how much work can be completed in the iteration.

Team Velocity

Team velocity, the average amount of work completed in past iterations, is a key indicator for estimating future iteration completion.

Agile Sprint Planning

The first step in agile sprint planning is to collaborate with the product owner to prioritize the highest-value user stories from the backlog.

Daily Standup Meetings

Daily standup meetings are brief, time-boxed sessions where team members share what they accomplished, what they're working on, and any roadblocks they're facing.
They are NOT project kick-off meetings, progress check-ins, or team training sessions.

Sprint Slack

Building in "slack" for a sprint means adding buffer time or tasks that can be replaced if an emergency arises.

Planning Sprints

To properly plan future sprints, an Agile Project Manager must:
- Determine the team's velocity through several sprints.
- Use this information to set a sustainable pace for future work.

Agile and Teams

Agile values "individuals and interactions over processes and tools." This is demonstrated through:
- Ceremonies like daily stand-ups, iteration planning, demos, reviews, and retrospectives, all of which encourage team interaction.

Agile Leadership

An Agile leader, often called a scrum master, embodies servant leadership by:
- Serving the team's needs, fostering skill growth, and removing obstacles.

Motivating Teams

To motivate a team that is struggling to participate in Agile ceremonies:
- Conduct a coaching session explaining the purpose and value of those ceremonies.
- Ensure each meeting has a clear goal, timeframe, and defined agenda.

Shift to Servant Leadership

Transitioning from directive leadership to servant leadership in an Agile environment requires:
- Fostering collaborative decision-making where stakeholders work together to reach agreements.

Show of Hands Decision-Making

Using a show of hands to make team decisions is problematic because:
- This approach can lead to groupthink as individuals might be influenced by others, particularly those with higher authority.

Stakeholder Engagement

Engaging with stakeholders through transparency involves:
- Providing clear and consistent updates about the project's progress using visual tools such as charts and information displays in a common team area.

Team Size

Agile teams are typically small, consisting of 12 or fewer members. This is due to:
- Agile methodologies promoting smaller, focused teams for efficient collaboration and communication.

T-Shaped People

T-shaped individuals are essential for Agile teams. They possess:
- A broad range of general skills, such as design, development, and testing.
- A deep expertise in one particular area.

Sprint Planning: User Story Selection

When selecting user stories for an iteration, Agile teams use:
- "Velocity" - this refers to the team's rate of work completion and determines how many stories they select for each sprint.

Agile Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto emphasizes four core values:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan

Daily Stand-ups

Daily stand-up meetings consist of team members answering three questions in a round-robin fashion:
- What did I complete since the last stand-up?
- What am I planning to complete by the next stand-up?
- Are there any impediments in my way?

Servant Leadership and Team Empowerment

Servant leadership fosters a safe environment for disagreements, allowing teams to:
- Openly discuss different perspectives and reach well-informed decisions.

Tuckman Model

The Tuckman Model outlines the stages of team development:
- Forming, storming, norming, and performing.
- Agile teams go through these stages as they progress from initial formation to high-performance.

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Description

Explore key concepts and frameworks in Agile methodologies, including retrospectives, spikes, and project lifecycle. This quiz covers essential tools like product backlogs and various scaling frameworks, such as SAFe and Scrum of Scrums.