All the design thinkers who are working in an agile environment should focus on abductive thinking. This is where the team members will get the opportunity to remain emphatic and analytical. Moreover, it can help them to be emotional and rational as well.

A Groan Zone will be a divergence zone, where people are provided with the opportunity to explore different ideas. Along with that, it is possible for the people to get to know about diversity. On top of that, it is also possible for the people to discover the different possibilities that they have ahead of them. All the people who are working within the Groan Zone should be open. This will deliver an ideal environment for them to share the ideas, be generative and expanding.

The ideas generated in a Groan Zone will not be owned by someone. Instead, these ideas come out from the group collaboration of all the team members. That’s the main reason why this zone is called as the Groan Zone as well. In here, the team members will get into a period of struggle. All of them would struggle equally as they are integrating what they learn. In the meantime, they will need to make sure that they are never stuck as well. They should also be mindful not to go backwards.

Within the convergence zone, clarity, and excitement would build. This would eventually result in the origination of clear decisions. Groups will be able to process them and end up with making clear decisions at the end of the day. This would eventually result in the delivery of sustainable results at the end of the day. Hence, it is a good idea to create Groan Zones and help the team to make the best group decisions.

— Slimane Zouggari

If you are working for an agile software development team, you will need to have a strong understanding about the concept called mob programming. This software development approach will ensure that the complete agile development team is focusing on the same thing, at the same time, while using the same computer.

The concept of mob programming is pretty much similar to pair programing, where two individuals work on the same computer to proceed with programming while ensuring collaboration. Pair programming is taken to the next level in mob programming, where the collaboration is extended to all the members of the team.

During mob programming, the entire team will not work on coding. Instead, the team will work on other non-coding work with related to the agile software development process as well. For example, the team will be able to define stories, design interfaces, deploy software and test. It is even possible for the entire team to engage along with the customers during mob programming.

There are numerous reasons available for a software development team to focus on mob programming as well. The main reason out of them is because mob programming would promote collaboration. In other words, all the team members will be able to provide their inputs and ensure the final outcomes. On the other hand, it is possible for them to collaborate with each other and figure out the best solutions available to come up with a specific problem that they are facing. On the other hand, the personal preference and physical comfort associated with mob programming can help the team members to overcome the gaps and work collaboratively for an extended period of time. This will eventually enhance the success of a software development project.

— Slimane Zouggari

One-dimensional, top down leadership is not the most effective leadership model that exists out there in the world as of now. It is outdated and doesn’t have the ability to deliver the best results to an agile team. Sticking to such a leadership style in an agile environment would result in the waste of leadership capabilities. That’s why it is important to take a look at the co-active leadership style and focus more on it.

The co-active leadership style is all about deep collaborations. Co-active leadership is associated with five different roles. In here, the leaders will need to switch from one dimension to another based on the work that they have to do within the team.

The first dimension is co-active leader within. Leadership starts from here. This is where a leader will be able to understand who he is and what his values are. Then it is possible to align leading the agile team according to those values.

The second dimension is co-active leadership in front. This would ensure the creation of effective connections with people who are following them. Along with that, it is possible to stand firmly on the decisions and ensure a clear purpose and direction.

Co-active leader behind is the third dimension, where the leader will focus on the support needed by the team. The leader will ensure enthusiastic and openhearted participation in the team to ensure best results.

The fourth dimension of leadership is all about ensuring co-active leadership beside. It is where the leader will take responsibility and create appropriate partnerships to support the strengths of each other. This will ensure powerful synergy.

The final dimension is co-active leader in the field, where the leader is connecting with the energetic field, which is surrounding all the life. It will help the leader to discover insights beyond rational mindset.

— Slimane Zouggari

Impact mapping is a strategic planning methodology that you can find in agile software development. This agile method has the ability to help the software development teams to refrain from getting lost, while they are engaged in the process of developing products and delivering them. This will be don through clear communication of the assumptions. On the other hand, the support offered to the team in aligning the activities will also contribute a lot towards the successful results that you can secure out of impact mapping.

One of the key principles that you can find in impact mapping is that it has the ability to visualize assumptions. This is helping the teams to come up with the best decisions at the end of the day. This can be useful when the team is working hard to achieve objectives in a rapidly changing environment.

