Output vs. outcome with OKRs

Effective async-first/remote teams

The Async-First Playbook

Red flags

  • Conversations often centred around velocity/story points rather than customer value delivered

    • Team velocity is compared to the velocity of other teams.
  • Why

    • We rely on story points as a way of having something quantifiable to report
  • Misuse of sprint goals

    • Sprint goals are often not particularly relevant to the actual value being delivered in a sprint, or the goal feels contrived/like its been made just for the sake of having a goal.
    • Too many goals to focus on
      • We may as well just have the goal be “do everything”
    • Goals fall out of focus over the course of a sprint

All of the above, but particularly the point around conversations being centered around velocity and story points, set a precedent for future conversations.

We are finding in my current engagement @ D, that with this precedent set we’re no longer having conversations on our own terms.