Participants will be introduced to the principles of Lean and the application of Kanban to visualize their work, limit distraction and waste, and get stuff done. I’ll cover the core concepts outlined in Jim Benson and Tonianne DeMaria Barry's book, Personal Kanban, to get you started.

1. LeadingAgile
Is that a
squirrel!?
Derek, don’t
forget to…

2. LeadingAgile
Derek Huether
Enterprise Agile Coach
derek@leadingagile.com
301/639-4976
@derekhuether
/derekhuether
+derekhuether

3. LeadingAgile
In This Session
Participants will be introduced to the principles
of Lean and the application of Kanban to
visualize their work, limit distraction and waste,
and get stuff done.
I’ll cover the core concepts outlined in Jim
Benson and Tonianne DeMaria Barry's book,
Personal Kanban, to get you started.

4. LeadingAgile
I get distracted…and tells stories…
• ADD/ADHD
• Tend to talk really fast and loud
• Lack a personal filter
• Every answer has a story
• Been in Project/Program Management since 1994
• Been an Agilist (PM with ADD) since 2005
• Evangelizing Kanban since 2007
• Evangelizing Personal Kanban since 2009
…but I get stuff done

5. LeadingAgile
Abstract
• With a world of constant distraction, it feels
like it’s getting harder and harder to get stuff
done.
• When getting stuff done is a primary measure
for success, we need to introduce concepts
that are simple and can be habit forming.

6. LeadingAgile
Failures and Successes
Failure
• Memory
• Attention
• To-Do Lists
• Franklin Covey Planner
• GTD
Success
• Physical Kanban board
• LeanKit Kanban board
• Pomodoro technique
Ask yourself if your strategy
is simple and habit forming

7. LeadingAgile
Habit forming Dopamine Addiction
Compulsive Bad Habits
• Checking email
• Checking Facebook
• Checking Twitter
• Checking your phone
Good Habits
• Turning off the lights
• Locking your doors
• Brushing/flossing regularly
• Saying thank you
• Holding the door for people
• Walking with purpose
Even if you accomplish a trivial task, your body will release
dopamine into your bloodstream (habit forming)

8. LeadingAgile
Learning Outcomes
If you don’t know the goal, how can you succeed?
1. Understand key definitions and terms of Lean and Kanban
2. Understand how to apply Kanban to your personal and
professional life
3. Understand how you can measure and improve your
processes

9. LeadingAgile
Learning Outcome - Definitions &
Terms
• Kanban
• Value Stream
• Work in Process
(WIP)
• Cycle Time
• Lead Time
• Throughput
• Slack
• Flow
• Push versus Pull

10. LeadingAgile
5 Principles of Lean
Seek
Perfection
Identify
Value
Map Value
Steam
Create
Flow
Establish
Pull

11. LeadingAgile
4 Steps of Personal Kanban
1. Create a value stream
2. Populate the backlog
3. Limit Work in Process (WIP)
4. Pull work

12. LeadingAgile
What is Personal Kanban?
Portfolio Manager
Project Manager
You?

13. LeadingAgile
Step 1 - Create a Value Steam

14. LeadingAgile
Step 2 - Populate the Backlog
Use different colors for
different types of work
You could also
add swim lanes

15. LeadingAgile
Step 3 - Limit Work in Process (WIP)
My WIP
limit is 3

16. LeadingAgile
What is a WIP limit?
WIP = 4WIP = ?
Team tasks vs. Kanban
Finish more
Start less

17. LeadingAgile
Capacity or Throughput?
FlowSlack
WIP Limit = 2
Throughput

18. LeadingAgile
Step 4 - Pull Work
(3)
Pull work to the
right, if there is
room

19. LeadingAgile
Blockers
Blocked
(3)
Can you pull
more work into
Doing column?

20. LeadingAgile
Focus
Focus
(3)
e.g. Add cover
sheet to TPS
report
Hello Peter,
what’s
happening?

21. LeadingAgile
Pomodoro – Focus for 25 Minutes
Focus
(3)

22. LeadingAgile
Workshop Time!

23. LeadingAgile
Instructions
1. Draw a value stream. Note your stream.
2. Review the task sheet on your table.
3. Based on the values of the tasks, create task cards
that you will pull through your Personal Kanban.
4. Add your cards to your backlog.
5. Ready, set, pull work! (timed)
6. Total your points.
7. Describe your experiences.
8. Who did the best? Why?
9. How can we make things better?
#7
+ 25
paperclips
25

24. LeadingAgile
Learning Outcome – How to Measure
1. Throughput
2. Lead Time
3. Cycle Time
We have a natural velocity.
To go faster, change the system.
How can we change the system?

25. LeadingAgile
Apply to Personal Life
LeanKit Kanban Whiteboard + Stickies

26. LeadingAgile
Apply to Professional Life
Image Courtesy of LeanKit Kanban

27. LeadingAgile
Additional Information
Graphics
• LeadingAgile
• Pictofigo
• Leankit
Derek Huether
derek@leadingagile.com
301/639-4976
Twitter: @derekhuether
LinkedIn: in/derekhuether
Google+: +derekhuether