15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Copies of the twelve principles of agile software (http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html)
• White-boards and/or flip-charts
• Markers

Recipe:
This is an exercise that we came up with to better communicate the twelve principles behind the Agile Manifesto. In their existing form, it is challenging for people to read and understand each principle and, just as importantly, to easily refer to them later.

• Divide participants in to groups, each with a white-board or flip-chart and markers.
• Have the teams write down the numbers 1 through 12.
• Challenge each team to, within a 15 minute time-box, come up with three words maximum that effectively capture each of the twelve principles.
• To avoid ‘analysis paralysis’, make sure to give the teams time updates throughout (e.g. 10, 5, 2, 1 minute warnings). You will find that teams will speed up towards the end.
• When time is up, go through each principle and discuss which are the most important words. Sometimes I like to ask people what their most and least favorite principles are.
• Post the condensed principles somewhere visible, so as to make it a regular talking point.

Here is an example:

1. Produce Value Early
2. Welcome Change
3. Iterative Delivery
4. Daily Business Collaboration
5. Trust Motivated Team
6. Face to Face
7. Working Software
8. Sustainable Pace
9. Technical Excellence
10. K.I.S.S.
11. Self-Organize
12. Reflect and Adjust

Learning Points:

• This is an effective way of capturing each principle in a much more concise and memorable way.
• Probably the most valuable part of this exercise, is in the discussion that the teams have when trying to come up with the words. They need to first understand the principle before breaking it down.
• Teams can establish a collective understanding and ownership of each principle.
• This also makes for a good review exercise in a classroom environment.

This post was submitted by Don McGreal.

Ingredients:

• Board (electronic or on white board)
• 20-30 Clues

Directions:

Divide the participants in to teams and select someone to choose the first clue category and dollar value. Read the clue out loud and have participants ‘buzz in’ by raising their hands. A correct response adds the corresponding dollar value to their teams total, while a wrong response subtracts the same amount and leaves the clue open for other teams to ‘buzz in’. A response must be in the form of a question! The person who last responded correctly, selects the next clue. A hidden ‘secret clue’ will allow the team that selected it to wager as much money as they want. The team with the most money after all the clues have been read wins.

Learning Points:

• This is a fun and competitive way to review materials.

Posted by Mike

Ingredients:

• 2 opposite facing white boards or flip charts
• Markers
• 10-20 clue cards

Directions:

Divide participants in to two teams. One by one, each team member faces off against a member of the opposing team. Both are simultaneously shown the card and immediately start drawing pictures which suggest the word or phrase on a card (see learning points for examples of categories to draw). The pictures cannot contain any numbers or letters. The team members try to guess what the drawing is intended to represent. The team that first guesses correctly, wins a point. This continues until all team members have had a turn or until all the cards have been used.

Learning Points:

• This is a fun and competitive way to review materials.
• Examples of categories to draw: UML models, agile values and principles, roles on a project, design patterns, etc.

Posted by Mike

Ingredients:

• One whiteboard per team

Directions:

Divide the participants in to teams and have them each write all the letters of the alphabet on their whiteboard. Then give the teams 5 minutes to write down a word that starts with each of the 26 letters of the alphabet. All words must fit within a given category (e.g. agile concepts, patterns, programming terminology, etc.). Encourage participants to be creative, especially with the harder letters.

Award one point for each word.

Learning Points:

• This is a fun and competitive way to review materials.

Posted by Mike