Do you want to deliver better products and services to a more satisfied client base? Do you think adopting an agile team strategy is the way to achieve those goals? Well buckle up, Dixie cup, and let us explain exactly how your efforts are about to go awry. Jennifer Chance has spent the past year bringing the agile development model known as “Scrum” to The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas. She’ll be the first to tell you that it hasn’t been easy. Mistakes and failures are opportunities to learn, though, and those opportunities are even more appealing if you’re not the one doing the failing. Whether you are considering Scrum, another agile initiative, or none at all, Jen’s no-nonsense approach to a better workflow offers simple, useful solutions for scenarios all of us are likely to encounter. Come and see what you and your team can learn from someone else’s bumpy, blustery journey to become agile--come hell or high water.

1. Who We Are

2. What Is Scrum?

3. • Product Owner
• The Team
• Scrum Master

4. Mistake #1
Assigning the scrum master role
to the wrong person

5. Agile Tip #1
Choose a less productive team
member to be your SCRUM master.

6. This
is
Mark.

7. Mark
was
stuck.

8. Benefits of choosing a less productive team
member to be your scrum master:
1. Invigorate a complacent employee
2. No loss of productivity
3. Gain insight on how to fail productively

9. Mistake #2
Collaborating with client on how
the project will proceed

10. Agile Tip #2
Give your client zero options
(at least at first)

11. This
is
Brandi.

12. Brandi would meet with us every morning in person
Brandi’s bosses would give Brandi the authority to
represent their interests in these meetings
Brandi is responsible for informing her bosses of what is
said in meetings
Any changes to already approved items would add
length to the approved timeline

13. Benefits of giving your client zero options:
1. Establish best practices early
2. Plan your project how YOU want it to proceed
3. Gives client realistic expectations on a feasible timeline

14. Mistake #3
Allowing team members to do
what they do best

15. Agile Tip #3
Assign your team members small
jobs they aren’t used to.

16. This is
Jon

18. Benefits of giving team members small jobs
they suck at:
1. Gives individual team members a better understanding of
their peers’ responsibilities
2. More hands on deck during crunch times
3. Gives individual team members a better, more versatile
resumé

22. Agile Tip #1
Choose a less productive team member to be your
SCRUM master.
Agile Tip #2
Give your client zero options
(at least at first)
Agile Tip #3
Assign your team members small jobs they aren’t
used to.