Agile Communication and Continuous Improvement Flashcards
Define Communication in an Agile context
Information exchange between agile stakeholders, for example between a PO, team members, an agile coach, a client and other stakeholders involved.
Communication management in an Agile project focuses on ensuring __________, __________, and __________ information exchange among team members and stakeholders. It aligns with Agile values by prioritizing __________ and __________ over rigid processes and documentation.
Communication management in an Agile project focuses on ensuring clear, timely, and effective information exchange among team members and stakeholders. It aligns with Agile values by prioritizing individuals and interactions over rigid processes and documentation.
In the basic model of communication, the __________ creates and __________ a __________, which is transmitted through a __________ to the __________, who then __________ it. During this process, __________ can interfere with the message, and __________ from the receiver helps ensure understanding.
In the basic model of communication, the sender creates and encodes a message, which is transmitted through a medium to the receiver, who then decodes it. During this process, noise can interfere with the message, and feedback from the receiver helps ensure understanding.
Constructive feedback and negative feedback are the same because both point out mistakes and areas for improvement.
False.
Constructive feedback is focused on helping the recipient improve by providing specific, actionable suggestions in a supportive manner. Negative feedback, on the other hand, is often critical without guidance, which can be discouraging and unhelpful. Effective communication uses constructive feedback to promote growth and learning.
Explain the difference in effectiveness of face-to-face communication over more uni-directional communication.
Unidirectional communication has no question-and-answer capabilities, making is less effective as a communication model. Face to face communication allows for questions and answers, which results in rich and effective communication that is feedback focused, consensus and team oriented.
Which agile value and principle demonstrate collaboration?
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
Businesspeople and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
Which of the following is NOT a benefit of collaboration in Agile projects?
A) Faster problem-solving
B) Increased team alignment
C) Less communication and fewer meetings
D) Higher-quality deliverables
C) Less communication and fewer meetings
Agile collaboration encourages frequent communication through stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives to ensure alignment, problem-solving, and high-quality results.
Which Agile meeting focuses on short, daily updates where team members share progress, plans, and blockers?
A) Iteration Planning
B) Release Planning
C) Daily Standup
D) Product Roadmap Review
C) Daily Standup
Daily standups are brief, time-boxed meetings where team members quickly update each other on progress, plans, and any blockers that need resolution.
__________ helps teams define the work for a sprint, while __________ aligns stakeholders on a high-level strategy for future product releases.
Iteration Planning helps teams define the work for a sprint, while Release Planning aligns stakeholders on a high-level strategy for future product releases.
True or False:
The Product Vision and Product Roadmap guide Agile teams by providing long-term direction and aligning stakeholders.
True.
The Product Vision defines the long-term goal, while the Product Roadmap outlines key milestones and deliverables to achieve that vision, ensuring alignment across teams and stakeholders.
What did James W. Tamm and Ronald J. Luyet describe in their book Radical Collaboration?
The zones of collaboration that model and categorize collaboration attitudes.
What are the two collaboration zones?
Green Zone: Support for Collaboration attitudes
Red Zone: Undermining of collaboration attitudes.
Team behaviours can cycle simultaneously through both zones, but high performing agile teams operate more in the green zone.
Which of the following best describes the key elements of Collaboration Zones in Agile teams?
A) Work responsibly, a shared motivation source, and an aligned focus horizon
B) Encouraging different points of view, fostering trust and openness, and using an effective feedback style
C) Practicing active listening awareness, applying conflict management, and using a strategic influence approach
D) All of the above
D) All of the above
Collaboration Zones in Agile teams involve working responsibly, maintaining a shared motivation source, aligning the focus horizon, considering different points of view, building trust and openness, using the right feedback style, practicing listening awareness, and effectively managing conflicts and problem-solving.
Which Agile practices, techniques, and events support knowledge sharing and enhance collaboration?
A) Planning meetings to align the team on priorities and goals
B) Product demos to showcase progress and gather feedback
C) Retrospectives to reflect on improvements and lessons learned
D) Use of task or Kanban boards to visualize workflow and progress
E) All of the above
E) All of the above
Agile teams use planning meetings to align on goals, product demos to gather feedback, retrospectives to improve processes, and task or Kanban boards to enhance transparency and collaboration. These practices ensure continuous knowledge sharing and team alignment.
