Family Agile Board In Practice

We've been practicing family agility in our home for a few weeks now, and have forged our own flavor of the practice, starting with the use of an agile board. The board is simply a means to visualize our week and the activities thereof. Below are some observations that have been helpful to us:

(1) The board has only 4 sections: "To Do" (for everything that needs to be done this week), "Today" (for what will be tackled today), "Blocked" (for what was started but for whatever reason cannot be completed yet, such as when we are waiting for a response from somebody), and "Done" (for what is complete).

(2) We do a "daily standup" in the evenings Monday through Saturday. During the standup, we briefly talk about tasks in "Today" and move what is complete to "Done" or stuck items to "Blocked". This lasts less than 10 minutes, but it also gives us a chance to catch up on each other's day.

(3) On Sunday nights, we do a "retrospective" in which we recap the week: we go through the "Done" items and high-five each other for the accomplishments, gather lessons learned, and move weekly repeat tasks back to "To Do". We also look at the week ahead and back-fill "To Do" with new tasks. Then we do a quick standup for Monday. Having a view of the week at all times helps us coordinate our activities better.

(4) We feel that practicing agility this way has also been a benefit to our marriage. It has helped us be on the same page more often than not, and because we must plan each day together, we also know how to pray for each other throughout the day. The general awareness of what we are faced with also provides better opportunities to serve each other and work well together as a team. It also provides opportunity to hold each other accountable, encouraging us to do what we said we would.

(5) When a non-repeating task stays in "Today" for more than a day, I mark a strike on it. Tasks with too many strikes indicate poor planning, or taking on too much for the day, or thinking something is ready for action when it really wasn't, or not understanding the scope of the task comprehensively. Sounds all technical, but this method has helped us pace ourselves.

(6) When we do a retrospective, we are always surprised at how much we got done that week. Lots of things would have gone unnoticed that deserve a pat on the back. As a matter of fact, we are getting a lot more done these days, without feeling overwhelmed.

(7) There was some concern about what exactly should be on the board. In the end, we decided that if it something we want recognized, or that will take an hour or more of effort, or that we want to reflect on at the retrospective, is not super private, and is not a mundane daily activity (like brushing your teeth or breathing), then it can be on the board. Though, if brushing your teeth or breathing are "things you are working on", a reminder on the board can help.

(8) We considered using an online Kanban board, but we liked the visual aesthetic the physical agile board provides. We can actually stand up next to the board, and moving items among the section provides a "we did it" high. Also, the size of the board limits how much we sign up for each week. When we have tasks overflowing on the wall, we pause and ask ourselves whether we've taken on too much. Obviously the board will need to expand when Moses starts using it with us.

(9) We no longer have priorities attached to things, which in a way removes pressure to get things done. If something must be done quickly, then it is assigned to someone "Today". More urgency that that, activities will not be on the board. The practice is to just do it when it cannot wait or does not need consensus.

So as far as "things families do" go, we are keeping this practice. Our ultimate repositories of tasks and activities is Google Calendar, but abstracting out the week this way has been a boon to our livelihood.