The Daily Standup

Bring Focus to Your Refinement Meetings - Mike CohnYour team is spending too much time in product backlog refinement.How can I make such a bold claim since I didn't participate in your most recent refinement meeting? I can make it because the vast majority of teams spend too much time refining their product backlogs.So I'm playing the odds, and betting your team is among them. Teams spend too long in refinement because they misunderstand the purpose of refinement, so let's start there. As a reminder:The purpose of backlog refinement is to ensure the highest priority items are small and sufficiently understood that they can most likely be completed within a single iteration.This means that during a refinement meeting the team does not need to get answers to every conceivable question about each backlog item. Some questions can be answered during the iteration without quashing the feasibility of finishing the backlog item in the iteration.For example, suppose a team wants to know how long a failed transaction should be retried. Perhaps 30 seconds? A minute? Two? The product owner says she's not sure but she'll decide within a couple of days.Even if the team doesn't get that answer until after the iteration has begun, that's fine.The team should not need to have all questions answered or all open issues resolved before an item is brought into an iteration. In this example, whatever answer the product owner provides about the retry duration will not affect the two concerns of backlog refinement: Is the item small enough to be brought into an iteration?Is it sufficiently understood to be completed within an iteration?This means that the amount of time spent retrying failed transactions should not be discussed during refinement. (Actually it could warrant just the briefest discussion to confirm that the retry period is minutes—not months, because *that* difference could matter.)From just this example we can see that some questions do not need to be discussed during refinement. Sure, the team will eventually need to know how long the product owner wants to retry transactions. But team members don't need to know that during refinement. And they don't even necessarily need to know it before starting work on the item.Conversations between team members and their product owner during refinement should be focused on confirming an item is small and well understood. Discussions beyond that are often very fun, but they're best had either during the iteration itself or possibly the sprint planning meeting.Keeping off-topic discussions out of your refinement meetings will shorten those meetings with no adverse effect on meeting your iteration goals, which will help you succeed,The Main Reason Refinement Bogs Down Focus on the Two Concerns of Backlog Refinement How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

10 Human-Centered Leadership Principles1. Ask for forgiveness, not permissionInnovation rarely starts with approval.Build what you believe in — and deal with the politics later.You will be remembered for the rules you break.2. Build teams first, then productsGood products are built by healthy teams.Invest in trust, care, and clarity — and the product will follow.3. People and interactions over processes and toolsStolen from Agile, and still true.Tools are only as good as the humans using them.Build relationships before systems.4. Find a way — or build oneConstraints don't stop creativity.They shape it.Be scrappy. Be resourceful. Be relentless.5. Never build what is askedDig deeper.Understand the real need.Then build what actually matters.6. Less talking, more buildingEndless alignment leads nowhere.Create momentum by making things.Then talk about what's real.7. Live off the landUse what you have, don't wait for ideal conditions.Work with the terrain, not against it.It takes knowledge, humility, and creativity.But that's how great work gets done.8. Everyone is a designerDesign is not a job title — it's a mindset.Everyone on the team shapes the experience.So give them the tools, the trust, and the invitation to contribute.9. Good management is as little management as possible.The best leadership is invisible.Create clarity, then get out of the way. People want clarity not transparency.Support, don't control.Unblock, don't bottleneck.10. We all have wings, but some of us don't know whyThere's magic in everyone.Part of leadership is reminding people they can fly —even if they've forgotten how..How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Breaking Down The Spotify Engineering Culture ModelThe Spotify Engineering Culture Model is one of the most widely referenced frameworks for scaling Agile and creating autonomous, innovative teams. Originally popularized by Henrik Kniberg and Anders Ivarsson in their internal videos (now public), the model describes how Spotify organizes and empowers teams to deliver software at scale while maintaining a strong culture of innovation, speed, and flexibility.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Become A Life Changer...Do you have the power to change a life? Listen today and reveal the answer to this powerful question. How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Can We Do 100% Scrum And SAFe Simultaneously? - NOPE...This question emerged during a recent Scrum.org Professional Scrum Master Advanced training in Germany

3 Powerful Questions I Love Asking My Team ~ Ro Fernandezhttps://blog.novatools.org/3-powerful-questions-i-love-asking-my-team-and-why-you-should-too-ccb05111ad2f1) What would make you feel genuinely prepared?2) If you had to describe how things are going… like a weather report… what would you say?3) What would you do if you were in my position right now?How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

I Have NEVER Used Scrum 100% - Take It From The TOP!Fifteen years ago, I stumbled upon Scrum. It gave a name to many things I was already doing and introduced me to new working methods. But here's the thing:

