Talk delivered at the "Innovate, Focus, Deliver" event organized by Mozaic Works.

1. Stay
Focused!
A talk by Alexandru Bolboaca
@alexboly
alex.bolboaca@mozaicworks.com

2. The Ever-Pivoting Company

3. The Neverending Ideas

4. Why Focus?
1. Clarify vision
2.Minimize noise
“Real artists ship”
Steve Jobs
3.Eliminate anything that doesn't add value
4.Stop starting, start finishing
5.Clear the collective mind of the team

5. 10 Practices for Focus
1.Value Stream Mapping
6.Staff Liquidity
2.Visual Management
7.Effective Meetings
3.Remove Blockages
8.Limit Interruptions
4.Deal with Bottlenecks
9.Plan Learning
5.Resource Availability
10.Improve Flow

6. I'm guilty for this talk!
Alexandru Bolboacă
Trainer, coach, polyglot
programmer with international
experience
alex.bolboaca@mozaicworks.com
@alexboly

7. 1. Value Stream Mapping
Brainstorm
idea
Detail
idea
Sketch UI
Code
Test
Deploy

8. 2. Visual Management
Vision: Change the world
Objective: Get 100 more paying users
Acceptance
tests defined
Ideas
Paper
mock-up
Features
UI design
Reviewed with
John
Code
Refactored
Code Review
Test
0 major
issues
Deploy

9. 3. Remove Blockages
Acceptance
tests defined
Ideas
Paper
mock-up
Features
UI design
Reviewed with
John
Refactored
Code Review
Code
Test
Blocked
0 major
issues
Deploy

10. 4. Deal With Bottlenecks
Acceptance
tests defined
Ideas
Paper
mock-up
Features
UI design
Reviewed with
John
Code
Refactored
Code Review
Test
0 major
issues
Deploy
Bottleneck!

11. 5. Ensure Resource Availability
Where's that
document????

12. 6. Ensure Staff Liquidity
Your best people should have the
least
tasks assigned

13. 7. Do Effective Meetings
1. Initiator facilitates
“Discuss X” is not
2. Clear objectives
an objective
3. Defined structure
4. Keep the timing
5. Leave with actions
6. Do a retrospective

14. 8. Minimize Interruptions
Don't interrupt me now!
I'm focused.

15. 9. Plan your team's learning
1. Self-assessment
4. Make a demo
2. Prioritize
5. How to improve?
3. Plan actions for 2
weeks, 1h / week

16. 10. Improve Flow
1. Limit WIP
Paper
mock-up
Ideas
Features (2)
UI design (1)
Reviewed with
John
Code (1)
Refactored
Code Review
Test (1)
0 major
issues
Deploy
2. Monitor Cycle Time
3. Improve Your Process

17. 10 Practices for Focus
1.Value Stream Mapping
6.Staff Liquidity
2.Visual Management
7.Effective Meetings
3.Remove Blockages
8.Limit Interruptions
4.Deal with Bottlenecks
9.Plan Learning
5.Resource Availability
10.Improve Flow

18. Your Questions?
“The important
thing is
not to stop questioning”

19. I'm guilty for this talk!
Alexandru Bolboaca
alex.bolboaca@mozaicworks.com
@alexboly
http://alexbolboaca.ro

20. Learn More
I T.A.K.E. Unconference
11
Blog
mozaicworks.com/category/blog
Kanban
An evolutionary lean-agile
http://itakeunconf.com/
method centered around
Bucharest, 29-30 May 2014
flow and focus
Ask us about Kanban & Visual
Management workshops and
coaching!
Workshops
Product Inception
User Stories
Leading self-organized teams

21. Photo Attribution
http://betanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Annoyed-user.jpg
http://www.quotes.jotoexplorer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Albert%20Einstein%20Quotes%205.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4aRxfGqORxQ/UO4tAPD7vhI/AAAAAAAAV68/M_7B7Huj1nE/s640/busy-01.png
http://meetmrholland.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/130203-blog-holland-creative-meeting-boring-meeting.j
pg?w=3504&h=2336
http://hospitalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/red-flag.png
http://tweetspeakenglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/no-time.jpg
http://www.usnews.com/cmsmedia/68/b5/175164c24ed78cd2c7930333e75a/140212-darts-editorial.jp
g
http://www.physicstogo.org/images/features/chaotic%20pend%20large.jpg
http://wonderopolis.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/silver-infinity-symbol_shutterstock_64474066.jpg
http://covenant-communion.net/files/search_lens.png
http://www.jacquelynclark.com/2011/03/31/condo-life-bookshelves/