The Daily Standup

Teacher Reveals Heartbreaking Reason Behind Her Ocean-Themed ClassroomOne teacher was used to her father's support in everything from big dreams to classroom decor, but after his sudden death in March 2025, that steady presence was goneHow 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/

Symptoms Of Moving Without a VisionIn the absence of a clear and shared vision, every team, leader, and individual will fill that gap with their own beliefs, experiences, and expectations. It may appear to be “diversity of opinion,” but in practice, it often results in misalignment. Every strategic conversation becomes a clash of narratives.This fragmentation of understanding is just one of many symptoms of a lack of product vision. Based on my experience leading product teams at Locaweb, Conta Azul, Gympass, and Lopes — and more recently, supporting companies as a product advisor — I've seen how the absence of vision impacts the entire organization.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/

Small Changes That Made Our Daily Stand-Ups More UsefulDaily stand-ups are a cornerstone of agile software development — but often they're seen as a burden or a distraction. Why? Because they frequently devolve into long status reports that bore participants and add little real 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/

The Agile Family Tree: Theme, Epic, Feature and User Story Explained“Let's group this into a theme, break it down into epics, then into features and finally user stories.”Sure. Cool. Great.Just one question: what does any of that actually mean?If you've ever nodded along in a backlog grooming session while secretly wondering whether an epic is bigger than a feature or the other way around — you're in good company.It's time we cut through the jargon and talk real Agile clarity.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 Your Team Heading For a Win? It's officially the end of summer here in the U.S. Part of me is sad. Cooler temps mean it's time for me to hang up my wakeboard and store my boat for the season.But part of me welcomes the move to falling leaves, long sleeves, and Major League Baseball playoffs. I'm a big Dodgers fan, and I'm hoping they make it to the post-season again this year.But even if my team doesn't go, I'll still watch the playoffs and World Series–both because I'm a fan and also to see if I can predict the winning team. And while I'm no Nostradamus, I do have a bit of a superpower. After just one or two innings, I can often tell who is going to win the game.Why? Because it's usually clear that one team is trying just a little bit harder. They're not pitching any better or getting more hits–they're just more engaged.They're running down every foul ball, even when it's already crossed into the stands. They're moving toward every hit, only backing off when a teammate yells, “Mine.” From the superstars to the backup right fielder, everyone on the field is looking for ways to contribute, even when it's outside their role.It's a thrill to watch teams like this: Teams who have put their individual egos aside to win the game. I've seen the same thing happen with successful agile teams, too.Agile teams thrive when team members let go of their egos and do what needs to be done. Agile teams struggle when people stay too rigidly in their most comfortable role–a programmer who refuses to do anything but code or an architect who won't come down from the ivory tower to dirty his or her hands with actual code.The Best Agile Teams Operate without Ego“Agile teams thrive when team members let go of their egos and do what needs to be done.”I'm not saying that everyone needs to be a generalist–that would be like having your pitcher also play first base! What I am saying is if that first baseman has to field the ball, I expect the pitcher to hustle over and cover first to make the out. And if the testers are behind or someone has run into a roadblock, I expect to see anyone who is able help out.On high-performing teams, each person plays their part as best as they can, and looks for opportunities to back up their teammates when they need help.On these teams, it seems as if everyone starts each day thinking: “How can I best help the team win today?”When team members have a winning attitude, I'm willing to bet they're on the move from good to great.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/

Teen Gets Adopted After Almost 15 Years In Foster CareAn Arkansas teen's life was changed forever when he was adopted after almost 15 years in foster care.Cozy, 19, had been in foster care for 5,429 days and was the longest-waiting person in the Arkansas foster care system, per local news outlet KARK.com. Tim and Anna Dietrich adopted Cozy on Monday, Aug. 25.Anna works for the nonprofit Project Zero, which helps connect foster children with permanent homes. She met Cozy through the organization, per the outlet. “The Lord made it very clear that we were supposed to all-out adopt him. We're supposed to give him our name, give him our family, give him our whole hearts," she said in a press conference filmed by TVH 11. 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 Patriot Day - Just ServeThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) members participate annually in the National 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance, also known as Patriot Day, by organizing and joining various community service projects through initiatives like JustServe.org. These activities, which can take place on September 11th or during the broader month of September, include tasks like cleaning parks, assembling hygiene kits, and making blankets, transforming a day of tragedy into one of unity and doing good. 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/

