This document discusses using Kanban techniques to improve training effectiveness. It defines the problems with training, introduces Kanban concepts, and describes how the author designed a Kanban board to manage and focus their training tasks. Key aspects covered include breaking work into small chunks, limiting work in progress, and using timeboxing with the Pomodoro technique to aid concentration. The author found Kanban increased their training productivity and they learned about Kanban through blogging about their experiences.

1. Kanban:
a lean approach to JIT training
 LeanAgileMachine.com

2. Goals
 Define the problems faced when training
 Cover the basic of Kanban
 Discuss the design choices for my Kanban
 The layout & rules of my kanban
 Explain how cards are written to add greater value
 Suggest how tasks are broken down
 Discuss time boxing with Pomodoro
 Not bore people to death

3. What is the problem with Training
 Never have enought time to learn
 Always more to learn
 Something urgent comes up
 New opportunities arise
 Friends dragging you to the pub
 Work to do, bills to pay, kids to feed...
 Window of opportunity for training is limited

4. Cant you just pull your finger out!
 Too many things on todo list never get done
 Busy all week but dont remember what I learnt
 Working harder and longer not cutting it
 Battling my monsters from the id:
 overactive interest and imagination
 Internet addiction
 Attention deficit dissorder
 Need to cycle 200km a day

5. So training is a problem
 What techniques coulld I used to help?
 Muddle along and hope for the best
 Go on lots of training courses
 Attend lots of evening talks
 2 techniques used to manage activities
 Kanban
 Pomedero – Time boxing

6. What is Kanban ?
 A way to manage dependant events
 Make your work visible
 Limit your work in progress
 Avoiding multi­tasking – its inefficient
 Pull system
 only work on a task once previous task is complete
 Help work to flow
 continuously and predictably deliver value

7. A basic approach

8. Manufacturing design

9. Supply chain design

10. Simple design

11. Software development design

12. Software projects design

13. Kanban design for study

14. Why try Kanban for training
 To lean more about Kanban
 To focus my training so I learn more
 Study one thing at a time
 Make sure I have learnt something ­ goals
 It seemed like a good idea at the time
 Kanban is cool

15. How did I build my Kanban
 Started simple with: Plan – Do – Done
 Used scrap of paper for initial design
 Built a simple board and started using it
 Evolved into Plan – Do – Check – Act
 Evaluated deficits in board and enhanced
 Used online Kanban
 So I dont need to cary a large whiteboard around
 Blogged what I had done to get feedback

16. Starting from scratch

17. Created basic lanes

18. Plan – Doing – Done

19. Started adding task cards

20. First card on the board, cool

21. Is something ready to study?
 Identify completed work between seperate
board lanes
 Spilt the study board lane into two
 First new lane is the waiting state
 Second lane is the study activity

22. Edit the board design

23. Split the study lane

24. Tasks are progressing smoothly

25. Several minutes later
After adding a few tasks to the
board....

26. Oh dear, my monsters are back

27. So What is missing ?
 I have a Kanban board
 I am breaking my tasks down into relatively
small chunks
 But I still have far too much to do...

28. Lets apply the WIP !!!
 To sudy effectively I need to focus
 To focus I need to work on 1 thing
at once
 To work on 1 thing at once I need:
Work In Progress
Limits

29. Refactor the tasks on Kanban

30. Add WIP Limits to Kanban

31. WIP Limits now applied

32. How do I know if I've learnt?
 Need a Check step after study
 Encourages continuous improvement
 A lean principle
 Lets create a new lane on the board as a
review stage

33. Add a Check Lane with WIP

34. Move tasks into new lane

35. Have a board, what next?
 Defined task cards in more detail
 Limited by the tool I'm using though
 Pomodoro technique for time boxing tasks
 Value stream mapping?
 Considered overkill for simple set of events

36. Defining the task card
 Set goal of task
 Identify measure to check if goal reached
 eg. Can write a Kata in Scala
 eg. Can design a Kanban board using VSM
 eg. Write a summary of the book on blog, stating
why it is a valuable read
 Identify resources to assist training
 Identify scope of training
 refactor task into multiple cards if too big

37. Why Pomodoro
 Limited time helps concentration
 starting this presentation this morning focused me
 Easier to set and measure goals for a time
boxed activity
 Helps break down tasks into managable
chuncks

38. Pomodero – Timeboxing tasks
 Useful tool to focus mind on a goal
 Helps stick to WIP limits and Idea of flow
 Tasks have varying time limits during flow
dependant on size of task
 Review: 5 – 15 minutes
 Study: 30 minutes – half a day
 Evaluate: 15 minutes – 1 hour
 Blogging: continuous activity

39. Other learning techniques
 For programming languages
 Kata
 Dojo's
 TDD / BDD
 Speed reading
 Attending / Giving SkillsMatter talks & courses
 Blogging and Tweeting
 leanagilemachine.com
 @JR0cket

40. Summary
 I found Kanban increased my training
effectiveness
 I learnt alot about Kanban
 I got feedback on my techniques by blogging
 I got lots of feedback from this talk (hopefully)
 Its time for the pub if you dont have any
questions ?

41. Resources
 LeanAgileMachine.com
 JR0cket.com
 SkillsMatter.com
 Kanban101.com
 LimitedWIPSociety.org
 The Goal – Eliyahu M. Goldratt
 Theory of Constraints – Eliyahu M. Goldratt

42. PUB
 Slaughtered Lamb
 Cross over road in front of Skills Matter
 Take second right alley
 Walk until you see pub in front of you
 Walk to bar and buy several drinks – if you ask me
a good question I may buy you a drink or two
 Wake up at 3 in the morning on a park bench...