Author: Saloua Essalhi

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Once upon a time: 3 tips on how telling a fairy tale can help you slice!

When I say “fairy tale”, where does your mind go? I’m pretty sure it’s either sweet childhood memories or fuzzy ones from your teenage – ok, in my case, more recent – years theme parties. For me, “fairy tale” has a completely different association! When you say fairy tale, I say refinement! Crazy? Maybe! Unconventional? Definitely! Very effective? Damn sure! 🙂 I’ll tell you all about it. In refinements, I use fairy-tales when telling Read More …

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Finding Nirvana! 5 tricks to spot a high performing squad

Do you ever fantasize about Nirvana? Before you start humming one of Kurt Cobains hits, please hold on! That’s not the Nirvana I’m talking about 🙂 . Here, Nirvana is meant as the state of perfect happiness. The ultimate fulfillment of once purpose in life. Pure perfection I would say. Well in the agile world, Nirvana is called ‘high performing squad. It’s the dream! I hear and see lots of people Read More …

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This ain’t agile! 5 things you’re told are agile but are not!

Lets be honest. If you want to find a job nowadays, the first thing you should do, is to squeeze the word AGILE in your CV. It’s the magic word! Everybody wants it, few really understand it 🙂 Like all fashions and trends, the agile buzz has a good and dark side. On the good side, all the attention makes agile theory and practises accessible to a broad public. Sharing best practises, applying Read More …

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It’s all about money! Is it really? Agile value calculation in 5 simple steps

Let me start off with wishing you all, our wonderful readers, a healthy, happy and agile 2016 on behalf of Marijke and myself! We look forward to all the adventures, lessons, ups and downs 2016 has waiting for us! We’ll gladly share many of them with you!   Making choices.. Struggles of everyday’s life. Small choices like deciding between a cheese or ham sandwich for lunch (although some – like Read More …

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End to end or finding Neverland

“End to end” squads and “end to end” responsibility! Another one of those buzz words. A magical construct to solve all your delivery challenges. Just having everybody, every skill that is needed to deliver on a purpose together in one squad, heaven! When I – Saloua – first heard about it, I was an immediate fan. I became an enthusiastic aficionado to the believe and I spread the word. Well, that high ended Read More …

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How to turn a good squad into a great one? 8 POCLAC do’s and dont’s

These past few months, we’ve introduced so many new words in our company that it can make our heads spin. Some of them sound hilarious when you hear them for the first time. One of the real funny ones is the “POCLAC.” What the hell? What to make of that and how to take it seriously? Well, It is actually serious business. No kidding. In an agile organization, a POCLAC is a special Read More …

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Chief product owner: 4 tips to be first among equals

Chief product owner? I – Saloua – bet you are confused. The whole idea behind agile was less hierarchy and bureaucracy? When I first heard about this role, I thought as well NO WAY! Not for me… I’m not cut out to be a boss. I imagined the chief of an Indian tribe deciding if someone would be either the new tribe member or tonight’s dinner 🙂 . Having said that, only stupid people never change their minds… and although I can Read More …

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Saloua and the story point: it’s complicated…

Have you ever changed your Facebook relationship status to “it’s complicated?” Well, I – Saloua – did. And after many years of hard work, counseling and perseverance, it’s still complicated. No folks, not my marriage! Me and the story point.. A story point is an arbitrary measure used by squads that reflects the complexity and “needed effort to finish” a story. A story point is a relative measure. Science says humans are far Read More …

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How to make Elephant Carpaccio: 3 tips to get you going

Elephant carpaccio. The first first time I heard this expression, I was laughing out loud. Please don’t start thinking about parmesan and pine nuts as this is a different kind of carpaccio! Have you ever stood at the beginning of a huge project? So huge that you had no clue where to start and how to get to the end? I remember very well my master thesis, it scared the hell Read More …