OKR's At Google and AmazonYou'd think a company with tens of thousands of employees, layers of hierarchy, and complex workflows would slow down innovation to a crawl.Yet somehow, giants like Google, Amazon, and Intel manage to launch cutting-edge products, drive bold initiatives, and keep their teams aligned and motivated.Welcome to the world of OKRs — Objectives and Key Results.What's their secret weapon?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/

5 Habits of High Performing TeamsWhat makes some teams do exceptionally well, and others perform poorly? Do they have more talented team members, better resources, or are they simply being lucky?Teams that stand out are not more talented, better skilled, or have greater opportunities. What sets them apart are their habits and practices.Empowering work culture, support from leaders in the organization, and clarity of vision and goals are important, but they're insufficient to drive excellence and high performance in teams.Building extraordinary workplaces with high-performing teams requires more than hiring the right talent and equipping them with the right opportunities. It requires cultivating the right habits and incorporating them into daily work and life.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/

Making Invisible Work VisibleLately I noticed, sprint velocity looked fine and Jira showed progress. But none of the key tests, critical analysis and silent validations are tracked.After my observations I questioned: How much of our real work is visible?In Agile teams, productivity is often measured by delivered outputs: written code, released features, completed user stories, increasing metrics in dashboards, sprint completion rates, closed Jira tasks, the number of successful CI/CD runs, pull requests deployed to production, or customer-facing new functionalities.These are all important indicators. However, the behind-the-scenes efforts that make these visible outcomes possible are just as valuable.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/

NFL Athlete Makes a Difference in a Young Mans LifeA young boy who burst into tears upon learning that NFL defensive end Micah Parsons was leaving the Dallas Cowboys for the Green Bay Packers got some closure.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/

Leading With Vision That is Rooted in PresenceA leader cannot see clearly if they are clouded by ego, attachment, or fear. Desires, frustrations, unhealed stories — all of these act as filters. They color what we think is “the future” with the palette of our past.To truly see a vision for others, the leader must first become still.Presence is not passivity. It's clarity. It's the willingness to meet the moment without adding anything to it. To feel what wants to happen instead of forcing what we want to happen. That's where vision begins — not with strategy decks, but with stillness.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/

Consider The Downstream Effects - Mike CohnHave you ever looked at the pipes under a bathroom or kitchen sink?If you do, you'll notice that the pipe doesn't run straight from the sink to the wall. Instead the pipe from the drain goes down farther than necessary, curves right back up and then heads into the wall.This little extra bit of pipe that goes down farther than necessary and u-turns back up is called a P-trap. That's because it looks like a P turned on this side.Why do plumbers install P-traps? They must cost more to manufacture, so it increases their costs, which they may or may not be able to pass on to customers. They're a little harder to install, so they cost the plumber time, too.So, why? Plumbers install P-traps because they prevent downstream problems. A P-trap under your sink traps gases that would otherwise rise back into the house. They also catch small items that fall down the drain.And good plumbers care about this even though they know they may not be the plumber to return to fix the problem.Good plumbers care because they're good plumbers. Installing a P-trap under your sink is simply the right thing to do because it prevents downstream problems. We want agile team members who behave the same way. Good agile team members care–not just about their own work but also about the work of everyone downstream of them. OK. Back to the example. A while back, I helped a team incorporate more automated testing into their work. Some programmers, who viewed their job as nothing more than writing what they considered good code, balked at the idea of altering their code to make future testing easier. Code testability, they argued, was not their problem; it was the testers' problem.The situation came to a head during a sprint planning meeting, when the testers were giving some really large estimates for testing code that was going to take only a fraction of that amount of time to program.The programmers were asked if they could do anything to make the code easier to test. And it turned out there were some things they could do, but some of the programmers didn't want to do them because they felt it would make their code less elegant.They had defined their jobs as merely writing good code. Who cared if that code was hard to test?Why Do Something If It's Harder?Act Like a Good PlumberI'm going to give you an example of why this matters, but first, I need a favor. Would you take this short AI survey?We want to learn more about how Agile teams are using (or thinking about using) AI in their work. Your input will help us better understand current practices, opportunities, and challenges—and we'll be sharing the results with the community.Take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZJY2SXY“They had defined their jobs as merely writing good code. Who cared if that code was hard to test?”If my plumber had done that, I would have had a fully functional sink, perhaps for years. But eventually enough debris would have made it past where a P-trap should have been installed and deep into my plumbing. This would have led to an expensive--and easily avoidable--repair.When team members accept responsibility for issues caused downstream of their work, that team can begin to grow from good to great.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 Birth of the Agile Delivery Manager = No More ScrumMastersIn 2025, we formally changed the title of Scrum Master to Agile Delivery Manager (ADM) in our technology division. This renaming wasn't a rebrand for the sake of optics. It reflected a deeper evolution already happening, rooted in the expanding scope of delivery leadership, the adoption of Flow Metrics and Value Stream Management, and our real-world shift from strict Scrum toward a more customized Kanban-based model.It was this year that the name finally clicked. After assigning Value Stream Architect responsibilities to our Scrum Masters and giving them ownership of delivery metrics, team-level delivery health, and collaboration across roles within their Agile team, I realized the title “Scrum Master” no longer fit their role. I even considered Agile Value Stream Manager, but it felt too narrow and platform-specific.That's when Agile Delivery Manager stood out, not only as a better label but also as a more accurate reflection of the mindset and mission.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/