You Don't Need Agile... YES You Do Need Agile!When Agile was introduced many years ago, it gave software delivery an option to do things differently. From there, many offshoots have come from Agile that come from Agile that provide even more options for Software Delivery.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Exploring How To Discuss Sensitive Topics From a Spiritual ApproachLearn how to have the tough conversations and express yourself while still being empathetic to those who think differently than you do. How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Why We Killed Scrum Sprints ForeverWhen I started my journey as a product manager, I went through every article, book, and video I could find about Scrum. Sprint planning, daily stand-ups, reviews, retrospectives — the whole shebang...How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Do Your User Stories End in a Coffee Break? - Mike CohnEver write a user story that the team never finishes?That's a sign you're dealing with an open story—one that doesn't deliver a clear, finished result to the user.Let's fix that. A closed user story is one where the user completes a meaningful goal.Think: “Ah, I finished reviewing resumes. Time for a coffee break.”Contrast that with this story:“As a recruiter, I can manage the job ads I've placed.”That's not closed. Why?Because “manage” never ends. You don't manage something and then say, “Great! That's done forever.”For Here are some red flag words to watch out for: managemaintainadministerconfiguremonitorAs a recruiter, I can review resumes so I can pass good candidates to the hiring manager.I can change the expiration date of an ad to keep it visible—or close it when we're done.I can delete unqualified applications so the team doesn't waste time.I can update ad descriptions to attract better candidates. Each one finishes with something tangible.Closed Stories Let Users Take a Coffee BreakRed Flag Words to WatchThese words signal that your story might be too broad or too vague. How to Close Open StoriesBreak “manage job ads” into stories with meaningful outcomes: Each one earns that coffee break. Why Closed Stories MatterClosed stories avoid misunderstandings. A vague story like “manage ads” might mean running reports to the product owner; the same story might mean UI tweaks to the team. That gap in understanding leads to rework.And yes—open stories have a place as epics early in a project. But when it's time to build, break them down into stories with clear outcomes.That's how teams build clarity—and succeed with agile.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Limitations of the Sprint Retrospective...Back in my Scrum days — yes, with 20+ years of experience, I am allowed to say that — I genuinely enjoyed facilitating Retrospectives. It was a perfect moment to pause and identify areas for improvement.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Avoid Getting Good at AgileI know the agile universe has been around for a long time. You may have even been using agile concepts since XP or Scrum in the mid-90s, I get it. But if you were to line up every single person in your whole country that works at all the organizations, large or small, and ask them how well they understood what it means to be agile, what do you think you'd find?How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Vocal Training Exercises That You Can DoIt is AMAZING the things that we can do with our voice.. Please listen and learn some tips to help you use this tool to the best of its capability. How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Dolly Parton Can Improve Your Teamwork... - Mike CohnWould you like to get a check from Dolly Parton for $500? I would.In an effort to reduce the number of students who dropped out of high school in her home county, she promised all 7th and 8th grade students she would give them each $500 if they graduated from high school.She added a catch: They'd only receive the money if a buddy they chose also graduated.Dolly's Buddy Program reduced high school dropouts from 35% to 6%.She clearly understood the importance of accountability to one another: a student contemplating dropping out may not when they factor in the financial impact on their buddy.I wish Dolly Parton would make a similar offer to teams. The best teams understand that they succeed (or fail) together.No one benefits when the programmers finish coding on the last day of an iteration, and leave testers no time to test.When shared accountability pervades a team, people help each other. Programmers may write more unit tests if they know testers will be challenged. Or they may execute some tests themselves.If testers are concerned that programmers may not finish, they can help by identifying earlier and sharing the edge cases that programmers may overlook.There's always something you can do to help your coworkers. Beyond helping out in a pinch, here are some practices that help a team succeed together: Small backlog items that flow through the process more smoothlySmall, frequent handoffs to reduce waitingClose collaboration to improve communicationOverlapping work to avoid leaving too much testing until the endDaily scrum meetings to encourage accountability to one anotherFostering an attitude that everyone succeeds together may not get you a $500 check from Dolly Parton, but it will help you succeed with agile.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

