Getting higher velocity!

Higher velocity per se is not the end-all and be-all.  But it sure does help. Having trouble getting to hyper-productivity?

Try these things.  Together.

* Better retrospective meetings
* Better impediment lists
* Better business cases to management
* More effective action (get approval and implement one ‘fix’ until you get results)
* Better use of velocity numbers

That’s the basics. I could have put them in a different order, easily.
Maybe I need to explain each one?

My experience is that for lots of teams, each part is weak, and there is no sense of how they all hang together, and support each other.

***
I want this post to be short, but some people do not like velocity.  And often the reason is simple: They think (or they have experienced) velocity numbers being used to beat up the team.

That is not what I mean.

Velocity does not mean working harder. Typically we will be more effective using fewer hours.
Velocity should not be used to punish. Velocity should be used to help.
Increased velocity is not something we should worry about, but something we should be proud of.

 

« « How does QA fit in? || Getting higher velocity! Take 2 » »