True or False:
Tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge are the same because both can be easily documented and shared.
False.
Tacit knowledge is personal, experience-based, and difficult to document (e.g., intuition, skills, and insights). Explicit knowledge is formal, structured, and easily shared (e.g., manuals, reports, and procedures). Agile teams use collaboration, mentoring, and hands-on experience to transfer tacit knowledge effectively.
Fill in the blanks: Co-located teams are located in the same __________ location, and are deemed to be co-located if they are sitting within __________ meters.
Physical
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True or False: Co-location impedes effective communication between team members because it is distracting from focused work.
False: Co-location supports face to face communication and demonstrates the agile principle that the most effective communication is face to face.
True or false: Distributed teams have at least one member offsite and are the norm for Agile projects.
True.
Which of the following digital tools support virtual co-location in Agile teams?
A) Video conferencing for real-time face-to-face communication
B) Social media and live chat for quick updates and informal collaboration
C) Interactive whiteboards and task tools for brainstorming and workflow management
D) Instant messaging and VoIP communication for fast, direct conversations
E) All of the above
E) All of the above
Digital tools such as video conferencing, social media and live chat, interactive whiteboards and task tools, and instant messaging and VoIP communication enable Agile teams to collaborate effectively in virtual environments, simulating the benefits of co-location.
In his 2001 book “Agile Software Development,” Alistair Cockburn defined the concept of Information Radiators. What is an information radiator?
It equates the movement of information through agile practices as warm air radiating through a space. This is in contrast to Information refrigerators which lock information away (becomes static or cold) such as repositories storing static information.
True or False:
Information radiators in Agile practice are physical or digital displays that show project status and progress, enabling team members and stakeholders to quickly assess the state of the project.
True.
Information radiators are visual tools, such as boards or charts, that provide real-time, transparent updates on a project’s status. They help teams and stakeholders stay informed and aligned without the need for detailed status meetings.
True or False: Information radiators do not include team working agreements or shared values.
False. Information radiators do include team working agreements or the rules, disciplines and processes for the team (e.g., Core hours, definition of done, when standups occur) and agreed to team shared values that capture important core behaviors, standards and beliefs (e.g., It’s okay to disagree, don’t assume ask, etc.). They are placed in easy to view areas and are periodically updated.
What does Velocity represent in Agile project management?
A) The total time spent on each sprint
B) The number of story points completed per sprint by the team
C) The team’s ability to identify project risks
D) The number of meetings held during a sprint
B) The number of story points completed per sprint by the team
Velocity is a measure of the amount of work a team can complete during a sprint, typically measured in story points. It helps teams estimate how much work they can handle in future sprints and track their progress over time.
KPIs in agile revolve around which core principle?
Working software is the primary measure of progress.
A burndown chart for KPIs shows ___________ on the y axis and _________ on the x axis. This type of chart can be used to estimate the __________ of the team over time.
Remaining completed work
Days or weeks.
Velocity
A KPI burnup chart shows ____________ on the y axis and the ______________ on the x axis.
Completed work usually in points.
Time elapsed usually in iterations.
A cumulative flow diagram shows the Features in the ___________, the ____________, and ______________. This diagram reinforces the need to limit _________ to reduce cycle time and __________ delivery.
backlog (to do)
features being worked on (in progress or WiP)
the features completed (or done)
WIP
Maximize
What is a Sunset Graph in Agile project management, and how is it used?
A Sunset Graph visually shows the decline in the number of open work items or bugs over time, often indicating the progress of a project toward completion. It is used to track how quickly the team is resolving issues or completing tasks, helping stakeholders assess the team’s efficiency and the overall health of the project.
What does the percentage of test coverage measure in Agile project management, and why is it important?
A) The proportion of the total project budget spent on testing
B) The proportion of code or functionality covered by predetermined minimum tests
C) The percentage of user stories completed in the sprint
D) The number of defects found during testing
B) The proportion of code or functionality covered by predetermined minimum tests
The percentage of test coverage measures how much of the code or functionality is covered by tests. It’s important because higher coverage helps ensure that more code is tested, reducing the risk of defects and improving product quality.
