Everyday Agile Ways of Working Quiz

Which of the following statements is NOT a characteristic of the agile ways of working?

• Iterative and incremental development: Work is done in short cycles, with each cycle building on the previous one.

• Collaboration and communication: Teams work together closely and communicate frequently to ensure everyone is aligned and progress is tracked.

• Flexibility and adaptability: Plans are designed to be adjusted based on feedback and changing requirements.

• Continuous improvement: The team is always looking for ways to improve the product, the process, and themselves.

• None of the above. All the statements describe the characteristics of agile ways of working.

Which of the following is NOT one of the Agile Manifesto's values?

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

• Working software over comprehensive documentation

• Customer satisfaction over product quality

• Responding to change over following a plan

What is a product backlog?

• A list of bugs in software

• A prioritized list of requirements for a product

• A document outlining the project timeline and milestones

• Outstanding work items that are delayed

What is the purpose of the daily stand-up meetings?

• To report progress to the project manager

• To promote collaboration and identify obstacles to be resolved

• To discuss technical details of a project

• To update the team on the status of action items

What is the purpose of doing team retrospectives?

• To reflect on the team's performance and dynamics, and identify areas for improved interactions

• To celebrate the end of a successful project

• To review the product backlog and adjust priorities accordingly

• To document re-assigned KPIS

True or False? Agile Ways of Working only apply to IT projects and software development.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Agile is often associated with software development, but it can be applied to many other areas, including marketing, finance, operations, and HR. An agile organization values continuous improvement, teamwork, and customer satisfaction, and is able to adapt to changing circumstances and requirements.

True or False? Based on the Cynefin Framework, the more ambiguous and volatile the nature of the project, the more we need to adopt a strict command and control leadership style and approach to the project.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The more complex a problem is, the more we need to adopt an iterative incremental approach. Being agile is about being able to pivot quickly, adjust to new circumstances, and continuously deliver value effectively and efficiently.

What is NOT a purpose or benefit of using the Kanban Board?

• Visualizing and managing the work in progress (WIP) in a workflow

• Identification of bottlenecks and impediments.

• Tool for communication and collaboration among team members

• Tracking of milestones of a project if they are achieved on time and within budget

In the McKinsey Influence Model (Four Levers of Influence), what are the 4 elements required to influence mindsets and behaviors?

• Strong leadership, communication plans, policies, and rewards systems

• A compelling story, clear job expectations, training, strong leadership

• A compelling story, role modeling, skills and competencies required for change, and reinforcement mechanisms

• A clear purpose statement, role models, skills, and reinforcement mechanisms

Cynefin Framework helps us understand how to make decisions in different situations. In the simple area, we can just follow a recipe or instructions. In the complicated area, we might need to get help from an expert. In the complex area, we need to be creative and try different things. In the chaotic area, we need to act quickly to stay safe. And in the disorder area, we need to take a step back and figure out where we are before we can make a decision. In which area/s are agile ways of working most beneficial?

• None. The waterfall command and control way of working is best. The more complex or complicated a problem is, the more we should tighten controls.

• Simple problems. Experimentation and prototyping works best when things are predictable and measurable.

• The agile approach can be used in the complex and chaotic domains of the framework, where flexibility, experimentation, and collaboration are key.

• Agile can be used in any kind of problem to replace the waterfall methodology.