Agile Mindset for Manufacturers: Impediments

The Action Engineering team embraces an Agile mindset & Scrum practices in our work.
In our Agile articles, we share tips & coaching opportunities that work well for us. 

Impediments are anything that hinders the team’s productivity. Many things can slow down a team: software not working, overcommitment, an out-of-office teammate, or lack of team empowerment. Adapting to working from home has likely created a few impediments for all of us!

Agile teams address their impediments head-on so they can work as effectively as possible. The team must be empowered to resolve impediments, and the impact of the impediments should be clearly communicated. Taking the time to address & resolve these is an important aspect of a self-organizing team.

TACKLING AGILE IMPEDIMENTS

• Identifying impediments is everyone’s responsibility. Team members should communicate impediments during the Daily Stand-Up – if you don’t share your impediment with the team, you’re missing an opportunity for help and the team is missing valuable knowledge.
• Dig into the root of the impediment. Is this a one-time issue, or has it happened before? Is it likely to happen again? If the same impediment keeps popping up, there’s likely a deeper issue that should be addressed in the Retrospective.
• Keep track of impediments, including those that have been solved. Losing sight of your impediments is an impediment in itself! These can provide great insight during the Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective.
• Busting impediments is where the Scum Master shines. Identifying, tracking, and helping to resolve impediments is one of the primary responsibilities of the Scrum Master. Letting the Scrum Master step in when an impediment is out of the Dev Team’s control helps the team stay on-track and focused.
• Raising impediments is an important part of continuous improvement. This is one of the key tenants of Agile. When we understand what’s getting in our way, we can address it and perform better in the next sprint!

The sooner issues are identified through transparent communication, the more quickly they can be resolved by self-organizing teams. Empowered Agile teams can creatively and resourcefully solve their impediments, making them more sucessful in the current sprint as well as future sprints.

Want to chat with us about how your team is practicing Agile in your MBE journey? Send us a message!