Talking about Projects – Agile and Project Management

Dec 16

🏔️ Project Management Lessons from the Xina Great Wall 🌉

By Xavier Miras in Agile, Product Management, Project Management, Scope Management

What can we learn from this iconic structure as project managers? Here are a few key takeaways:

1️⃣ A Clear Vision Is Essential
The Wall was built with a clear purpose: protection and unification. Similarly, projects thrive when everyone understands the “why” behind the work. As project leaders, we must ensure that our teams align with the ultimate goals and outcomes.

2️⃣ Mission-Driven Focus
Each section of the Great Wall was constructed with a defined mission—to safeguard and connect different regions. A project’s mission provides direction and inspires teams, ensuring every action contributes to a larger objective.

3️⃣ Iterative Progress Over Time
The Xina Great Wall was built over time. It was constructed over dynasties, one section at a time, adapting to changing needs.

4️⃣ Cross-Functional Collaboration
Building the Wall required diverse expertise: architects, laborers, strategists, and more. Like in projects today, success hinges on effective collaboration across different roles and skill sets.

5️⃣ Resilience in the Face of Challenges
The Wall withstood centuries of natural and human challenges. In project management, resilience—planning for risks and adapting when they arise—is crucial for overcoming obstacles and delivering results.

#ProjectManagement #Leadership hashtag#Agile #LessonsFromHistory #Teamwork hashtag#Vision #Mission

Leave comment

Dec 10

𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐚 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐟é 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 🌍☕

By Xavier Miras in Agile, LeSS, Product Management, Scrum, Uncategorized

Facilitating meaningful conversations in large groups can be challenging. That’s where the World Café technique comes in! It’s a structured, interactive method to foster collaborative dialogue, uncover insights, and build consensus. Here’s how to run it effectively:

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 📋

1️⃣ 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐩:
Divide participants into small groups and assign each group to a table (station). Each table focuses on one specific aspect of the broader topic.

2️⃣ 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬:
Designate a facilitator (lead) at each table. They stay at the table throughout the session, ensuring continuity.

3️⃣ 𝟏𝟎-𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ⏱️:
Start the first round with an open conversation about the table’s topic. Encourage all voices to be heard—this is where ideas begin to flow!

4️⃣ 𝐑𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 🔄:
After 10 minutes, everyone rotates to a new table except the lead, who stays behind.

5️⃣ 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩 & 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 🗣️:
At the start of each new round, the table lead provides a 3-minute recap of the previous conversation, summarizing key points and insights. The new group then continued the discussion, building on what had been shared before.

6️⃣ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞 🌐:
Complete when all participants have visited every table, and participate in each topic.

7️⃣ 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 🌾:
In the final step, each table lead shares the collective conclusions and key insights with the group. This plenary session connects the dots and reveals patterns or consensus.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬

✅ Diverse Perspectives: Everyone contributes to every topic.
✅ Iterative Learning: Each conversation builds on the previous one—like Agile sprints!
✅ Engagement & Ownership: Participants feel heard, and ideas evolve collaboratively.

I used this technique in refinements, retrospectives, and brainstorming with good results.

How do you facilitate cross-team conversations with a big group?

#Agile #WorldCafe #Facilitation #ContinuousImprovement #Collaboration

Leave comment

Dec 03

🚀 Context Switching: The Silent Productivity Killer 🚀

By Xavier Miras in Agile, Product Management, Project Management, Uncategorized

You’re deep into an important task when your phone rings. You switch to handle the call. Suddenly, an urgent email pops up, demanding immediate attention. Before you know it, you’ve jumped between three tasks, and nothing’s finished. Sound familiar? That’s the hidden cost of context switching—jumping between tasks, which can reduce productivity by up to 40%! Each switch forces your brain to reset, wasting valuable time and mental energy.

💡 Tips to Minimize Context Switching:

1️⃣ Time Blocking: Dedicate specific blocks for focused work on one task or project.
2️⃣ Prioritize Tasks: Tackle high-impact tasks first and avoid multitasking.
3️⃣ Minimize Distractions: Set boundaries—turn off notifications or create “do not disturb” periods.
4️⃣ Batch Similar Tasks: Group similar tasks (like emails or meetings) together to maintain a single mindset.
5️⃣ Plan Ahead: Start your day with a clear, prioritized to-do list to stay on track.

Remember, deep focus leads to deeper success. How do you handle context switching in your day-to-day? Let’s share strategies! 💬

#Productivity #ContextSwitching #AgileTips #Focus

Leave comment

Nov 27

🚦 Project Teams and the Prisoner’s Dilemma: A Lesson in Collaboration

By Xavier Miras in Agile, Project Management, Team Management

There is a game inspired by the Prisoner Dilemma that I like to facilitate.