The 13 Commandments of Strategic ThinkingIf your team can't use your strategy to make real decisions, it's not a strategy.Strategy is made of principles, not plans. You can't script the future — but you can guide decisions.You have six key stakeholders. Strategy must serve all of them — not just shareholders.Customers are special. They bring in the money. Everyone else takes it out.Solve big problems. The bigger the problem, the more value you create.Satisfaction over profit. Happy customers bring profits. Not the other way around.It all connects. Customers → Needs → Value → Assets → Processes.Forget the vision board. Focus on your purpose and mission — who you serve, and why.Strategy is direction + pace. Not a fixed destination.Think in decades. The goal is to build a company that outlives you.Don't play someone else's game. Create your own market.Forget annual targets. Build the capacity to learn, adapt, and create value.See your business as Value Waves. Strategy is how you redesign those waves to create more value.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Turn Complainers Into Problem-Solvers“Everything's wrong. Nothing works. This place is falling apart.”And then… the grumble list begins. Oh gawd, every single problem without a hint of a solution!We've all got that team member, right? The one who turns up to meetings like storm clouds ready to rain on everyone's parade?How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Product Management Is Broken - Here's How To Fix ItFive fundamental shifts are redefining what it means to be a product manager in 2025. These aren't minor adjustments or trend-driven pivots. They represent a complete inversion of core PM practices that have guided the profession for over a decade.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Help Me Understand - Become a Better ListenerStop, Collaborate, and ListenHow to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Is Agile Disappearing? - Not Again...For the last two years, we've seen a fairly drastic change in the agile landscape. Large companies have laid off hundreds of thousands of agile and tech jobs (287k in 2023 and 152k in 2024). The job market for new jobs is also very different. You can't just search for Scrum Master or Agile Coach like you used to.Maybe it's because big firms have started treating agile like “a skill not a role”, as mentioned by the Business Agility Institute and scrum alliance in their “Skills in the New World of Work” research paper. You might need to be multiple things, a manager who knows agile or a technologist who knows Scrum. It's a trend that is sad but true, IMO.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Don't Doubt the Power of Fast Feedback - Mike CohnEvery year when summer rolls around, I start dreaming about getting out on the water: sailing, rowing, kayaking, wake surfing, and so on. If it's a water sport, I probably love it.And every time I work with a product that doesn't quite meet my needs, I start thinking about how important it is to get real user feedback early and often.Today, those two thoughts combined. I was sighing over the latest update to a less-than-optimal work management app, and my mind went back to a 1995 America's Cup race. The race between the US and New Zealand is a great illustration of the importance of two vital activities for agile teams: knowing customers and getting fast feedback. To create their boat, Team New Zealand used software that allowed them to simulate the impact of various design changes on the speed of the boat. They evaluated thousands of design decisions. Each day, Team New Zealand ran simulations on a small network located a few feet from the dock. To further evaluate designs, Team New Zealand made two boats. Each day, they would alter one with a design change to be evaluated. The two boats then raced each other to assess the impact of the design change. By contrast, the U.S. Team designed their boat using massive supercomputers located hundreds of miles from the dock. This created significant feedback delays. The team also had only a single boat for testing, which made it harder to assess the impact of changes. Yep. Tiny New Zealand. For the very first time.Why? Because Team New Zealand got close to their customer and used rapid feedback cycles. If you are not cycling ideas past your customers quickly enough to get rapid feedback, consider moving closer to the dock.New Zealand Went Small, Close & OftenThe U.S. Went Big, Far & SeldomGuess who won?How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Keeping Team Meetings RelevantTeam meetings are a crucial part to the success of any team. They can be a tricky problem to solve because generally you are trying to perform a balance between having fun while focusing on what's next.I don't think team meetings should be overtly structured, but when running them there are always a few goals I need to achieve in each one. And when I speak to those goals, I don't just mean for me, but more importantly, the members of my team.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Conflict Management - Mid-Meltdown Editionif Marcus was running a bakery, what would that look like?”Emma stopped mid-rant. “What?”“I'm serious. Marcus the micromanaging bakery owner. Paint me the picture.”She looked at me like I'd suggested we rob a bank together and then buy a radio station with the funds.But then something shifted. A tiny smile crept across her face...How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Happy 4th of July - One Flag, One Firework, One NationThank You For Listening to This Special Episode! How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

The Lazy Facilitator... “You're such a relaxed, laid-back, and maybe even lazy facilitator!”I received this feedback during a recent Liberating Structures workshop. It was meant as a compliment, though the “lazy” part needed some clarification.

