It’s March Madness for college basketball here in the US. And if you know me, you know I am a nut about college hoops. Hence my metaphor for David Anderson’s recent book, “Kanban”. It is a true dream team of material and I am a true fan.
I had been flipping through David’s book, a bit here, a bit there. And then one day, found myself completely absorbed. I am so struck by David’s expanse of knowledge, his well-founded observations, and his breadth of very accessible experience. What strikes me most though is the clarity of voice in which David offers us his depth of guidance on Kanban.
I first remember hearing David’s passion around Kanban at the Agile 2007 conference in Washington. Just a few feet away from where I was putting final touches on my systems thinking talk, here was David. In the Open Space of the conference, he collected anyone interested to listen to his passion about Kanban. I watched the small group of people grow to a larger group. For me, that was the moment I started to see David and Kanban become synonymous.
Since that 2007 conference, Kanban has become a much sought after topic by organizations looking for visualization, transparency, and continuous improvement in their processes. David’s book is a wonderful place in which to begin your Kanban immersion. Through David’s book, we learn why we should care about Kanban; how principles of flow guide our perspectives on Kanban; and what the Kanban practices are that specifically help us continuously deliver value in the larger context of our organizations.
Now, to admit my particular biases about why David’s “Kanban” is a top seed in my brackets:
I love the “Takeaways” at the end of each chapter. Each snippet is spot on.
I already mentioned it but the clarity of voice. It is key in how David brings us Kanban in such an accessible way.
Everything about WIP limits. David has a “cool your jets” approach to how to set WIP limits and then watch how they help or hinder the value stream.
“Dragos and the 25 Days.” Sound like a children’s book? Too bad. You are going to have to read David’s book to find out why Dragos and his 25 days, for me, is like an incredible 3-point fadeaway shot, all net, with one second on the clock!
I am fortunate to be in an organization that is embracing Kanban. I am fortunate to experience Kanban day-to-day as well as to bring my experiences to others. I am so fortunate I have other colleagues here at Rally passionate about Kanban. I’m very fortunate to be involved in the upcoming Lean SSC conference in Long Beach where many of us will be coming to talk about Lean and Kanban. And, I am so fortunate to have been there in 2007 for David’s talk about Kanban and to now have David’s “Kanban” book in my toolbox of Kanban goodness.
Read this book and embrace David’s advice. It will not only put you and your organization at the top of your bracket; it will keep you there.
Jean Tabaka is a March Madness college hoops freak, a crash skier, author and Agile Fellow at Rally Software Development. You can follow Jean on Twitter at @jeantabaka
I had the fine fortune of spending a day with Liz Keogh and Eric Willeke in Boulder last week.
What a wonderful experience! The three of us gathered with the goal of producing something for the Lean and Kanban software community. We didn’t know what that would be. We just knew we felt strongly that we should give something to the community.
We were heavily influenced by past conversations with Chris Matts, his call for “fewer leaders, more leadership”, and a desire to see the Lean Software and Systems Consortium (LSSC) learn from some of the trials that other communities and community-leading organizations have undergone. Ryan Martens, the CTO and a founder of Rally, also provided thoughtful input to our discussions during the day.
As we talked, we discovered something. We were all keenly interested in the general notion of “community”. We became less convinced that the LSSC needed a challenge from us, and more convinced that it was applicable to software communities generally. For me, this was a deeply personal statement and commitment. It played heavily into my recent blog posts on “Escalation”. And yet, together, Liz and Eric and I found the same deep conviction. So as you look at the statement I provide below, if it’s exactly the same as the copies on Liz or Eric’s sites, it’s only because their arguments were equally sound and convincing.
Because of that personal nature, we wanted to avoid putting our statement up as some kind of manifesto that people can sign. If you feel strongly enough about this statement that you would want to sign up, copy it. Post it on your own site. Attribute it to wherever you got your copy from – the act of sharing is more important to us than the act of creation – and feel free to change it so that it reflects your own values. I don’t think that any statement like this can ever be perfect, nor will we perfectly live up to it.
I am a member of a community of thinkers. So are you.
“A Community of Thinkers”
I am a member of a community of thinkers.
I believe that communities exist as homes for professionals to learn, teach, and reflect on their work.
I challenge each community in the software industry to:
reflect and honor the practitioners who make its existence possible;
provide an excellent experience for its members;
support the excellent experience its members provide for their clients and colleagues in all aspects of their professional interactions;
exemplify, as a body, the professional and humane behavior of its members;
engage and collaborate within and across communities through respectful exploration of diverse and divergent insights;
embrace newcomers to the community openly and to celebrate ongoing journeys; and,
thrive on the sustained health of the community and its members through continual reflection and improvement.
I believe that leaders in each community have a responsibility to exhibit these behaviors, and that people who exhibit these behaviors will become leaders.
I am a member of a community of thinkers. If I should happen to be a catalyst more than others, I consider that a tribute to those who have inspired me.
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I had the fine fortune of spending a day with 