Scrum often gets blamed for a lot of things it was never meant to do. Misused? Absolutely. Misunderstood? All the time. But the framework itself? Not the villain here.It is tiresome to see so many people complaining without truly understanding the purpose and intention of the frameworks.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/

9 Daily ChatGPT Uses That Will Literally Change Your Life1. Instant Book Summaries (Absorb Knowledge Fast)

3 Critical Skills That I Have Learned as an Agile Coach1. Be Prepared for Chaos2. 0.5 Step Further Mindset3. Let ThemHow 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/

What If Scrum Masters Only Want To Act On A Team Level?I recently had an interesting conversation with a manager at a large organization. We discussed the evolving role of Scrum Masters, the growing questions about their value, and whether organizations are seeing actual returns on these investments.

Are You Chasing ScrummerFalls?You can be pure Agile, you can be pure Waterfall, but have you ever been Waterfalling Agile? I have seen Waterfalling Agile, and it's not a good scene. Essentially, when you are doing the worst of both worlds, thinking you are on top by taking the best of both, but you are wrong.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 Is Your Team Skipping Daily Standups? Standups have become a way of life — not only for software teams but everyone else — they are the checkpoint on the day as to how we are doing, what's working and what we need to do.If ever there was a meeting to attend, to get the pulse of what is happening in your team, it would be this meeting, and yet people skip them when other meetings conflict, or they have appointments during that time, or they simply opt out of them because they are too busy. Perhaps the reason you are busy is because you have too much on your plate and you need help clearing it off.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/

Empowering a Future GenerationHow can you assist in empowering the younger generation? What can we do to make their dreams come true? 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 1-Minute Introduction That Makes People Remember You ForeverHow to Craft Yours: A 15-Minute ExerciseStep 1: Start With Why (5 mins)Answer: What problem do I help solve that I deeply care about?What makes you frustrated about your industry?What change do you wish you saw more of?Step 2: Find Your Origin Moment (5 mins)Answer: What personal moment explains how I got here?It could be a client you helped.A mistake you made and learned from.A shift in how you saw your work.Step 3: Define Your Unique Edge (5 mins)Answer: What's the real result I help people or businesses create?Not just tasks.Outcomes.Transformation.Bonus Tip: Test ItOnce you've written your Sticky Introduction, test it:Can you say it in under 60 seconds?Does it sound human (not robotic)?Do people lean in or ask follow-up questions?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 “Holding Space” Is the Most Underrated Leadership SkillLeadership is usually associated with action — setting direction, making decisions, solving problems. We're taught that the best leaders are the ones who speak with confidence, execute quickly, and always have a plan. But what if one of the most powerful things a leader could do… was nothing?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 Is Not Dead, Whether You Like It Or NotRecently, there has been a flood of articles and videos claiming that agile is dead. The Agile Manifesto was created during my university years, so I witnessed firsthand how this topic gained traction in software development. As a result, I have a pretty strong opinion on the matter that I'd like to put out there.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 Future of Scrum: What Will Agile Look Like in 2030?Agile methodologies, particularly Scrum, have dominated the software development and product management landscape for decades. However, as technology advances and workplace dynamics shift, Agile is evolving rapidly. By 2030, Scrum will be unrecognizable from its early iterations. Here's how it will transform...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/

