Agile in a Flash 28

The Only Agile Tools You’ll Ever Need – The Team

Agile in a Flash by Jeff Langr and Tim Ottinger (card #28)

> White boards, flip charts, and markers

> Pairing and integration stations

> Index cards

> Toys and food

> Stickies and sharpies

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What, not a single piece of software? If you and your whole team work together in a single room, you don’t need high-end agile project management software.

White boards, flip charts, and markers. Sketch designs and useful notes on the white board to broadcast them to all who enter. You’ll find that very little of this information needs to survive beyond an iteration. Instead of archiving it on a computer, summarize on a flip chart page, and tape it to the wall.

Pairing and integration stations. Developer comfort and a screamin’ machine on which to pair are of utmost importance—with, of course, the best developer environment available to build and test the product.

Index cards. Cards are our ubiquitous idea bulbs. They stack, tack, and sort quite well and are just small enough to prevent us from writing too much down.

Toys and food. Distractions help us relax and focus; snacks keep us energized. Concerned about the cost? Contrast it with a license for a high-end agile tool that you don’t need. There is no requirement for the team to be unhappy.

Stickies and sharpies. Little reminders are quicker and more visible than emails or other software-based solutions. And you can never have enough pens at your disposal.

If you have a good coach, you won’t have to ask for refills for these items.