True or False:
The KPI of Number of Defects Found in Agile project management measures the number of defects identified during the testing phase, helping teams assess the quality of the product before delivering to the customer.
True.
The Number of Defects Found KPI tracks the defects identified during testing. It helps Agile teams assess the quality of the product and identify areas for improvement, guiding the team in refining the product before release.
What does the Number of Total Test Cases KPI measure in Agile project management, and why is it important?
The Number of Total Test Cases KPI measures the total number of test cases (both manual and automated) designed to validate the functionality and quality of the product. It is important because it helps ensure comprehensive test coverage and tracks the overall effort required for testing, enabling teams to identify gaps in testing and improve product quality.
What does the Number of Escaped Defects KPI measure in Agile project management, and why is it important?
A) The defects found during testing that are resolved by the team
B) The defects that were missed during testing and discovered after release
C) The total number of test cases executed during a sprint
D) The number of defects reported by customers
B) The defects that were missed during testing and discovered after release
The Number of Escaped Defects KPI measures defects that were not identified during testing but were discovered after the product has been released or deployed. It is important because it helps identify gaps in testing or quality assurance processes.
True or False:
The Number of Manual and Automated Tests KPI measures the total number of test cases executed manually versus automatically, helping to balance testing efficiency and scalability.
True.
The Number of Manual and Automated Tests KPI tracks the number of test cases executed manually and automatically, ensuring a balanced approach to testing that improves efficiency, scalability, and overall product quality.
What does the Velocity Stability Chart in Agile project management represent?
A) The average number of story points completed per sprint
B) The total number of defects resolved per sprint
C) The number of test cases passed in each sprint
D) The fluctuation in the team’s velocity across multiple sprints
D) The fluctuation in the team’s velocity across multiple sprints
The Velocity Stability Chart tracks how the team’s velocity (the number of story points completed) changes across sprints. It helps identify patterns in team performance and indicates whether velocity is stable or fluctuating.
The ratio velocity should be within a range of 1 to be considered balanced. Lower means over commitment and higher means undercommitment.
True or False:
The Velocity Stability Chart helps Agile teams assess their ability to maintain consistent performance and predict future sprint capacity.
True.
The Velocity Stability Chart helps teams identify trends in their velocity, allowing them to assess consistency and make more accurate predictions about future sprint capacity based on past performance.
What do IRR, NPV and ROI stand for?
Internal Rate of Return
Net Present Value
Return on Investment
In Agile project management, Earned Value Management (EVM) is used to track project performance by comparing the __________ (the value of work actually completed) with the __________ (the planned value of the work) and the __________ (the actual cost of the work completed).
In Agile project management, Earned Value Management (EVM) is used to track project performance by comparing the Earned Value (EV) (the value of work actually completed) with the Planned Value (PV) (the planned value of the work) and the Actual Cost (AC) (the actual cost of the work completed).
Which of the following correctly defines the terms in Earned Value Management (EVM)?
Earned Value (EV)
Planned Value (PV)
Actual Cost (AC)
A) EV is the value of work completed, PV is the value of work planned, and AC is the actual cost of the work completed.
B) EV is the total cost of the project, PV is the planned cost, and AC is the profit margin.
C) EV is the remaining work to be done, PV is the work completed, and AC is the cost of resources used.
D) EV is the budgeted cost of the project, PV is the completed work, and AC is the planned cost.
A) EV is the value of work completed, PV is the value of work planned, and AC is the actual cost of the work completed.
In Earned Value Management (EVM), Earned Value (EV) tracks the value of work actually completed, Planned Value (PV) shows the planned progress, and Actual Cost (AC) represents the actual expenses incurred.
How is Cost Variance (CV) calculated in project management, and what does it represent?
A) CV = EV - AC, where EV is Earned Value and AC is Actual Cost
B) CV = AC - EV, where AC is Actual Cost and EV is Earned Value
C) CV = PV - EV, where PV is Planned Value and EV is Earned Value
D) CV = EV + AC, where EV is Earned Value and AC is Actual Cost
A) CV = EV - AC, where EV is Earned Value and AC is Actual Cost
Cost Variance (CV) is calculated by subtracting Actual Cost (AC) from Earned Value (EV). A positive CV indicates the project is under budget, while a negative CV means the project is over budget.
