Adam Gonnerman

When a Scrum team plans a sprint, they should do so with their velocity in mind. Velocity, in the context of Scrum, refers to the average number of story points a team has completed in past sprints. This metric serves as a reliable gauge of the team's capacity and should guide the amount of work planned for each sprint. Assuming the team has been working together for a while using the Scrum methodology, their historical velocity provides a realistic benchmark for future sprints. Planning sprints based on velocity ensures that teams do not overcommit or undercommit. Overcommitting by adding more work than what the team's velocity supports can lead to incomplete sprints, while undercommitting may result in underutilization of the team's potential. It is essential to strike a balance, and the team's average velocity helps achieve that balance. Temptation to include additional work beyond the team's velocity often arises, particularly from product owners who may see str...

In 2008, I was working for a major telecom company, handling calls for large business and government accounts. One day, while looking at an organizational chart, I realized my only available career moves within the company were lateral. I could shift to data support or something similar, but there was no clear path upward. I needed to move on. I searched online but couldn’t find many customer service options in New Jersey, where I lived. Then one night, it dawned on me to check New York. Believe it or not, I found my first job at a startup through Craigslist. Here, I'll share some of my thoughts on startup life. First, in a startup, you wear many hats. I was hired to provide "white glove" service to our clients, but with only a handful of customers, my primary role became content preparation. I processed investment newsletters from print, email, and PDFs into a format that our web application could display. Along the way, I also took on minor technical tasks, like fixing ...

Many people approach work with a "clock in, clock out" mindset. While this might get the job done, it limits personal and professional growth. You may become highly proficient in your current role, but what you truly need is experience that prepares you for the next one. Developing curiosity about different roles can expand your skill set and open new career opportunities. Exploring other roles broadens your understanding of the organization. Observing how different teams and departments function helps you see the bigger picture, while understanding cross-functional collaboration improves teamwork and efficiency. This, in turn, enhances your own job performance. Exposure to different roles provides valuable insights that can strengthen your current work, offering fresh perspectives and problem-solving strategies. Ultimately, this creates career growth opportunities—having a diverse skill set makes you more adaptable to change, and familiarity with adjacent roles increases you...

In my late teens and early twenties, my sole career focus was ministry. When I first expressed this calling, I quickly realized that traditional congregational ministry didn’t feel like the right fit for me. Seeking guidance, I approached the pastor of my church—part of the Presbyterian Church (USA) —to ask if there were alternative paths in ministry. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the time to discuss it, and before we could follow up, I had moved on to college. In college, I continued preparing for ministry, but every discussion and lesson centered on congregational work. Over time, I became so immersed in that narrative that I lost sight of any other possibilities. After a brief yet relatively successful stint as a missionary in Brazil, I accepted a call to serve a small church in New Mexico, part of the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ . It turned out to be a terrible experience. One elder regularly solicited critiques of my work from the congregation and then relayed them to me...

Being laid off is terrible. Having been laid off a few times myself, I know well the shock and anxiety of the experience. This post isn't about the people who are laid off, though. It's about those left to carry on. What follows is my advice to survivors of layoffs. First, take time to process what's happened. This is often said to people being laid off, but it's not much use to them, as generally they have no time to waste in this job market to look for another job.   For someone who has made it through a layoff there can be a variety of feelings. Acknowledge your emotions, whether it's relief, guilt, anxiety, or sadness. It's normal to feel a mix of things. Second, support your former colleagues. Reach out to those who were laid off, particularly via LinkedIn. Offer emotional support, job referrals, or networking help if you can. Even better, check in on them a month or two later for these things. People when laid off often have a flurry of activity in the beg...

One of the most challenging aspects of project and program management is dealing with unclear or constantly evolving requirements. Whether due to shifting business priorities, incomplete stakeholder alignment, or rapidly changing market conditions, ambiguity is an inevitable part of managing complex initiatives. Your ability to navigate this uncertainty while keeping the project moving forward is what sets you apart as an effective leader. Here’s how you can manage ambiguity and bring structure to chaos. First, clarify the big picture. When requirements are vague, step back and focus on the broader business objectives rather than getting lost in missing details. Ask stakeholders: What problem are we solving? What does success look like? What are the key constraints (timeline, budget, resources)? Aligning on these high-level priorities ensures that even if the details shift, you have a north star guiding the project. Second, break down unclear requirements into known and unknown compone...

Following a project kickoff meeting, the real work begins. While a well-run kickoff sets the stage for success, what happens immediately after the meeting is just as important. Without proper follow-up, even the most productive discussions can lose momentum, and critical action items may slip through the cracks. Ensuring a smooth transition from planning to execution requires timely communication, clear documentation, and alignment on next steps. The first and most immediate task is to send out meeting notes. These notes should capture key decisions made during the kickoff, major discussion points, and most importantly, action items assigned to specific individuals. A well-structured summary not only reinforces what was agreed upon but also serves as a reference document for those who may have missed the meeting or need to revisit details later. Meeting notes should be concise but comprehensive enough to provide clarity on responsibilities, deadlines, and any unresolved questions. Dis...