{"id":76,"date":"2025-03-29T14:14:30","date_gmt":"2025-03-29T09:14:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sagadenov.com\/?p=76"},"modified":"2025-04-07T01:14:47","modified_gmt":"2025-04-06T20:14:47","slug":"agile-project-management-with-kanban-by-eric-brechnerdraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sagadenov.com\/?p=76","title":{"rendered":"Agile Project Management with Kanban by Eric Brechner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(or how to stop drowning in tasks and finally start delivering on time)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The main idea of the book:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kanban isn\u2019t just another Agile buzzword \u2014 it\u2019s a practical tool. It helps you see the entire project at a glance, remove chaos, and finally breathe. Especially the day before a release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cKanban isn\u2019t a magic bullet. It won\u2019t fix every problem. What it can do is simplify our project management; reduce time lost to meetings, bottlenecks, and rework; better govern our product quality; and make our throughput of customer value smoother, faster, and more predictable.\u201d
\u2014 Eric Brechner<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

What to take away from this book:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n

Make your work visible<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Stop managing tasks in your head or burying them in email. A simple Kanban board with columns like \u201cTo Do\u201d, \u201cIn Progress\u201d, and \u201cDone\u201d turns the fog into a clear picture. Everyone can see who\u2019s doing what \u2014 and where things are stuck.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t try to do everything at once<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Limit the number of tasks in progress. WIP (Work In Progress) limits are real magic: fewer parallel tasks \u2192 more focus \u2192 faster delivery. It may feel strange at first \u2014 but you\u2019ll never want to go back.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I\u2019d go even further \u2014 no more than 1\u20132 active tasks per person<\/strong>. That\u2019s the sweet spot where quality meets sanity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improve as you go<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One board and a weekly call isn\u2019t enough. Kanban lives when you actively tweak it. Notice what\u2019s slowing you down \u2014 and fix it. Brechner reminds you of this throughout the book.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t break what\u2019s already working<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need to tear down everything. Kanban works by layering over your current process. No revolutions \u2014 just smooth evolution. The team barely notices the shift, but they\u2019ll feel the difference.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

