Method refers to a structured, step-by-step approach used to achieve specific goals within a system. Unlike frameworks, which offer broader structures and guidelines, methods are focused on detailed procedures and actions that enable teams to implement solutions or solve problems.
In Agile, Lean, and DevOps environments, methods play a crucial role in guiding teams through systematic steps that support collaborative work, value delivery, and continuous improvement. Methods are often employed to optimise workflows, manage iterative development, and measure progress.
For instance, in the Scrum method, teams follow a set sequence of events, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective, to manage work in short, repeatable cycles, continuously adapting to changing requirements. Similarly, the Kanban method helps teams visualise their workflow, limit work in progress, and ensure that work is completed efficiently.
Methods are essential for ensuring consistency and predictability in outcomes. They break down complex processes into manageable tasks, allowing teams to execute with precision and adapt in real-time to feedback.
In Lean, the method of identifying and eliminating waste ensures teams focus on delivering the most value with the least amount of effort, enabling continuous improvement. In DevOps, methods like Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery enable teams to release high-quality software rapidly and reliably.
It is important to distinguish methods from frameworks and practices:
- Frameworks like Scrum or Kanban provide the structural foundation for teams, outlining roles and events, but they do not prescribe specific methods for every action.
- Practices, such as Pair Programming or Test-Driven Development (TDD), are individual techniques that are part of the broader methods teams adopt.
By following structured methods, teams can increase efficiency, ensure alignment, and consistently deliver value to customers. These methods empower teams to be proactive, iterative, and adaptable in their approach to problem-solving, ultimately leading to improved performance and outcomes.
A method is not rigid; it can be tailored to fit the unique context of a team or project, allowing teams to continuously refine their approach while maintaining a clear, systematic path toward achieving their goals.
The strongest work on Method — ranked by substance, not recency. How this is ranked
Work can flow across the Sprint boundary
Explains how Scrum teams can strategically allow unfinished work to flow across Sprint boundaries, enhancing throughput, responsiveness, and …
Scaling Smart: How to Tackle Technical Debt for Sustainable Growth
Learn how unmanaged technical debt can hinder growth, and discover strategies like sustainable architecture, DevOps, and automation to scale …
The Hidden Costs of Poor Quality Code, and How to Turn It Into a Superpower
Explores the financial, productivity, and reputational impacts of poor-quality code, and offers practical steps to turn code quality into a …
Stop Writing Business Logic in Stored Procedures
Explains why business logic should not be written in stored procedures, highlighting testability, maintainability, scalability, and …
Unlocking Rapid Delivery: Overcoming Common DevOps Challenges for Agile Success
Explores common DevOps challenges to rapid delivery, highlighting automation, feedback loops, mindset shifts, and compliance for achieving …
Transforming Technical Debt: Unlocking Innovation and Value Through Quality Product Delivery
Explores how managing technical debt enables faster delivery, higher product quality, and greater innovation, highlighting strategies for …
Mastering Agile: 3 Essential Strategies to Boost Your Team's Sprint Success
Learn three key Agile strategies: define clear completion criteria, avoid overcommitting in Sprints, and prioritise backlog refinement for …
Unlocking the Power of Sprint Planning: Transform Your Agile Approach for Success
Learn how effective Sprint planning boosts Agile team performance, with practical workshops, coaching, feedback, and adaptable methods for …
Are there any Scrum courses that teach you how to scale Scrum?
Learn how to scale Scrum by tailoring frameworks to your organisation, focusing on dependency management, alignment, and iterative …
Work can flow across the Sprint boundary
Explains how Scrum teams can strategically allow unfinished work to flow across Sprint boundaries, enhancing throughput, responsiveness, and …
Stop Writing Business Logic in Stored Procedures
Explains why business logic should not be written in stored procedures, highlighting testability, maintainability, scalability, and …
Decoding Scrum Team Work: Balancing Sprint and Refinement Work
Explains how Scrum teams can balance Sprint work and Refinement, with strategies and visual tools to track, manage, and visualise both for …
Become the leader that you were meant to to be
Explores the shift from traditional management to leadership focused on inspiration, effectiveness, and servant leadership, with insights …
Professional Kanban Trainer for Applying Professional Kanban
Learn about becoming a Professional Kanban Trainer, the Applying Professional Kanban course, certification process, and key Kanban …
You are doing it wrong if you are not using test first
Explains how adopting test-first practices in software development improves quality, reduces bugs, and enables confident continuous delivery …
The Sprint Goal is a commitment for the Sprint Backlog
Explains how the Sprint Goal guides Scrum teams by providing a clear, shared objective for each Sprint, ensuring focus, transparency, and …
How do you handle conflict in a Scrum Team?
Guidance on resolving conflict in Scrum Teams, including facilitation techniques, escalation steps, and the Scrum Master's role in fostering …
In Nexus with 5 Scrum teams, how can the Product Owner attend all Sprint Planning events?