What is the Prisoner’s Dilemma?

The Prisoner’s Dilemma is a classic thought experiment in game theory. Two thieves must decide independently whether to cooperate or betray each other, with the outcomes reflecting their choices:

Both cooperate: They achieve the best mutual result.(e.g., 1 year in jail),

One betrays while the other cooperates: The betrayer benefits most, and the cooperator suffers. (no punishment vs 5 years in jail)

Both betray: Both lose more than if they had cooperated. (both 3 years in jail)

This demonstrates how fear of betrayal often leads individuals to act in their self-interest, resulting in worse outcomes.

The Game
Each team had a captain at the start line. At a signal, each captain could:

1️⃣ Move forward (contributing to the team’s progress).
2️⃣ Stay still (avoiding risk but potentially gaining more individually).

Rules:

If all moved forward: Every team earned 1 point—a win for collaboration.
If some stayed still: Those who moved forward lost points, while those who stayed still gained points equal to the total moves.

The Parallels to Project Teams

In our game, captains who “stayed still” mirrored those who betrayed in the Prisoner’s Dilemma. Teams that trusted one another and all “moved forward” succeeded because collaboration maximized collective benefits.

The Lesson

Effective project teamwork demands trust, alignment, and a shared commitment to success.

#ProjectManagement #Teamwork #Collaboration hashtag#Leadership #PrisonersDilemma

Leave comment

Nov 25

🚦 Symptoms vs Problems in Project Management 🚦

By Xavier Miras in Agile, Product Management, Project Management, Uncategorized

In project management, it’s easy to confuse symptoms with problems. However, identifying the root cause is the key to unlocking successful solutions.

Here’s a common example:
📉 Symptom: “Our team keeps missing deadlines.”
🔍 Problem: Poor backlog refinement, unclear priorities, or a lack of capacity planning.

Or another:
📈 Symptom: “Our stakeholders are unhappy with deliverables.”
🔍 Problem: Misaligned expectations, insufficient feedback loops, or scope creep.

As a Program Manager, I’ve learned that addressing symptoms is like putting a bandage on a wound—it might look better for a moment, but the underlying issue remains. By digging deeper and focusing on the root cause, we solve the immediate challenge, improve processes, and build stronger teams.

💡 How to shift your perspective:

1️⃣ Ask “Why?” five times.
2️⃣ Engage your team in retrospective discussions.
3️⃣ Use metrics to identify patterns (e.g., cycle time, lead time, or defect rates).
4️⃣ Collaborate with stakeholders to clarify expectations early.

Remember, a symptom is just the visible tip of the iceberg. The real challenge lies beneath the surface. Dive deep to navigate your projects to success!

How do you ensure you’re solving problems instead of addressing symptoms?

🔖#ProjectManagement #ProblemSolving #RootCauseAnalysis #ProgramManagement #Leadership #TeamWork #Agile #ContinuousImprovement #PMO #ManagementTips #WorkplaceSuccess

Leave comment

Nov 14

💡 Rotational Refinement in LeSS 💡

By Xavier Miras in LeSS, Product Management

Scaling Agile with LeSS (Large-Scale Scrum) requires team collaboration, especially during backlog refinement. One effective technique I love is
Rotational Refinement.

How It Works:
1️⃣ Kickoff Together: All teams meet to understand high-priority backlog items, aligning on goals and requirements.
2️⃣ Group Refinement: Teams split into smaller groups to refine items by adding details, identifying risks, and breaking them into smaller tasks.
3️⃣ Rotate & Review: Groups rotate, reviewing and improving refinements made by others.
4️⃣ Consolidate: All inputs are merged into ready backlog items for sprint planning.

Why Use It?
Shared Understanding: Aligns teams on priorities.
Collaborative Ownership: Leverages diverse perspectives.
Higher Quality: Results in well-refined, actionable backlog items.

It’s dynamic, inclusive, and perfect for scaling collaboration in LeSS. Have you tried something similar? 🚀

#Agile #LeSS #BacklogRefinement #Collaboration #ContinuousImprovement

Leave comment

Nov 08

🛩️ The Paper Airplane Factory Game: How Limiting WIP Transforms Team Efficiency!

By Xavier Miras in Uncategorized

One of the games I like to facilitate is the Paper Airplane Factory game with my team, and it is a great way to explore how managing Work In Progress (WIP) affects our productivity, quality, and flow. Here’s how the game works and the lessons we learned about WIP limits:

The Setup
The idea of the game is to create a paper airplane factory. Each “factory” has four stations (5 team members per factory) :

Station 1️⃣ : Fold the paper in half.
Station 2️⃣: Creates the airplane nose by folding triangles on each side.
Station 3️⃣: Sharpens the nose, partially folds the wings, and adds a star design.
Station 4️⃣ : Completes wing folds and tests flight across the table.
Member number 5 controls the cycle time and tracks the WIP.

