Reflection of the Visualization Tool

Challenge and Selection

I work as a Scrum coach in an agile environment. As a Scrum Master you are the facilitator for your team and you are  responsible for a whole lot of meetings and that your team is doing well. That means you are in charge that everyone  is collaborating and that you start from the same ground and that everyone is understanding what is going on and that  you improve from iteration to iteration.

So for my example I chose my work within the Scrum framework to explain why it is so important to use the  Visualization tool. The most important thing for Scrum is Communication. We work in self organized teams. All the  meetings are timeboxed. We need quick solutions when a problem occurs or if it is a wicked one we need a good  analysis of the problem. We have to look at the problem from a different angle so it is a good idea to take some pens  and paper. Drawing makes complex and difficult things a lot easier to understand.

With visualization you get a better overview about what is going on in the team. For that reason in an agile  environment you use Visualization all the time.

The video from Angela Myer explained it very well – it’s about using the other half of your brain (the right side). You  start to think nonverbal and trigger your creativity. Using different colors and symbols and drawing little figures helps to  get things done and solve problems and get insights from the team.

Application

I started with little things like the following – just using symbols and colors.

  Visualization can be used to tell everyone the current status using the famous green and red traffic lights.

  Using a Kanban Board Visualization can be used to address something to a specific group of people in your  team for example the testing people get their tasks on a blue sticky note or

  You can use it to address the tasks to everyone in the team. A person can have a little picture as an avatar –  so everyone knows who is responsible for the task.

Once we moved forward and discovered the possibilities we started to use it more often – shown in the following  examples:

  You can tell a whole story with visualization, e.g. you can draw your (sprint) goal to illustrate it for everyone.  Usually the sprint goal is one sentence about what is the most important thing in the next iteration. When you  start drawing that statement everyone in the team becomes a better understanding – it helps to focus on the  goal. It increases the teamwork and the buy in. We do the work with 6 teams – so in the end we have a little  “art gallery” and everyone is proud about their future product. It is a big buy in for the team and stakeholders.

  In Scrum there is a meeting called “retrospective”. In that meeting we visualize all the time. I like to start the  meeting with different pictures so everyone can express their mood with the help of a picture as a metaphor.  This is very important so can start working – everyone got his head in the room and is open minded.

  When we start to talk about a problem or a problem occurs – we start drawing. This is also called “the crazy  eight”. Everyone is taking a piece of paper and folding it several times to get 8 sections. Then everyone gets 5  minutes to sketch different ideas to solve the problem with pictures. At the beginning it is very hard to start  drawing, but once you started you get into the flow. After sketching you present the best ideas to the group or  you dot vote for the best ideas. And then you can start again using the best ideas until you found the most  suitable solution.

Insight & Approach

Visualization can be used to show complex correlating things. That makes it a lot easier for people to understand and  share their thoughts and show up with new ideas to solve problems. It helps to remember things and you don’t have to  be an artist to visualize. I can recommend a book: Bikablo 2.0: New Visuals for Meeting, Training & Learning. This  book can help you to get started with visualization. It really works and it is worth trying it more often.

The Visualization tool is a key technique for better and quicker solutions and a better communication – not only within  the Scrum framework.

Everyone should at least try to apply it – it really opens your mind and teamwork is getting easier and it is more fun 


Reflection of the Visualization Tool Challenge and Selection I work as a Scrum coach in an agile environment . As a Scrum Master you are the facilitator for your team and you are responsible for a whole lot of meetings and that your team is doing well . That means you are in charge that everyone is collaborating and that you start from the same ground and that everyone is understanding what is going on and that you improve from iteration to iteration . So for my example I chose my work within the Scrum framework to explain why it is so important to use the Visualization tool . The most important thing for Scrum is Communication . We work in self organized teams . All the meetings are timeboxed . We need quick solutions when a problem occurs or if it is a wicked one we need a good analysis of the problem . We have to look at the problem from a different angle so it is a good idea to take some pens and paper . Drawing makes complex and difficult things a lot easier to understand . With visualization you get a better overview about what is going on in the team . For that reason in an agile environment you use Visualization all the time . The video from Angela Myer explained it very well – it ’s about using the other half of your brain ( the right side ) . You start to think nonverbal and trigger your creativity . Using different colors and symbols and drawing little figures helps to get things done and solve problems and get insights from the team . Application I started with little things like the following – just using symbols and colors .  Visualization can be used to tell everyone the current status using the famous green and red traffic lights .  Using a Kanban Board Visualization can be used to address something to a specific group of people in your team for example the testing people get their tasks on a blue sticky note or  You can use it to address the tasks to everyone in the team . A person can have a little picture as an avatar – so everyone knows who is responsible for the task . Once we moved forward and discovered the possibilities we started to use it more often – shown in the following examples :  You can tell a whole story with visualization , e.g. you can draw your ( sprint ) goal to illustrate it for everyone . Usually the sprint goal is one sentence about what is the most important thing in the next iteration . When you start drawing that statement everyone in the team becomes a better understanding – it helps to focus on the goal . It increases the teamwork and the buy in . We do the work with 6 teams – so in the end we have a little “ art gallery ” and everyone is proud about their future product . It is a big buy in for the team and stakeholders .  In Scrum there is a meeting called “ retrospective ” . In that meeting we visualize all the time . I like to start the meeting with different pictures so everyone can express their mood with the help of a picture as a metaphor . This is very important so can start working – everyone got his head in the room and is open minded .  When we start to talk about a problem or a problem occurs – we start drawing . This is also called “ the crazy eight ” . Everyone is taking a piece of paper and folding it several times to get 8 sections . Then everyone gets 5 minutes to sketch different ideas to solve the problem with pictures . At the beginning it is very hard to start drawing , but once you started you get into the flow . After sketching you present the best ideas to the group or you dot vote for the best ideas . And then you can start again using the best ideas until you found the most suitable solution . Insight & Approach Visualization can be used to show complex correlating things . That makes it a lot easier for people to understand and share their thoughts and show up with new ideas to solve problems . It helps to remember things and you do n’t have to be an artist to visualize . I can recommend a book : Bikablo 2.0 : New Visuals for Meeting , Training & Learning . This book can help you to get started with visualization . It really works and it is worth trying it more often . The Visualization tool is a key technique for better and quicker solutions and a better communication – not only within the Scrum framework . Everyone should at least try to apply it – it really opens your mind and teamwork is getting easier and it is more fun 