You know the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”.  And you know what it means - pictures convey so much more about people or an idea you’re trying to describe than you could ever hope to with words.  So why is it in knowledge work, that some of the most important information and conversations are captured and conveyed with words alone? Whether these words are text in a document or hidden in a tool, we’re settling for less. Our work pleads for visualizations.

Chris will share how using visualization has improved agile projects over the past 10 years. His experiences working with large and small teams in a variety of industries has shown that although people implement popular tools, but don’t know how to leverage them.

Chris will show real examples of visualization methods that you can use to make better decisions and help teams develop a shared understanding. He will give you a 6-step checklist to evaluate and employ visual controls in your context.

 
 

Outline/Structure of the Talk

  1. Why visual devices
    1. We are visual creatures
    2. We use them all the time
    3. Help us comply/do the right thing
    4. Most of the time they’re seamless
    5. Low barrier to entry: people simply respond
  2. What is a visual device
    1. Definition
    2. Classification chart
  3. Creating visual devices
    1. Visual Control worksheet
    2. Guidelines
  1. Outcomes from using visual devices
    1. Enables better decision making
      1. Information is communicated quickly
        1. Rich communication (picture worth 1000 words)
      2. Easy to understand - no deciphering, no manual needed (Todd Trimble example)
        1. 10/3 Rule
  1. Examples from SEP
    1. Task information
      1. Task Boards
        1. What’s being worked on
          1. Work item types
          2. Anatomy of a ticket
        2. WIP limit
        3. What’s on deck
        4. What’s in the next release
        5. Impediments/blocked work
        6. Exit criteria/definition of done
        7. Time: buffers and queues
        8. Process steps
        9. Build Lights
      2. Where do you get this information today? Is it as accessible?
    2. Risk
      1. Risk stories
      2. Risk burn-down chart
    3. Finances
      1. Cups and chips
    4. Time
      1. Buffers and queues

Learning Outcome

The importance of using visual controls.

How using visual controls can change your culture and organization

How using visual controls can improve your Agile transformation

Real-life examples

Target Audience

Project managers, product owners,

schedule Submitted 7 years ago
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