The impact mapping method is facilitating a high level of interaction and collaboration within the team members. Since this method is less bureaucratic, it is easy to apply when compared to the alternative strategies. On the other hand, it would ensure active participation of people who are coming from different backgrounds as well. When experts in different domains collaborate with each other, it would help the entire team to get the deliveries done in a timely manner.

In the long run, this agile method is helpful when helping agile teams to reduce waste. That’s because the teams will be able to prevent over-engineered solutions and scope creep. It will put the deliverables in the forefront and help the teams to proceed with achieving them in an effective manner. This will also ensure that the expected business outcomes are achieved at the end of the day as well. Due to all these reasons, all the agile teams should focus more on impact mapping.

— Slimane Zouggari

Remote working is the new norm of working. This has created some confusion within the agile development teams. However, it is still important to ensure adhering to the agile practices, even if we are working remotely.

To ensure agile working from remote locations, it is important to be equipped with the correct tools, equipment, and workspace. This will help the team members of an agile team to remain comfortable and productive with whatever the work they do and stay away from being distracted. On the other hand, it is important to be present at any given time and converse effectively with the team members. Collaboration tools will be able to provide much-needed support to ensure it. The disciplined agile teams are always capable of locating the best methods to refrain from context switching and to avoid distractions.

The remote working approach should be aligned with agile ceremonies at all times as well. For example, the scrum masters will need to come up with new methods to conduct meetings. These methods should be dependent upon the size of the team as well. For example, it is possible for the scrum master to share the scrum board in the daily standup, whereas all the other team members will be able to contribute towards the digital daily standup.

While working from home, it is important to review the agile development strategies as well. The main objective of this reviewing process would be to reduce the risks that are associated with the developments. If the agile team is highly collaborative, it will be possible for them to work together and reduce the overall risk. The team members will need to contribute based on their strengths and offer the highest level of support to overcome struggles in the long run.

— Slimane Zouggari

An agile team should work together and achieve the goals that it has defined in a timely manner. However, there are numerous dysfunctions, which can keep the agile teams away from achieving the results in a timely manner. That’s why it is important to have a clear understanding about these 5 dysfunctions of a team and take appropriate steps to eliminate them.

Lack of trust will be the first dysfunction of a team. It is not just referring to trust, but vulnerability based trust. The team should trust each other. This can be done when the team members have a clear understanding about the strengths and weaknesses of each and every one.

The second dysfunction of a team is lack of conflict. Trust is needed by an agile team, so that they will be able to engage in conflict. In other words, it would ensure ideological and constructive conflict.

The third dysfunction would be lack of commitment. The team members should have a strong understanding on how commitment would build on trust, which is based upon trust.

Fourth dysfunction of a team is lack of accountability. If the agile team is fully committed, all the people should remain accountable. This is something behavioral.

The last dysfunction of a team is all about results. This dysfunction is built upon all the other dysfunctions as stated above. In other words, this is where the team will be able to work together and achieve group results at the end of the day.

By having a clear understanding about the 5 dysfunctions of a team, the team members will be able to ensure productivity of a team. On the other hand, it would ensure the creation of a healthy environment within a team,  where each and every team member will enjoy working.

— Slimane Zouggari

Christopher Avery’s responsibility process ensures how to be responsible when going ahead with an agile environment. We often see how the developers who work for agile environments are stuck in their jobs. They assume that they can’t change, and they are not in a position to go ahead with the change. By following the responsibility process of Christopher Avery, you will be able to overcome such situations.

In the Christopher Avery responsibility process, you will figure out that there is a massive difference between taking full responsibility and being 100% responsible. The responsibility process will help you to figure out how you will be able to practice responsibility. Then you will be able to achieve a more fulfilling life, as you are taking complete control over the life. It can also help a person to be more authentic and create more impact on the agile team.

The first step of this responsibility process is intention. This is where people should exercise the power of choice they have. Secondly, they need to practice awareness. This is where noticing attention would come into play. The third step in this process is to confront, which is to face the upset to figure out what is true.