What Brechner offers is practice, not theory:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Set up a board. Physically, or in Trello, or in Jira. Just make sure it\u2019s alive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Add WIP limits \u2014 say, max 4 tasks \u201cIn Progress\u201d. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Run quick daily standups \u2014 not just for show, but to balance the flow.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Watch for blocked tasks. No movement? Something\u2019s wrong.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Define what \u201cDone\u201d means \u2014 and stick to it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    More useful insights from Brechner:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Metrics without madness<\/strong>
    Brechner emphasizes tracking flow metrics, but without obsession:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Cycle time<\/strong> (how long a task takes from start to done),<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Throughput<\/strong> (how many tasks you complete weekly),<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Work in progress<\/strong> (to avoid overload).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      These straightforward metrics quickly reveal bottlenecks without complicated dashboards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Kanban shapes your thinking<\/strong>
      Kanban is less about boards and more about mindset. Seeing all tasks visually prompts teams to ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Why is this stuck?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Do we really need this?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Can we simplify this step?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Natural improvements follow \u2014 without agile dogma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Roles and interactions in Kanban<\/strong>
        Brechner explains that Kanban doesn\u2019t require Scrum Masters or Product Owners. The entire team owns the workflow. He stresses visual discipline: if the board isn\u2019t updated, you\u2019re not really using Kanban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Personal Kanban for individual productivity<\/strong>
        A great insight often overlooked: Brechner uses Kanban personally \u2014 for daily planning and focus. A simple personal Kanban (sticky notes or apps) prevents overload and helps finish tasks consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Forecasting with a simple formula<\/strong>
        Brechner provides a simple formula based on Little\u2019s Law to estimate task completion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Duration \u2248 Work in System \u00f7 Throughput<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Brechner offers two straightforward yet powerful metrics to help you realistically forecast delivery timelines and manage stakeholder expectations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Task Completion Rate (TCR)<\/strong> \u2013 measures how many tasks your team completes on average within a given time frame (for example, weekly). It\u2019s calculated simply as: TCR = Time period \/ Number of tasks completed<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Task Add Rate (TAR)<\/strong> \u2013 shows how many new tasks are added into your backlog during the same period: TAR = Time period \/ Number of tasks added<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          If your TCR consistently exceeds your TAR, your team is on track\u2014tasks are steadily being completed, and you’re likely to meet your deadlines comfortably. But if your TAR consistently surpasses your TCR, tasks will pile up, indicating it’s time to adjust workloads or reset expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Tracking these metrics allows you to base your project forecasts on reality, rather than guesswork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Smooth transition from Waterfall and Scrum<\/strong>
          The book covers smooth transitions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • From Waterfall:<\/strong> introduce boards, WIP limits, and clear rules for completion;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • From Scrum:<\/strong> reduce rigid sprints, retrospectives, and plannings, replacing them with daily visual control and flexibility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Dealing with dependencies and tech debt<\/strong>
            Brechner is practical about handling dependencies and technical debt:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • Track technical debt openly in your backlog,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Clearly prioritize dependencies,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Keep working despite dependencies using dedicated \u201ctrack columns\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              A clear roadmap for Kanban implementation<\/strong>
              The book offers a step-by-step guide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              • Prepare your Kanban board,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Train your team,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Set up WIP limits,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Even includes advice on selling Kanban internally with example emails.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                Pitfalls and risks when adopting Kanban<\/strong>
                Brechner openly addresses common risks when changing processes and how to mitigate them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Risk<\/th>How to reduce it<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
                Initial team chaos<\/td>Start Kanban at the beginning of a phase\/project<\/td><\/tr>
                Resistance from individuals<\/td>Agree on a two-month trial period<\/td><\/tr>
                Lack of experience<\/td>Provide training and mentorship<\/td><\/tr>
                Temporary productivity drop<\/td>Lower initial expectations<\/td><\/tr>
                Conflicts with current tools<\/td>Assign someone responsible for tool synchronization<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                He emphasizes: even if there’s an initial dip, productivity typically surpasses the previous level after a few months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Personal Kanban: productivity without stress<\/strong>
                Brechner details how Personal Kanban helps freelancers, students, managers, and busy individuals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                • Simple three-column board: Backlog<\/code>, Doing<\/code>, Done<\/code>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Strict personal WIP limit (e.g., max 3 tasks),<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • A \u201cNext\u201d column reduces anxiety by clarifying upcoming tasks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  \u201cPersonal Kanban keeps your to-do list organized\u2026 and offers that satisfying feeling of moving items to the Done column.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Continuous improvement (Kaizen)<\/strong>
                  The book outlines embedding Kaizen into your team culture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n
                  • Analyze problems using the “5 Whys” or Six Boxes framework,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Every problem is a chance to improve, not panic,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Log improvements alongside regular tasks on your backlog.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    Kanban at scale (Microsoft\u2019s experience)<\/strong>
                    Brechner shares practical experience implementing Kanban at Xbox and other Microsoft teams:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      \n
                    • No need to abandon tools like JIRA or TFS,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • You can print task cards from tracking systems, if needed,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • The main point: teams live on the board, not the tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                      \u201cAny tool must make your life easier and more efficient, or why bother using it?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      (or how to stop drowning in tasks and finally start delivering on time) The main idea of the book: Kanban isn\u2019t just another Agile buzzword \u2014 it\u2019s a practical tool. It helps you see the entire project at a glance, remove chaos, and finally breathe. Especially the day before a release. \u201cKanban isn\u2019t a magic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-about-my-read-books"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sagadenov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sagadenov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sagadenov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sagadenov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sagadenov.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=76"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/sagadenov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":168,"href":"https:\/\/sagadenov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76\/revisions\/168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sagadenov.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=76"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sagadenov.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=76"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sagadenov.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=76"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}