Abstracting Aspirations with a Value Framework
I have previously described a high-level way of thinking about Tactics for an X-Matrix. This post introduces a generic way of thinking about Aspirations.
The Best Agile Accounting Approach To CapEx and OpEx
What is the best way of accounting for costs as different types of expenditure for agile development teams? This is the best answer.
Making an Impact with Kanban Thinking
This post pulls together a number of ideas on impact into a single place, and will become the content for a page in Impact on the Kanban Thinking site. What is Impact Outputs creates Outcomes which have Impact. Designing a Kanban System involves the evolution and discovery of a good design. It cannot be pre-determined in advance. Thus instead of defining …
Heuristics for Building the Right Thing
On Monday I had the privilege of spending the day with some really smart people. Organised by Gojko Adjic, other attendees included Chris Matts, Henrik Kniberg, Mary and Tom Poppendieck, Gabby Benefield, Jeff Patton, Aaron Sanders and Olaf Lewitz. The theme of the day was exploring how we can help organisations not just build the “thing right”, but build the “right thing”. …
The Value Impact
The impact of value is difficult to quantify, and putting a currency number is not as simple as it is with cost. The challenge is even greater for organisations which are not selling products, such as governments or charities. However, there are a number of approaches which can be used to help understand the value that is being delivered such …
Linking Flow, Value and Capability
I wrote recently that I have come to think about Flow, Value and Capability as the primary impacts I hope a Kanban System will have. Flow, Value and Capability are not independent entities, however, with Capability being the link between Flow and Value. We can think of Flow as “doing the thing right”, where good flow is the result of …
The Economics of Raking Leaves
I was out in the garden this weekend raking up leaves. Having read Geoff Watts recent post about using Scrum to clear his leaves – and as someone who can’t do anything without thinking about work (see Kanban and Quad Biking!) – my mind turned to how I would use Kanban Thinking to approach the work at hand. Surely I …
Starting An Agile Transition With Why
In March this year I gave this keynote at the Rally Agile Success Tour in London. This is a video of the talk, followed by a write-up. The slides can be downloaded from here. People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it. Simon Sinek says that this is the fundamental reasoning behind what he refers to …
People and Process: Two Sides of the Same Coin
I wrote this short article for JAX Magazine, but it seems JAX doesn’t want to make it easy for people to access the content (you have to register to get a download link which only works once). So I’ve decided to post the article here as well. Its an evolution of some of my thinking that goes back to the …
A Model for Creating a Kanban System
This post is a high level overview of the model I use when I think about Kanban Systems. As the saying goes, “all models are wrong, some are useful”. This is what I currently find useful based on working with teams and organisations in recent years. At the heart of the model is Systems Thinking. Without looking at what we …