Background
I have been in the agile world, and more specifically in Scrum, for a long time. Ever since I was asked to obtain CSM certification more than a decade ago, it has been an integral part of my life. Over this time, I have learned that it is not only a framework for leading teams and delivering products but a way of life. Many misunderstand the flexibility that it provides and conclude that it is a vehicle for chaos. It is a way to exercise control, take ownership, and be accountable. It provides the mechanism to complete just enough at a given moment without getting stuck in overanalysis.
The Life Problem
My journey takes me not to a tech specification but a real-life problem with multiple parameters and risks for complications. I have started single subject teacher credentialing program. After a long time away from university, it has been quite an adjustment for me. Coming from an engineering background, I have not found weekly assignments to be a problem. I trained myself well to know that a course is more than a midterm and a final. What I found challenging is ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks, that all assignments are completed on time, and that I coordinate with my family and work commitments. There have been many variables to keep in mind at once, which gave me the idea to conduct an experiment.
The Experiment
With my experience in agile and scrum, I decided to try running my weekly study, life, and work commitments as agile iterations. I picked Scrum. To give myself a bit of buffer, I decided to make the sprint boundary at the end of Saturday/Start of Sunday. Given the predictability of my classes and assignments, I decided on 1 week as a sprint duration. I ran sprint 0, collected some data, reflected on it in a retrospective, and my agile process has gone live.
Discovery
It worked well. I set goals before, planned for story point delivery, and then reflected on actual performance. I analyzed KPI and finetuned. It worked pretty well, actually, until my family encountered illness. We all got sick, and with the exception of my son, we all had some form of pneumonia…. For me, relying on careful, synchronized orchestration was a serious impediment and, to a certain degree, a showstopper. After deep reflection and analysis, I realized that 1-week sprints were not optimal and tried 2-week sprints. It helped me avoid overanalyzing and stay on track. It actually works better.
Outlook
I cannot imagine my life now without doing iterative improvement. It is a way for me to honor my expertise while working on reaching my potential. It helps me stay focused, on track, and accountable.
If this resonated with you, please follow me on LinkedIn: Nadiya Mamalyga | LinkedIn
