Food for Agile Thought #317: Underperforming Dev Team, PO vs. PM Madness, Failure Cultures Reward Failure, 2022 Product Conference List

TL; DR: Underperforming Dev Team, PO vs. PM Madness — Food for Agile Thought #317

Welcome to the 317th edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 33,471 peers. This week, we share advice on how to support an underperforming dev team. Moreover, we listen to Richard Kasperowski and Woody Zuill talking about leadership, and we reflect on the agile mantra of failing fast. Could it be wrong?

We then delve into the Product Manager vs. Product Owner debate; we express concern about the rise of the third class beyond makers and managers in product teams: the process people, and we share Teresa Torres’ first version of her 2022 conference list.

Lastly, we explain three simple ways of getting a grip on splitting user stories, and we point out a surprising truth: the number of people needed for an interview study is often smaller than expected.

Food for Agile Thought #317: Underperforming Dev Team, PO vs. PM Madness, Failure Cultures Reward Failure, 2022 Product Conference List — Age-of-Product.com

Did you miss the previous Food for Agile Thought’s issue #316?

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Agile Metrics Survey 2021 — Free Download — Age-of-Product.com

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🏆 The Tip of the Week

Roman Pichler: Dealing with an Underperforming Development Team

Roman Pichler shares his advice on how ‘product people can deal with an underperforming development team and help the group improve.’

➿ Agile & Scrum

Richard Kasperowski and Woody Zuill: 🎙 The Best Leader Is the One Who Leads Without Authority

In this second part of the interview, Richard Kasperowski and Woody Zuill talk about leadership.

Chris Matts: Failure Cultures Reward failure

Chris Matts has come to believe that the agile mantra about failing fast is wrong: the goal or focus of an agile team is not to fail but to create value for customers.

Joost Minnaar (via Corporate Rebels): Flat Organizations: Companies Do NOT Need Middle Managers

Joost Minnaar dives into the discussion of flat organizations without middle management.

🎓 🖥 💯 🇩🇪 Fortgeschrittenen Professional Scrum Master Online Schulung mit PSM II Zertifikat — 23. bis 26. November 2021

Entdecken Sie die vier Erfolgsprinzipien von Scrum mit dieser offiziellen Scrum.org Fortgeschrittenen Professional Scrum Master-Schulung, welche die branchenweit anerkannten PSM II-Zertifizierung beinhaltet.

Genießen Sie die Vorteile eines intensiven virtuellen Live-Kurses über vier Sessions mit gleichgesinnten agilen Peers in den Morgenstunden von 09:00 – 13:00 Uhr. Die Unterrichtssprache ist Deutsch.

🖥 Fortgeschrittenen Professional Scrum Master Online Schulung mit PSM II Zertifikat — 23. bis 26. November 2021 — Berlin Product People GmbH

Mehr erfahren: 🖥 🇩🇪 Fortgeschrittenen Professional Scrum Master Online Schulung mit PSM II Zertifikat — 23. bis 26. November 2021.

Kundenstimmen: “Very hands-on class with lots of concrete takeaways to help in real world scenarios. Reinforced practices and highlighted things that helped in passing the PSM II exam but that was merely a bonus as the content of the class is so useful – certifications or not. Stefan Wolpers is an excellent trainer with broad practical and theoretical knowledge on the subject and his classes seem to have very good working atmosphere (this was a second class by him that I have taken).” (Link.)

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🎯 Product

(via UX Collective): The PO vs. PM Madness

Afonso Franco delves into the Product Manager vs. Product Owner debate.

Marty Cagan: Process People

Marty Cagan expresses concern about the rise of the third class beyond makers and managers in product teams: the process people.

Teresa Torres: 2022 Product Conference List

Teresa Torres shares the first version of her 2022 conference list. Is your favorite conference missing? No worries, just help them extend the list for the benefit of the community.

📯 Maximizing Utilization, Ignoring Slack Time — Making Your Scrum Work #22

There are plenty of failure possibilities with Scrum. Since Scrum is an intentionally incomplete framework with a reasonable yet short “manual,” this effect should not surprise anyone. For example, what if the focus of the organization is on the maximizing utilization of the “workers” of the Scrum teams? What if the organization is still stuck deeply in industrial paradigm thinking, ignoring the benefits of slack time for the creation of value in the field of knowledge work?

Join me and delve into the effects of this outdated management principle in 60 seconds.

Maximizing Utilization, Ignoring Slack Time — Making Your Scrum Work #22 — Age-of-Product.com

Learn more: Maximizing Utilization, Ignoring Slack Time — Making Your Scrum Work #22.

🛠 Tools & Measuring

Maria Rosala (via Nielsen Norman Group): How Many Participants for a UX Interview?

Maria Rosala points out a surprising truth: the number of people needed for an interview study is often smaller than expected.

(via Medium): Splitting Stories – Three Easy Ways

Steve Bishop explains three simple ways of getting a grip on splitting user stories.

📅 Scrum Training Classes, Workshops, and Events

Date Class and Language City Price
🖥 💯 🇩🇪 April 20-21, 2022 GUARANTEED: Professional Scrum Product Owner Training (PSPO I; German; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €1.189 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 💯 🇩🇪 April 25-26, 2022 GUARANTEED: Professional Agile Leadership Essentials Training (PAL I; German; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €1.189 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 💯 🇬🇧 May 9-10, 2022 Professional Scrum Product Owner Training (PSPO I; English; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €1.189 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 💯 🇩🇪 May 17-20, 2022 Advanced Professional Scrum Product Owner Training (PSPO-A; German; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €1.399 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 💯 🇬🇧 May 30, 2022 GUARANTEED: Hands-on Agile 42: The Skinny on Lean Roadmapping and OKRs with Janna Bastow (English; Live Virtual Meetup) Live Virtual Meetup FREE
🖥 🇬🇧 May 31-June 1, 2022 Advanced Professional Scrum Master Online Training (PSM II; English; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €1.189 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 🇩🇪 June 7-10, 2022 Professional Scrum Master Training (PSM I; German; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €1.189 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 🇬🇧 June 20-23, 2022 Professional Scrum Master Training (PSM I; English; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €1.189 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 🇩🇪 June 28-July 1, 2022 Professional Scrum Product Owner Training (PSPO I; German; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €1.189 incl. 19% VAT

See all upcoming classes here.

Professional Scrum Trainer Stefan Wolpers

You can book your seat for the training directly by following the corresponding links to the ticket shop. If the procurement process of your organization requires a different purchasing process, please contact Berlin Product People GmbH directly.

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🗞️ Last Week’s Food for Agile Thought Edition

Read more: Food for Agile Thought #316: Fixed Scope & Date, Yet Agile? Taking a Wedge to the Market, Agile Hangover, Value Stream Mapping Best Practices.

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