In my software development career, some of my most productive work experiences happened while practicing Scrum. Scrum events & practices can help mitigate the challenges presented by the ADHD brain (or at least it has in my case). Learn more about ADHD, Scrum, and how Scrum can help the ADHD brain. Even if your team doesn't practice Scrum, you will still find ways to improve your own performance.

1. Scrum and My ADHD Brain
(or My ADHD Brain on Scrum)
David Amaya
AmayaHuman, LLC
https://twitter.com/AmayaHuman
www.AmayaHuman.com

2. This is My Brain

3. This is My Brain on Scrum

4. Any Questions?

5. Thank You!
David Amaya
AmayaHuman, LLC
https://twitter.com/AmayaHuman
www.AmayaHuman.com

6. Scrum and My ADHD Brain
• My Brain
• Scrum… and my ADHD Brain
• Conclusion

7. My Brain
I Have ADHD

8. My ADHD Brain
Emotional Dysregulation
Frustration; Failure to regulate normal emotion; inability to self-soothe

9. My ADHD Brain
Working Memory Deficit
What was the goal? What were the steps? What step was I on again?

10. My ADHD Brain
Time-Blindness
Near-sightedness to the future

11. My ADHD Brain
Can’t See The Future Over Time
Difficult to organize complex behaviors across time

12. My ADHD Brain
Self-Motivation Deficit
Our emotions are our motivations
If you can’t manage one, you can’t manage the other

13. My ADHD Brain – Self Motivation
With impaired Self-Motivation,
I am more dependent on my environment
to get motivation and/or be successful.

14. My ADHD Brain
I need to construct an environment
where I can thrive.

15. ScrumTransparency and accountability
with the aim of continuous improvement

16. Scrum – An Overview
ROLES ARTIFACTS TIME-BOXED EVENTS
Product Owner Product Backlog Sprint
Scrum Master Sprint Backlog Sprint Planning Meeting
Development Team Increment Daily Scrum
Sprint Review
Sprint Retrospective

17. Scrum – An Overview
ROLES ARTIFACTS TIME-BOXED EVENTS
Product Owner Product Backlog Sprint
Scrum Master Sprint Backlog Sprint Planning Meeting
Development Team Increment Daily Scrum
Sprint Review
Sprint Retrospective

18. Scrum [Event]
Sprint
Time-boxed container for all activities and other Scrum events
Focus is on development activities

19. Scrum Tools
Information Radiators
Just as a heater radiates heat, Information Radiators
radiate information.
• Scrum Board
• Burndown Chart
Note: Information Radiators must be visible to radiate information.

20. Scrum Tools – Scrum Board

21. Scrum [Event]
Sprint Planning Meeting
Inspect the Product Backlog
Create Sprint Backlog

22. Scrum [Event]
Daily Scrum
15 Minute daily meeting
Assess progress toward sprint goal. Sync activities. Create plan for next 24 hours.

23. Scrum [Event]
Sprint Review
Product increment is inspected with the stakeholders.
Only completed features are shown.

24. Scrum [Event]
Sprint Retrospective
Discussion of process, behaviors, tools to find actionable improvements.

25. Scrum and My ADHD Brain - Review
Scrum My ADHD Brain
Sprint • Time-Blindness: Don’t need to think more than two weeks ahead
• Working Memory: Tools (e.g. Scrum board) keeps work visible
Sprint Planning Meeting • Time-Blindness: Enables organizing work over time
• Small work items allow you to break the future into pieces
• Motivation: Team goal; team commitment
• Accountability: Team commits to sprint backlog
Daily Scrum • Time-Blindness: Daily deadlines help maintain focus and motivation
• Motivation: Small wins over time improves morale
• Accountability: Consequences sprinkled throughout the week
Sprint Review • Tightens feedback loop between stakeholders and team
Sprint Retrospective • Time-blindness: Enables continuous improvement over time.

26. Conclusion
Create an environment
where YOU can thrive.
Make the change at the point of performance.

27. Conclusion
Make the change at the point of performance.
Working Memory Deficit
Find a substitute for your working memory.
Should be outside your brain, and in view.
(Scrum board, paper journal, etc.)

28. Conclusion
Make the change at the point of performance.
Time-Blindness
If a task involves time, use something to keep track of time.
(Timer, day/week/month planner, calendar, notebook, etc.)

29. Conclusion
Make the change at the point of performance.
Can’t See The Future Over Time
Break the future into pieces.
Break projects into baby steps that you can do a piece a day.
Incentivize doing the baby steps.
(Sprint Planning, Backlog Grooming, etc.)

30. Conclusion
Make the change at the point of performance.
Can’t See The Future Over Time, pt 2:
Consequences and Accountability
Tighten the Feedback loop.
Shrink the time between an event, your response and the outcome.
(Daily standup, retrospectives, feedback)

31. Conclusion
Make the change at the point of performance.
Self-Motivation
Make all motivation external.
Put something in it for you (and not far into the future).
(Use points, tokens, whatever you need to.)

32. Resources
• 30 Essential Ideas You Should Know About ADHD—Russell A. Barkley
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzBixSjmbc8eFl6UX5_wWGP8i0mAs-cvY
• How to ADHD — Do You Have a Wall of Awful?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo08uS904Rg
• How to ADHD (channel)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nPM1_kSZf91ZGkcgy_95Q

33. Thank You!
David Amaya
AmayaHuman, LLC
https://twitter.com/AmayaHuman
www.AmayaHuman.com