SAFe

Operations Teams / Value Streams and the Agile PRoduct Operating Model

Product Operating Model and Shared Services / Business Operations Teams

While the Product Operating Model focuses on developing new Products, it has implications and potential benefits for the teams operating the business and supporting these products. (These work in the Operational Value Stream, as defined in SAFe.) Improving the Interface between Product Development and Business Operations The handoff point between development and operations is a common …

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Breaking the SAFe Season 1

Is SAFe good? Is SAFe agile? What are SAFe’s strengths? Weaknesses? How does SAFe see the Scrum Master and Product Owner roles? What are the benefits and challenges of the PI Planning practice? Ryan Ripley and I recorded Breaking The SAFe, a series of videos dissecting SAFe. Do you want a cliff notes version? It …

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Mastering Agility Podcast – Lean Portfolio Management and OKRs with Yuval Yeret

In this conversation, Jim, Sander, and their guest, Yuval, discuss various topics, including SAFe, lean portfolio management, and OKRs. They explore the misconceptions and polarizing nature of SAFe, the difference between a traditional PMO and a lean portfolio, and the challenges of managing different ways of working within a global organization. They also delve into …

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Strategic Themes - Gradable KRs?

Should SAFe Strategic Themes include gradable Key Results?

Strategic Themes in SAFe represent strategic choices at the Enterprise/Portfolio level that should guide decisions throughout the portfolio. A qualitative Objective accompanied by a quantitative, valuable, and measurable evidence-oriented Key Result connected to a portfolio KPI is a great way to make sure the strategic theme is pointing toward desired outcomes without going into too …

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Deconstructing SAFe Criticism – Focusing on the SPC role

The SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC) is a crucial aspect of SAFe’s implementation and scaling approach. In this live stream, I shared my perspective about some of this model’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats from the perspective of a leader of a large-scale agility journey leveraging SAFe. Check out the video, let me know what you …

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Combining SAFe PO and PM responsibilities with Professional Scrum PO Stances

Exploring the controversy around SAFe’s approach to Product Ownership

Exploring SAFe’s Approach to Product Ownership What is SAFe’s perspective on the Product Owner role? How does it differ from the Scrum Guide? Why is Product Ownership split between the Product Owner and Product Manager in SAFe? SAFe’s approach to Product Ownership draws quite a bit of criticism. As a Professional Scrum Trainer who’s also …

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The Future of Agile Roles != The Future of Agility

These are “interesting” times in the Agile/Scrum community. What IS the future of Scrum? Of Agile? Are we in a phase of disillusionment? What IS the path to enlightenment? 

How will we get rid of the “agile theater debt” accumulated through many years of unsustainable growth of Scrum/Agile adoption? 

Specifically, What is the future of Scrum Masters? Agile Coaches?

Working towards Sustainable Pace in Scrum, SAFe and Kanban

Aiming towards Sustainable Pace “Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.” — The Agile Manifesto Principle “programmers or software developers should not work more than 40 hour weeks, and if there is overtime one week, that the next week should not include more overtime.” — Extreme Programming …

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Connecting OKRs, KPIs, OVSs, and DVSs in SAFe® — Scaled Agile

The title of my post may read like acronym soup but all of these concepts play a critical role in SAFe, and understanding how they’re connected is important to success. After exploring some connections, I will suggest some actions you can take while designing, evaluating, or accelerating your implementation. KPIs and OKRs The SAFe Value Stream …

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Iterating faster with SAFe

Here’s a frequently asked question in the SAFe community: What does SAFe say about someone who wants to go faster than two weeks of iteration? I mean, the whole PI concept is based on five iterations of planning. What if a team or organization wants to develop and synchronize faster than two weeks? Is speed going …

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