The Goal? Complete 15 airplanes in two rounds, tracking WIP, cycle time, and total time at each stage. You have 2 rounds:

Round 1: work as fast as possible
Round 2: the same but there will be a limit of 1 for each station.

Key Takeaways
In the first round without WIP limits, planes piled up, quality dropped, and chaos reigned. But with WIP limits, the transformation was clear:

Better Quality: Fewer planes at each station meant more attention to detail.
Smoother Flow: Balanced work across stations reduced bottlenecks.
Faster Delivery: Lower cycle time led to faster completion with fewer errors.

Limiting WIP shows how focus and balance drive quality and efficiency—less chaos, more progress!

#Agile #Lean #PaperAirplaneFactoryGame #WIPLimits #TeamProductivity #CycleTime

Leave comment

Nov 04

Kickstart Your Project with an Inception Deck!

By Xavier Miras in Agile, Product Management, Project Management

Before kicking off a new project, one of the tools I like to use is the Inception Deck. Originally introduced by Jonathan Rasmusson in his book The Agile Samurai, I fully recommend this book, the Inception Deck is designed to ensure everyone—from team members to stakeholders—is on the same page from the very start.

What is the Inception Deck?
It’s a series of essential questions and exercises that help teams clarify the project’s purpose, identify potential risks, and build a shared vision. The goal? To minimize misalignment and maximize focus as you move forward.
Here are the 10 Core Elements of the Inception Deck to guide your project kickoff:

Why Are We Here? — Define the purpose and reason for starting this project.

Elevator Pitch — Craft a concise statement that summarizes the project.

Design a Product Box — Imagine your project as a product on a store shelf. What would make it appealing?

Create a NOT List — Identify what’s out of scope to avoid scope creep.

Meet Your Neighbors — Recognize the key stakeholders, team members, and partners involved.

Show the Solution — Visualize the result. What will the final solution look like?

What Keeps Us Up at Night? — Acknowledge potential risks and challenges.

Size It Up — Estimate the scope and effort required.

Be Clear on What’s Going to Give — Prioritize what’s essential and where compromises might be needed.

Show What It’s Going to Take — Outline the initial plan and key milestones.

The Inception Deck provides a solid foundation for a project, helping teams establish clarity, trust, and alignment early on. It’s especially valuable in Agile environments, where continuous feedback and adaptability are key.

When I used this tool, we gained valuable insights, and the exercise took between one and two days to complete.

Have you used an Inception Deck or something similar in your projects? How did it help your team get started?
#Agile #ProjectManagement hashtag#InceptionDeck #TheAgileSamurai #AgileWarrior #TeamAlignment

Leave comment

Oct 30

Unleashing Creativity with the Marshmallow Challenge: The Power of Prototyping

By Xavier Miras in Agile, Scrum, Uncategorized

The Marshmallow Challenge is a simple exercise with profound lessons: teams get spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow and are challenged to build the tallest possible structure with the marshmallow on top.

Surprisingly, kindergartners often outperform business students! Why? They prototype. Rather than planning endlessly, they test and iterate quickly, learning from each attempt.

This exercise illustrates the power of prototyping. It encourages teams to embrace experimentation, uncover hidden issues early, and refine ideas iteratively. In complex projects, prototyping accelerates learning, reduces risk, and fuels innovation.

#MarshmallowChallenge #Prototyping #Innovation #DesignThinking #Agile #TeamBuilding #ContinuousImprovement hashtag#Leadership #Creativity #ProblemSolving

Leave comment

Oct 24

Situational Leadership Part 4: Empowering Your Team Through Delegation

By Xavier Miras in Uncategorized

As we continue our exploration of the Situational Leadership Theory by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, we’ve looked at the Telling (S1), Selling (S2), and Participating (S3) styles. Now, let’s discuss the Delegating (S4) style:

🔹 Delegating (S4): In this style, the leader delegates most of the responsibility to the team, allowing them to take ownership of their tasks. While the leader still monitors progress, their involvement in decision-making is minimal. This approach best suits highly skilled and confident teams requiring little direction and support.

Leaders foster independence and accountability by empowering team members to make decisions, creating an environment where the team can truly thrive.

#Leadership hashtag#SituationalLeadership #TeamEmpowerment #ProjectManagement #LeadershipStyles

Leave comment

Tags

Xavier Miras