Are You Refining Your Backlog Enough (or Too Often)? - Mike CohnHi V. Lee,Ever felt like your backlog refinement meetings are either way too long or painfully unproductive? You're not alone.Backlog refinement can be a game-changer—or a time sink. The difference? How well you understand the purpose.So, let's get clear. Refinement is when a team and its product owner look at the top items on the product backlog to make sure each is sufficiently well understood and small enough to be brought into the next sprint.That means breaking down large items, adding detail, estimating effort, and generally getting your stories “ready” for the team to work on.Great refinement helps your team:Avoid surprises during sprint planningReduce rework due to misunderstood storiesDeliver value faster, with fewer blockerOnce per sprint works well for teams that like fewer meetings. Keep in mind that the meeting will be longer, though.Once per week can help avoid long, draining sessions—especially if your once-per-sprint meetings are creeping past two hours.What Is Product Backlog Refinement? How Often Should You Do It?Most teams will either do a refinement meeting once per sprint or once per week. What I don't recommend is going beyond that.I've worked with teams in the past that were running 2–3 refinement meetings per week, each an hour or more. Unless your backlog is in serious disarray or your product is unusually complex, that's overkill.And remember—refinement doesn't only happen in meetings. It's perfectly fine for a product owner and a few team members to huddle up outside the scheduled meeting to split a story or clarify details.Keep your refinement meetings focused, lightweight, and appropriately timed—and you'll spend more time delivering value instead of just talking about it. That's a great way to succeed with agile.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

20 Powerful Leadership Quotes That Will Transform Your ThinkingAs leaders, we are often busy — busy leading, managing, and chasing our business goals. If continued endlessly without any break, this can lead to stress and burnout.I find it helpful to take a step back from time to time, and reflect and ponder over our roles as leaders.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Is AI Killing My Coding Creativity and Critical Thinking?“Why solve the puzzle when ChatGPT can solve it for me?”That's a question I never thought I'd ask myself as a young coder. But today, it echoes louder in my mind than any compiler error.I started coding because I loved creating things from scratch. I enjoyed the frustration of debugging, the thrill of getting something right after failing ten times, and the weird pride that came from staring at a screen for hours to make a simple animation work. But now, with artificial intelligence just a click away, something important is fading: my creativity.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Do You TikTok? If So... Why? It is a legitimate question... I am still trying to figure out why people do this.. How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

How To Improve Your Teams MotivationMotivation isn't pushed — it's ignited. When people feel seen, heard and trusted — they don't just show up, they step up.Motivation impacts everything at work — without it people in the team do the bare minimum leading to slow progress, missed targets and poor results. Demotivated people are also highly contagious — they can bring the entire team down with their low morale, lack of enthusiasm and discouraged attitude.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Stop Using User Stories.. I Think NotSomeone Asked me to review an article about user stories... Lets just say it is a mixed review. How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

The Coaching Question That Makes People See Their Impact“The team did all the work.”That's when I dropped my sneaky question:“What would not be like it is — had you not been part of it?”The silence got longer and at one point I thought she had frozen in time.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Is There a Silent Genius In Your Meetings?The most valuable voice in your meeting is the one you never hear. And for that you need a sneaky coaching question.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

You Too Can Do Amazing Things!It's the Friday NOT so Agile Episode time.. How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

All About The Definition of ReadyMany teams use a Definition of Ready to check if Product Backlog items are ‘ready for Sprint.' Often, the acronym “INVEST” is used as a checklist. PBIs are considered ready when they are independent, negotiable, valuable, estimable, small, and testable.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

The One Question That Changes Your Entire Meeting For The Better“What's one thing we do in these meetings that wastes everyone's time?”How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Leadership Scripts for the 3 Conversations That You Can't Afford to Mess UpLetting Someone Go (Without Burning Down the House)Giving Feedback That Actually LandsTalking to Someone Who Has No Idea They're UnderperformingHow to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Celebrating Fathers - SPECIAL EPISODEHappy Fathers Day! How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Happy Friday the 13th... It is Time For Change!Despite its spooky reputation, Friday the 13th has been a surprisingly positive and even lucky day for many people throughout history—especially when you look past superstition. Here are some great things that have happened (or regularly happen) on Friday the 13th:

The Top 3 Agile Performance Metrics That You are Likely NOT MeasuringDiscuss the development of new metrics that go beyond traditional KPIs, focusing on customer satisfaction, team health, and value delivery to better assess Agile performance.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Learning & Upskilling - Now is the Time!Today we will Highlight the growing emphasis on upskilling within Agile teams, including cross-functional training and certifications, to meet evolving project demands and technological advancements.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Agile Contracting Models in 2025Lets take a moment to Investigate new approaches to Agile contracts that allow for flexibility, shared risk, and iterative delivery, moving away from traditional fixed-price models.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Agile Application Beyond ITToday we will Explore how Agile principles are being applied across various business functions such as marketing, HR, and finance, leading to increased adaptability and customer focus throughout organizations.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

