Happy Monday!
Happy Monday! – as my old boss would say.
You may ask, “What is John doing now that he’s not blogging so much? He must have a great deal of free time.”
I’m spending lots of time adjusting to my new work responsibilities. It’s more exhausting than I thought it would be getting up to speed on different products and meetings lots of new people that I will be working with. The challenge of a large company is that even after15 years you can end up on projects working with people you’ve never met before.
One of my new projects employs the Agile Development process. Some around here grumble that Agile is the latest project management Kool-Aid. If so, some around here are drinking it by the gallon. I actually like it – but have encountered some awkward moments adjusting to this new style.
Agile is known for scheduling daily “stand-ups” – short meetings where you check-in and ask questions; seek clarification, etc – whatever you need to keep the project moving forward. I got things off on the right foot when attending my first stand up: I entered the room and immediately sat down. Everyone else filed into the room and stood around the table along the wall. I just sat there. No one said anything – this being Minnesota – but I quickly realized the error of my ways, cracked a joke at my expense, and joined the rest of the standers.
News flash – standing up at a meeting does not automatically lead to shorter meetings. I’ve attended several stand-ups that threatened to go over 30 minutes – but we had to stop short because we were all late – for another stand-up. Maybe they should set another rule: In addition to no sitting, they should prohibit leaning against the wall. The longer stand-ups usually turn into “leaning” meetings.
You may ask, “What is John doing now that he’s not blogging so much? He must have a great deal of free time.”
I’m spending lots of time adjusting to my new work responsibilities. It’s more exhausting than I thought it would be getting up to speed on different products and meetings lots of new people that I will be working with. The challenge of a large company is that even after15 years you can end up on projects working with people you’ve never met before.
One of my new projects employs the Agile Development process. Some around here grumble that Agile is the latest project management Kool-Aid. If so, some around here are drinking it by the gallon. I actually like it – but have encountered some awkward moments adjusting to this new style.
Agile is known for scheduling daily “stand-ups” – short meetings where you check-in and ask questions; seek clarification, etc – whatever you need to keep the project moving forward. I got things off on the right foot when attending my first stand up: I entered the room and immediately sat down. Everyone else filed into the room and stood around the table along the wall. I just sat there. No one said anything – this being Minnesota – but I quickly realized the error of my ways, cracked a joke at my expense, and joined the rest of the standers.
News flash – standing up at a meeting does not automatically lead to shorter meetings. I’ve attended several stand-ups that threatened to go over 30 minutes – but we had to stop short because we were all late – for another stand-up. Maybe they should set another rule: In addition to no sitting, they should prohibit leaning against the wall. The longer stand-ups usually turn into “leaning” meetings.
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