Courage and Communication

The team came together to vote on the cohort name using Mural.

Upon reflection, one team member had concern regarding the chosen name. They brought it up with the team, and the team agreed.

Thanks to the team member’s courage, a new name was chosen:

– respectful dialogue opens communication

– courage can lead to change

– Agile X was adopted 

The Scrum Team as Stakeholders

The Product Vision created a unique challenge for the cohort:

– the development teams as stakeholders created an additional layer of complexity

– the PO and stakeholder agreement was necessary before developers could move forward

– the entire Scrum Team then aligned with a Product Vision that met the needs of everyone involved

The beauty of this practicum was every member was able to experience the 3 designated roles of the Scrum Team.

Transparency, Refinement, and Why it’s Important

Sprint Planning is directly correlated to a well-ordered Product backlog.

To achieve this, we:

– used Jira and Confluence to create the backlog

– prioritized based on the product goal

– utilized PBI Refinement to facilitate alignment and clarity

This enhanced the effectiveness of our Sprint Planning and the resulting success of the Sprint Goal.

Feedback & Perspective

Sprint Review allowed the team to receive feedback and perspective from the stakeholders and the Scrum Team

This enabled:

– focus on the desired outcome of the product

– cohort empiricism to achieve the product goal

– team formation and creative collaboration

Validation and Testing

Definition of Done is a pivotal part of development. Testing the work was vital to ensure it met user expectations.

The Scrum Team explored product integrity by:

– making sure the links worked properly

– spacing and formatting was correct

– page layout worked across multiple user devices

This process was integrated throughout the Sprint to deliver valuable and reliable increments.

The VA has on-the-job training funds through the Veteran Readiness and Employment program. It subsidizes a veteran’s wages so that you can pay them an apprentice-level wage during their training, allowing you to get a talented applicant while offsetting onboarding costs. As the veteran becomes more experienced at your business and completes training, the VA subsidy slowly decreases.

The Special Employer Incentive (SEI) program is another VA benefit that reimburses employers for hiring veterans who meet certain requirements. This program can reimburse up to half of the employee’s salary for a maximum of six months, plus the cost of instruction, any loss of productivity that your business incurs during training and any supplies and equipment. The SEI is designed for veterans who struggle to get jobs after serving and eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis.  VR&E SEI Fact Sheet

Veterans often have an impressive work ethic. Learning to work hard and use determination to accomplish a goal is one of the primary skills everyone typically learns when they first enter the armed forces. They are highly focused on the tasks they need to accomplish and work well as a team, ensuring that everyone contributes their part to a successful project. Veterans may be used to working in uncomfortable, stressful situations, making them well-prepared for the challenges of a civilian job.

Because of the regimented structure of the military, veterans can often bring impressive organizational skills to your business. They are used to setting a schedule and maintaining habits in the military, which they can apply to their work schedule. The high-pressure environment of the military means that many veterans have learned how to keep track of all their priorities so that everything they need to accomplish gets done.

Veterans typically have a high level of personal accountability and can also encourage others on their team to be more efficient and dedicated to their work. In the military, making a mistake may have serious consequences, so veterans are committed to taking responsibility for their behavior. They take their assignments seriously and strive for excellence, just like they did when they were working as part of a team.

The hierarchical structure of the military means that veterans are often used to taking on extra responsibility and assuming leadership roles. They observed different leadership styles from their commanding officers and likely had leadership responsibilities themselves throughout their military career. As a result, veteran employees may have a high aptitude to grow in your company, mentor others and make strategic decisions.