Surviving The OutbackCarolina Wilga, a 26‑year‑old German traveler, disappeared in Western Australia's harsh outback after a car accident on June 29, 2025. Suffering a serious head injury and stranded without supplies, she survived 12 days by finding shelter in caves, collecting rainwater, and drawing on sheer willpower.On July 11, exhausted and barefoot, Carolina was discovered nearly 19 miles from her vehicle by a local farmer, Tania Henley, and then rescued by the Western Australia Police People.com. She later expressed profound gratitude:“I am simply beyond grateful to have survived… Australia has taught me what it means to be part of a true communityHow 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 RACI = The Team KillerThe RACI matrix, outlining who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, seems like a logical approach for complex work. It seemingly makes clear who does what, and when.Unfortunately, beneath its veneer of order lies a subtle but significant impediment to the very essence of high-performing IT teams: genuine teamwork.I will describe that while the intent is to bring clarity, the RACI instead promotes, and often rewards, working as a collection of individuals. This approach erodes the collaborative approach necessary for knowledge work teams such as software development.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/

What Seinfeld Taught Me about Iterative and Incremental - Mike CohnAgile is both an iterative and incremental process. I've taught this in classes for 25 years. Yet I've never felt like I had the right way to explain how they both differ and relate.Until now.I recently watched the documentary “Comedian,” about Jerry Seinfeld deciding to return to standup comedy after ending his long-running hit television series.The film shows Seinfeld developing a completely new act. He couldn't rely on jokes from his standup routines from a decade earlier.He begins by performing for just a few minutes at small comedy clubs. After each performance he refines the wording, sequence, and pacing of his jokes. He's iterating over each joke.As he finds material that works, he adds time to his show. His performance goes from five minutes to ten. He is incrementally building his show. He continues adding increments (new jokes) until he achieves his goal of more than an hour of new material.Refining each joke is iterating. Adding jokes bit by bit until he has a full show is incremental.This example also shows why iterating and incremental aren't very good on their own. Imagine a comedian who only iterates over existing material but never adds new material. Or one who keeps adding new jokes but never iterates to ensure each is funny.Another thing the “Comedian” movie teaches is the value of experimenting. When Seinfeld (and another comedian profiled in the film) perform, their shows contain a mix of material they know will get laughs and some new jokes they're trying out.Experimenting is equally important in product development. Teams can experiment with their process or the product—by delivering small, partial features to confirm their value before going all-in.I knew agile teams need to be iterative and incremental, but this documentary taught me comedians need to also if they want to succeed at comedy,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/

Top 4 Ways to Eliminate Backlog BloatingStop putting every idea into the backlog.Stop keeping things that will never happen.Stop tolerating tickets with no impact or product hypothesis.Stop micromanaging tickets like a project manager.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 Best Retrospective You're Probably Not Doing - The Introspective - Ro Fernandezhttps://medium.com/@rociofernn/the-best-retrospective-youre-probably-not-doing-e2622c1ecd12A few months ago, we kicked off a cross-functional project that had everyone excited — product, design, engineering, marketing… Energy was high. The goal was clear. At least, we thought it was.Fast forward three weeks.Things were already slipping.Some teams were waiting on decisions that hadn't been made.Others were building in parallel, but with different assumptions.And one team member quietly said in a 1:1:“I'm just not sure what success actually looks like here.”That's when it hit me:We hadn't missed the retro.We had skipped the prevention.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/

Top 5 Ways to Be Better at Giving and Receiving Praise 1. Be Specific, Not GenericGiving: Instead of “Good job,” say “I really appreciated how you stepped up to lead the meeting today—it brought clarity and confidence to the whole team.”Receiving: Acknowledge it with gratitude and, if appropriate, reflect on what specifically helped you succeed.2. Be TimelyGiving: Praise is most powerful when it's fresh. Don't wait for formal reviews—speak up as soon as you notice something great.Receiving: Respond promptly and graciously. A simple “Thank you, that means a lot” goes a long way.3. Make It PersonalGiving: Tailor your praise to the individual's values or effort. People are more moved when the praise shows that you see them.Receiving: Don't deflect or downplay. Accept that someone noticed your contribution—own it with humility.4. Focus on Effort and ImpactGiving: Highlight the hard work, problem-solving, or collaboration that led to success—not just the outcome.Receiving: Recognize your role in the bigger picture, and consider how your work helped the team.5. Practice the Praise LoopGiving: Create a culture where praise flows in all directions—peer to peer, manager to team, team to leader.Receiving: Pay it forward. When you receive sincere praise, use that as a reminder to encourage someone else.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/

Dedicated vs. Rotating Scrum MastersI spent my first five years as a Scrum Master primarily dedicated to one team. As a result, I got to know team members deeply. Even 10+ years after I left, I'm still in close contact with some of them. Due to frequent changes in the team — people come and go — improving team dynamics was a continuous effort. However, after a while, our team understood Scrum, and I could shift my focus towards the broader organization and our customers.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/

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/