TL; DR: MAHD — Agile for Hardware, Product Ops Overview — Food for Agile Thought #324
Welcome to the 324th edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 33,869 peers. This week, we provide a primer for the Modified Agile for Hardware Development (MAHD) framework and its differences from generic Scrum. Also, we aim to understand the implication of growth and fixed mindsets for change, communication, and collaboration, and we challenge you to think about your office space from an anthropological point of view: Does it generate competition or collaboration between tribes?
We then share a list of helpful and damaging definitions of what Product Ops represents, and we move to download the free 7th ‘State of Product Management’ report based on the responses from over 2,000 product managers. Moreover, we point at a necessary trait of successful product teams: While using the big pictures to guide their work, they can also ship new stuff.
Lastly, we explore ways of measuring the predictability of teams, from ‘say/do’ to ‘meeting expectations’ to ‘aging WIP,’ and we point at a critical component of any innovation validation track to allow for an informed decision process: The experiment. Finally, we suggest a different approach to dealing with complex organizations and their inherent challenges: Knowing where to look for problems by figuring out who reports to whom.
Did you miss the previous Food for Agile Thought’s issue #323?
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🏆 The Tip of the Week
, and : 🎙 This Is Modified Agile for Hardware Development
In this podcast, Dorian Simpson and Gary Hinkle provide a primer for the Modified Agile for Hardware Development (MAHD) framework and its differences from generic Scrum.
➿ Agile & Scrum
(via Farnam Street): Carol Dweck: A Summary of Growth and Fixed Mindsets
Shane Parrish directs us towards Carol Dweck’s book ‘Mindset: The New Psychology of Success’ to understand the implication of growth and fixed mindsets for change, communication, and collaboration.
(via InfoQ): How Space Shapes Collaboration: Using Anthropology to Break Silos
Patricia Salgado wants you to think about your office space from an anthropological point of view: Does it generate competition or collaboration between tribes?
and (via YouTube): 📺 Strategies for Large-Scale Change Agents
In this video, Spotify coach Jason Yip delves into the nitty-gritty details of empowering change agents working on large transformations.
🎓 🖥 💯 🇬🇧 Advanced Professional Scrum Master Online Training w/ PSM II Certificate — January 25-28, 2022
Discover Scrum’s four success principles in this guaranteed official Scrum.org Professional Scrum Master training class, leading to and including the industry-recognized PSM II certification. The training is designed as a live virtual class and will be offered in English.
Enjoy the benefits of an immersive class of four sessions with like-minded agile peers from 09:00 – 13:00 o’clock CET. I also host pre- and post-class sessions to maximize your learning experience and prepare for the PSM II certification.
Learn more: 🖥 💯 🇬🇧 Advanced Professional Scrum Master Online Training w/ PSM II Certificate — January 25-28, 2022.
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🎯 Product
: Product Ops Overview
Marty Cagan shares a list of both helpful and damaging definitions of what Product Ops represents.
(via ProductPlan): Download ProductPlan's 2022 Product Management Report
ProductPlan’s 7th ‘State of Product Management’ report uses the responses from over 2,000 product managers to identify trends beyond just roadmapping. The download is free.
(via Mind The Product): 📺 Thinking Big, Working Small
In this video, John Cutler points at a necessary trait of successful product teams: While using the big pictures to guide their work, they are also capable of shipping new stuff.
📯 Scrum 2022: Getting You Started as Scrum Master or Product Owner
Probably, you are considering how to further your Scrum Master career or Product Owner career in 2022. Maybe, I can support you in that regard with a set of articles, documents, and LinkedIn polls I authored that proved to be the most popular in 2021. They range from Product Owner and Scrum Master interview questions to a variety of Scrum anti-patterns to the most engaging polls on seemingly simple questions on “agile” in general and Scrum in particular. All articles feature free ebooks that delve into the problems and provide hands-on advice on how to solve them. Good luck with Scrum 2022—just stick to first principles!
Learn more: Scrum 2022: Getting You Started as Scrum Master or Product Owner?
🛠 Tools & Measuring
: How to Measure the Predictability of Agile
Karl Scotland explores ways of measuring the predictability of teams, from ‘say/do’ to ‘meeting expectations’ to ‘aging WIP.’ As you may have guessed by now, the article is Kanban-oriented.
(via Board of Innovation): Designing experiments to alleviate behavioral biases
Mina Drezner points at a critical component of any innovation validation track to allow for an informed decision process: The experiment and its set of generic rules that apply to all forms of validation attempts.
✂️ Cutting Room Floor
: Lower The Quality
A classic Dilbert on arbitrary deadlines, product quality, and technical debt.
: Kanban Myths
Matt Philip shares his idea of Kanban and a list of Kanban myths, debunking them simultaneously.
(via Medium): Hunting Tech Debt via Org Charts
Marianne Bellotti suggests a different approach to dealing with complex organizations and their inherent challenges: Knowing where to look for problems by figuring out who reports to whom.
📅 Scrum Training Classes, Workshops, and Events
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📺 Join 3,000-plus Agile Peers on Youtube
Now available on the Age-of-Product Youtube channel:
- 🆕 Hands-on Agile #35: Designing Powerful Questions to help you Coach & Create with Daniel Stillman.
- 🆕 Hands-on Agile #34: Core Protocols for Psychological Safety with Richard Kasperowski.
- Agile Camp Berlin 2021: Adapt How You Lead for Agile Success with Johanna Rothman.
- Agile Camp Berlin 2021: Linking Strategy to Everyday Work with John Cutler.
- Agile Camp Berlin 2021: Sustainable Agility at the Enterprise Level with Jorgen Hesselberg.
- Agile Camp Berlin 2021: How to Win with Agile Resistant Teams - A Case Study with Scott Weiner.
- Agile Camp Berlin 2021: Increasing the Velocity of Value with Dave West.
- Agile Camp Berlin 2021: Evidence-based Interventions with Viktor Cessan.
- Agile Camp Berlin 2021: Real Cross-functional Teams for Creating real and better Products with Jutta Eckstein and Maryse Meinen.
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