We Still Don't Know How Tickling Works But a New ‘Tickle Lab' at a University is Finding OutWhy can't you tickle yourself? And how come some people aren't ticklish at all—while some on the autism spectrum are laughing more often?Neuroscientist Konstantina Kilteni believes we should take tickling research more seriously—and she's working with colleagues in a new tickle lab at Radboud University to get some answers.Socrates wondered about this topic 2,000 years ago, and Charles Darwin racked his brains about it: what is a tickle, and why are we so sensitive to it?How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Agile Leadership Evolution in 2025Today we will Examine the shift in leadership roles within Agile frameworks, emphasizing the importance of enabling self-organizing teams, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and balancing alignment with empowerment.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Value Stream Mapping Enhances Agile CapabilitiesValue Stream Management (VSM) is a systematic approach to improving the flow of value from a customer's request to the customer's hands. It focuses on optimizing the end-to-end process, from idea to delivery, to accelerate time-to-market, increase throughput, and enhance customer satisfaction. Key aspects of VSM:End-to-end focus:VSM considers the entire process, including all steps and touchpoints, from ideation to delivery. Flow optimization:VSM aims to remove bottlenecks, reduce waste, and improve the flow of work. Data-driven insights:VSM relies on data and analytics to understand the current state of the process, identify areas for improvement, and measure the impact of changes. Continuous improvement:VSM is an iterative process that involves ongoing monitoring, analysis, and optimization. Reduces lead time:By streamlining the process and eliminating waste, VSM can significantly reduce the time it takes to deliver value to customers. Increases throughput:Optimizing the flow of work can lead to higher throughput, meaning more value is delivered in a shorter period. Improves product quality:By identifying and addressing issues early in the process, VSM can help ensure higher product quality. Enhances customer satisfaction:Faster delivery, higher quality, and more reliable products lead to greater customer satisfaction. Enables business agility:VSM helps organizations become more agile and responsive to changes in the market. In essence, VSM is about maximizing the value delivered to customers by optimizing the end-to-end process, from customer request to customer value realizationHow to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Top 3 Tips For Effective Agile In Hybrid Work EnvironmentsToday we will Discuss the challenges and strategies of implementing Agile methodologies in hybrid work settings. Topics include effective remote collaboration, maintaining team cohesion, and optimizing virtual meetings.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

This is the REAL Question... How much do you need to know and what is the best way to get caught up? How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Six Magic Words That Help You be a Better ListenerHelpMe Understand ?TellMeMore...How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Why EVERY Product Manager needs to Understand AI!AI is no longer a standalone product — it's becoming a standard feature.For product managers (PMs), this shift means learning to think differently about how users interact with software. The rise of large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4, Claude, and open-source alternatives is changing user expectations across every industry — not just in tech-first companies.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

A Simple Technique to Make Meetings More Enjoyable - Mike CohnEvery time I went to the dentist as a little kid, my dentist gave me a small toy after my treatment.And back then my parents' house was near Disneyland. From our backyard we'd see the nightly fireworks. Disneyland always saved the most spectacular display for the finale.My dentist and Disneyland were making use of what later became known as the peak-end rule. This rule says that we judge and recall experiences based on how we felt at the peak and at the end.My dentist was giving me a more favorable impression by giving me the toy at the end. If he'd given me a toy at the start, it would not have had the same impact.Disney was going for the double-whammy of placing the peak experience at the end.Studies conducted by Daniel Kahneman (author of Thinking Fast and Slow) and others have shown that we consider unpleasant experiences better if they end on an up note. The end doesn't have to be great; it just has to be better than what preceded it.Meetings are an unpleasant experience for many of us. But we can improve how team members feel about meetings by changing how we end them.I plan to try this next week. Our weekly meeting begins with anyone sharing good news, whether professional or personal. This week a coworker is celebrating a professional achievement; next week is another's last before taking maternity leave.This simple sharing of good news is the highlight of the meeting for me. All the discussion about the work we each plan to undertake for the week is vital, but I enjoy hearing good news from coworkers.Back in the day, we put this at the start of each week's agenda because we reasoned it would be nice to start on a positive note. Do you predict we'll be better served by sharing good news at the end?Improving the end of a meeting won't change the outcome of the meeting or the discussions within the meeting. It should, however, improve how people feel about the meeting.Making meetings more enjoyable (or at least less unpleasant) will help a team succeed with agileHow to connect with AgileDad:- [website] https://www.agiledad.com/- [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/- [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/- [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/