KIMBERLY ANDRIKAITIS
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • AMA
  • Links
  • Resume
  • Contact

Adventures in Agile

Let the Wheel Decide

12/11/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
I recently attended a talk given by a colleague known for her sense of humor and creativity. While her audience was sprinkling in, the speaker opened her browser and navigated to Wheel Decide; which is a customizable virtual wheel of fortune, complete with the spin and clicks (but minus Vanna White & Pat Sajak).  

As an ice breaker technique, she had pre-populated her wheel with engaging & open ended questions for the audience. As folks settled in, she asked for volunteers and spun the wheel. They were then presented with a question determined by the .. wheel of course. 

This approach towards relationship building resonated with the group (which consisted of company wide ScrumMasters & colleagues). Their interactions between the questions and each other was light hearted and humorous. 

Back at my desk, I created my own Wheel of Fortune, complete with questions such as: 
  • What is one thing on your bucket list?
  • What inspires you? 
  • Who is the one person you can depend on when you’re in trouble? 

(In full disclosure, these questions were shamelessly borrowed from this book.)

I now open my "getting to know you" wheel at the start of the standup. The team randomly chooses the lucky recipient and the wheel is spun. This is a simple way to begin our day and it typically leads to smiles and entertaining stories. 


0 Comments

Questions for the reluctant few

12/3/2018

0 Comments

 
I consider myself an outgoing introvert - definitely reserved among a large group of unfamiliar faces, but genuinely engaged & energized when it's one-on-one.

In my spare time, I gravitate towards jigsaw puzzles, reading, coloring, crafts, meditation and yoga. My energy tends to soar after brief periods of solace and silence, my mind woken and brain invigorated. Following this recharge, I've reached the pinnacle of my social self - the Kim who wants to  peel back the inner layers of my colleagues / friends / family members ... strengthen relationships.. form tighter bonds... become BFFs....

Sometime this enthusiasm isn't shared, as I've encountered a sprinkling of withdrawn / quiet / "leave me alone" types during my IT years, And I get it. 

I really do. 

However, as a Scrum Master, I am compelled to build relationships and strengthen bonds, but I'm also sensitive to the fact that this goal may not be reciprocated. Which I find, to be a tragedy, really.

To nudge people into opening up, I've created a  sampling of powerful questions (shamelessly stolen from my own coaches)  - which seems to do the trick. I keep these questions posted on my monitor and return to them when/if conversation stalls.

​Here they are:

Internal to work
  • Do you have anything you’d like to talk about today? 
  • What motivates you? 
  • What’s working on this team? What isn’t? 
  • How do you feel about… (<The sprint schedule?> <Our retrospectives?>)
  • I’ve been considering… (<the effects of context switching> / <our standup process>) – what suggestions do you have to remedy this? 
  • What are you pain points?
  • Are you getting what you need? (From the PO, your Manager etc.)
  • What can I do to help make your job easier?
​
Outside of the office
  • What are your hobbies outside of work? 
  • Where are you going on your next vacation? 
  • Where are you originally from?
  • What does a typical weekend look like for you? 
  • What sports do you play or watch?
  • What book are you currently reading? 
  • How did you get into development? (Or testing? Or Architecture? etc.)
  • Would you consider yourself more creative or technical? Tell me more.
  • What is your greatest achievement, thus far?
  • What keeps you up at night? 

A few tips: 
* Never ask a question you don't feel comfortable answering yourself. 
* Use these questions sparingly! The intent is not to ambush or interrogate our colleagues.
* Consider your audience - if you feel the question may not be taken well, don't ask it! Employ common sense, empathy and respect. 

I hope this helps! Do you have additional questions I can add to my list? Let me know! 
0 Comments

    Author

    Just an agile-dork writing about dorky agile things.

    Archives

    January 2021
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    July 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018

    Categories

    All
    Coaching
    Introspection
    Relationship Building
    Scrum Events
    Scrum Values
    Working Remote

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • AMA
  • Links
  • Resume
  • Contact