No problem that a person faces can be resolved through the consciousness level that created it. Hence, it is important to improve the consciousness level at all times. Christopher Avery’s responsibility process can be practiced understanding how to work with responsibility. Then it is possible to overcome the challenges in life and ensure change. This can deliver amazing returns to the people who are looking forward to changing their lives and refrain from being stuck at one place for an extended duration of time.

— Slimane Zouggari

Agile testing will be a productive and dynamic testing type. The main objective of this testing is to go ahead with the testing work continuously with the development process. In here, the testers will need to remain in the ambiguity with related to the approaches and procedures to conduct agile testing.  While keeping that in mind, it is possible for the testers to take a look at the Agile Testing Quadrant. This is pretty much a manual or a tool that has divided the overall agile testing methodology into four different quadrants. Let’s deep dive and analyze each quadrant with examples.

The first quadrant of Agile Testing Quadrant is to ensure the quality of components and quality of code. This is done with the involvement of the developers. On the other hand, the testers will go through requirement document and come up with the most effective test cases as well.

The second quadrant of Agile Testing Quadrant is to focus on the busines driven test cases. In here, business requirements are focused to detail. During this quadrant, both manual and automated tests will be conducted to go ahead with story tests, functional testing, pair testing and simulations.

In the third quadrant of Agile Testing Quadrant, reviews and feedback from the previous testing quadrant or the phase will be considered along with the actual user experience delivered out of the software. This is where the real world user scenarios will be evaluated. Logical thinking of the tester plays a major role behind the success of this testing approach.

The last quadrant of Agile Testing Quadrant uses tools and technology to automate the overall process of evaluating a software development project. This is where the testers will tend to pay more attention to the non-functional requirements such as compatibility, security and reliability.

— Slimane Zouggari

Development teams in agile software development will tend to use simple and cheap technologies to proceed with their developments. Or else, they will tend to invest in additional resources to come up with better solutions. When you go ahead with low production cost and faster project implementation without focusing too much on the quality of software, you will have to deal with technical debt. In other words, technical debt refers to the cost that you have to bear for all the new work that has to be done in order to come up with a new solution, so that the system functionality can be retained.

It is tempting to use fast and cheap technologies as we are only focusing on the current situation. However, it can give life to lots of negative consequences in the future. It will not just be associated with rework. It can also include the cost that has to be born to refine and repair the product in future as well.

To refrain from technical debt, the agile software development teams should always keep in mind that there is a possibility for technical debt to incur. While keeping this understanding at the beginning of a software development project, it will be possible to take appropriate decisions. In other words, decisions can be taken in a controlled and conscious manner to eliminate technical debt from taking place in the future.

Technical debt can lead a development team towards wasting time, money, and resources unnecessarily. On the other hand, it would delay the delivery of product to the product owner. As a result, the product owner can get frustrated as well. hence, all development teams should be fully aware of technical debt and take appropriate steps to keep that away from taking place at all times.

— Slimane Zouggari

Software development team often try hard to fix things, while ensuring that nothing else would break because of the change they do. All the developers who wish to overcome this struggle in an Agile development environment will be able to adhere to the Mikado Method. That’s because Mikado Method can help them to understand how to morph an existing system sand get the desired output, without having to deal with any negative consequences.

There are four major methods associated with the Mikado Method. The first method out of them is to define a goal. You will define a goal and then think about what you want to achieve in the future. After defining a goal, it is possible to understand the starting point for a change. On the other hand, it is also possible to figure out whether the method can ensure success or not.

The second method is to experiment. This is where a series of attempts are being made to end up with a discovery, which would validate a hypothesis. When it comes to the software industry, the developers will do developments and experiment with the code. Along with that, it is possible to understand what changes would make the overall system break.

Visualizing is the third step of Mikado Method. This is where you will write down the goal and all the prerequisites associated with that goal. Along with that, you will draw something called a Mikado Graph. Then you will move to the last process of Mikado Method, which is to change and restore the system, where you get that back to the working state. When you are implementing a goal, you will visualize the needs that should be changed within the system to keep it away from breaking. If the code is not in a position to deliver expected functionality, you will have to undo it.

— Slimane Zouggari