agilethinking.net Blog

This post is the first in a series of guest articles I have requested from friends and colleagues in the general Agile field, and which will appear on this blog with the prefix ‘Other Voices’.  The general theme of the Agile Thoughts blog is one of challenging assumptions, and sometimes throwing down gauntlets. The guest [...]

Gregory Balestrero’s much-awaited keynote speech at the Scrum Gathering was something of an anti-climax.  It was safe and generic, offering neither resistance nor support for Scrum beyond the usual “let’s all work together” rhetoric.  Even so, it had a little more punch than the earlier talk by CMMI guru Dr. Mark Paulk, which was overly [...]

Oppression: The unjustifiable placing of a burden on someone or some group, by interfering with their powers, interests, or opportunities. Oppression may be deliberate, or an unintended outcome of social arrangements; it may be recognized for what it is, or may go unremarked even by those oppressed. — The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy © 1994, [...]

I recently wrote on the Scrum Trainers discussion group that I felt oppressed by the PMI.  An odd, and rather outrageous statement perhaps, and I was suitably called on this, challenged if you like.  I figured I’d write something here about the nature of oppression to clarify what I meant.  This article will extend across [...]