Epic Spells: Agile, Magic, Halloween!
Hard Yards
We empower business leaders and organizations to be more effective, innovative, and transformative.
Get ready for an October awakening! Our expert coaching has led a nursing team to the Epic Systems conference. Witness how the insights of therapists became software sensations. This Halloween, we've conjured Agile spells to tackle your trickiest challenges, ensuring your projects don’t spook you out. Join us for a professional yet charmingly fun journey into the world of Agile magic!
In this month’s newsletter:
AGILE SPIRITS AT EPIC SYSTEMS!
In our Agile coaching engagement with a health care network with $2B in annual revenue, an inpatient nursing Agile team has been invited to speak at the Epic Systems annual conference. Epic Systems software holds the medical records of 80% of the patients in the U.S. and its annual conference attracts medical professionals from across the nation. The Agile team we’ve coached will present how they have rapidly incorporated the feedback of hospital therapists into software products. ?
TRICK OR TREAT AGILE CHALLENGES
In the spirit of Halloween, we've transformed common Agile challenges into tricky "tricks" and magical solutions into delightful "treats." Ever wondered how to tackle "Scope Creep" or handle "Communication Breakdowns" in your Agile projects? Our experts have brewed up some enchanting treats to keep your Agile journey on the right track.
?? Trick: Scope Creep Haunting Your Projects?
Treat: Avoid the ghostly creep with clear sprint goals and regular stakeholder communication. Set realistic expectations and conduct regular backlog reviews to keep your scope in check!
?? Trick: Communication Cauldron Gone Cold?
Treat: Stir the cauldron with daily stand-up meetings, fostering open communication and collaboration. Utilize collaboration tools like Slack or Trello to keep everyone in the loop and maintain the flow of information!
?? Trick: Ghastly Team Disengagement?
Treat: Bring your team back to life with engaging retrospectives! Encourage everyone to share their thoughts and celebrate achievements. Implement team-building activities to enhance camaraderie and motivation.
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BREAKING THE ASSUMPTION TRAP
Ever heard of Google +, the DeLorean, New Coke, or Windows Vista? They all share a spooky connection—they're colossal failures in product development! At Hard Yards, we've unearthed the sinister cycle behind these blunders: THE ASSUMPTION TRAP.
Assumption 1: We Know What the User Needs.
Thinking you've cracked the user's needs code? Beware! Users and their needs are ever-changing specters. Instead of assuming, we delve deep with Design Thinking. By empathizing, defining problems, ideating solutions, and prototyping, we uncover genuine user needs.
Assumption 2: We Must Build the Entire Product for Value.
The myth of big-bang releases has haunted us for too long. Small, incremental builds reveal valuable insights. Agile Development guides us, emphasizing learning and adapting. Start small, learn, refine, and repeat—don't be ensnared by the 'bigger is better' illusion!
Assumption 3: Our Product Works.
Believing your product is flawless without measuring its impact? Beware of this ghostly assumption! Measurement is the torch that banishes uncertainty. Using Pirate Metrics and OKRs, we illuminate the path to product success, ensuring every step is guided by real data.
Break free from the Assumption Trap! At Hard Yards, our magical trio—Design Thinking, Agile Development, and Analytics—shatter illusions. Together, we craft products not from assumptions but from real user needs, incremental progress, and measured outcomes. Don't let your product development become a horror story—choose insight, adaptability, and measurement this Halloween season!
I recommend John Doerr’s “Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs.” ?In this book, Doerr explains how Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) are a proven approach to achieve operational excellence. The author defines objectives as “what we seek to achieve” while key results are “how those top-priority goals will be attained with specific, measurable actions within a set time frame.” Doerr uses numerous examples from his professional career to make this book an outstanding read!