Explains how a Product Owner can manage Sprint Planning across multiple Scrum teams in Nexus by delegating, using area or team owners, and …
Scaling Smart: How to Tackle Technical Debt for Sustainable Growth
Learn how unmanaged technical debt can hinder growth, and discover strategies like sustainable architecture, DevOps, and automation to scale …
The Hidden Costs of Poor Quality Code, and How to Turn It Into a Superpower
Explores the financial, productivity, and reputational impacts of poor-quality code, and offers practical steps to turn code quality into a …
Unlocking Rapid Delivery: Overcoming Common DevOps Challenges for Agile Success
Explores common DevOps challenges to rapid delivery, highlighting automation, feedback loops, mindset shifts, and compliance for achieving …
Maximising Product Value: The Power of Hypothesis-Driven Engineering
Explores how hypothesis-driven engineering helps teams maximise product value by testing ideas, measuring outcomes, and learning from …
Navigating the Unknown: How to Fund Your Product Like a Venture Capitalist
Learn how to fund product development by thinking like a venture capitalist, run small experiments, validate ideas, manage risk, and balance …
Transforming Technical Debt: Unlocking Innovation and Value Through Quality Product Delivery
Explores how managing technical debt enables faster delivery, higher product quality, and greater innovation, highlighting strategies for …
Understanding the Power of Kanban in Scrum
Explains how integrating Kanban with Scrum boosts transparency, limits work in progress, and improves workflow, helping teams identify …
Transforming Training: The Power of Immersive Learning in Scrum
Explores how immersive, hands-on learning in Scrum boosts knowledge retention, practical skills, and continuous improvement compared to …
3 Core Practices of Kanban: Improving a Workflow
Learn how to improve Kanban workflows by identifying blockages, reducing waiting times, and making continuous changes to boost efficiency …
OKR Guide - A Social Discipline for Shared Focus, Measurable Contribution, and Strategic Learning
71 resources, newest first
OKR Guide - A Social Discipline for Shared Focus, Measurable Contribution, and Strategic Learning
Stop Writing Business Logic in Stored Procedures
Explains why business logic should not be written in stored procedures, highlighting testability, maintainability, scalability, and …
In Scrum, we don’t do UX separately
UX is integrated into Scrum, not handled separately. Design and validation happen within Sprints and backlog refinement, supporting …
The FBI Sentinel project was textbook waterfall
The FBI Sentinel project failed with a waterfall approach, wasting years and budget, but succeeded rapidly after switching to Agile and …
Scrum Myth Debunked: Unfinished Work is Allowed in Scrum
Clarifies Scrum guidelines on unfinished work, explaining that items can span multiple Sprints if the Sprint Goal and Done Increment remain …
Scaling Smart: How to Tackle Technical Debt for Sustainable Growth
Learn how unmanaged technical debt can hinder growth, and discover strategies like sustainable architecture, DevOps, and automation to scale …
Maximising Product Value: The Power of Hypothesis-Driven Engineering
Explores how hypothesis-driven engineering helps teams maximise product value by testing ideas, measuring outcomes, and learning from …
Navigating the Unknown: How to Fund Your Product Like a Venture Capitalist
Learn how to fund product development by thinking like a venture capitalist, run small experiments, validate ideas, manage risk, and balance …
Transforming Technical Debt: Unlocking Innovation and Value Through Quality Product Delivery
Explores how managing technical debt enables faster delivery, higher product quality, and greater innovation, highlighting strategies for …
The Hidden Costs of Poor Quality Code, and How to Turn It Into a Superpower
Explores the financial, productivity, and reputational impacts of poor-quality code, and offers practical steps to turn code quality into a …
Understanding the Power of Kanban in Scrum
Explains how integrating Kanban with Scrum boosts transparency, limits work in progress, and improves workflow, helping teams identify …
Transforming Training: The Power of Immersive Learning in Scrum
Explores how immersive, hands-on learning in Scrum boosts knowledge retention, practical skills, and continuous improvement compared to …
3 Core Practices of Kanban: Improving a Workflow
Learn how to improve Kanban workflows by identifying blockages, reducing waiting times, and making continuous changes to boost efficiency …
My journey with Kanban and why I actively recommend it to clients
Explains how adopting Kanban improves workflow, predictability, and transparency for any team or industry, offering practical insights and …
Overview of the 'scaling with portfolio Kanban' course
Learn how to apply Kanban at the organisational level to optimise workflow, improve predictability, and make data-driven decisions across …
Overview of 'applying metrics for predictability' Kanban course
Learn how to use Kanban metrics like cycle time and throughput to improve team predictability, make accurate forecasts, and deliver …
How long does it take to transition from project management to Kanban?
Learn how to move from traditional project management to Kanban, including steps, benefits, and tips for a smooth, gradual transition to …
Does Kanban integrate into a Scrum environment?
Explains how Kanban can be integrated with Scrum to improve workflow visibility, provide key metrics, and enable continuous improvement in …
Transforming Sprint Reviews: How to Engage Stakeholders and Secure Meaningful Feedback
Learn practical strategies to boost stakeholder attendance and engagement in Sprint reviews, encouraging valuable feedback and stronger …
Mastering Product Backlog Management: Key Strategies for Agile Success
Learn practical strategies for effective product backlog management in Agile, including prioritisation, refinement, stakeholder engagement, …
Mastering Product Backlog Management: Insights from the New Scrum.org Course
Learn practical skills for effective product backlog management, including item creation, prioritisation, breakdown, and alignment with …
The Power of Immersive Learning: Elevating Scrum Mastery in Your Organization
Explains how immersive learning helps Scrum Masters apply knowledge through real-world practice, feedback, and collaboration, leading to …
Mastering Agile: 3 Essential Strategies to Boost Your Team's Sprint Success
Learn three key Agile strategies: define clear completion criteria, avoid overcommitting in Sprints, and prioritise backlog refinement for …
How to Tackle the Challenge of an Ineffective Product Owner in Agile Teams
Learn practical steps for Agile teams to address ineffective Product Owners, including support, education, relationship-building, and …