Adam Gonnerman

In today's job market, it's becoming increasingly important for employees to take control of their careers and maximize their profits. One way to do this is by changing jobs every two years. According to research, staying employed at the same company for over two years on average will make an individual earn less over their lifetime by about 50% or more. This is a conservative estimate assuming that your career will last only ten years, but the longer you work, the greater the difference in earnings over your lifetime. In 2014, the average raise an employee can expect is only 3%. Even the most underperforming employee can expect a 1.3% raise, while the best performers can hope for a 4.5% raise. However, the inflation rate is currently 2.1%, meaning that your raise is actually less than 1%. This can be sobering news, and it's unlikely that management will change their decision. Furthermore, loyal employees are often punished for their dedication, while those who jump ship ar...

The Definition of Done is a crucial concept in Scrum framework that is often misunderstood. It is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the required quality measures for the product. It plays a critical role in the successful implementation of the Scrum framework by ensuring the creation of a 'Done' potentially releasable increment. The Definition of Done is the entire Scrum team's responsibility, but teams must also adhere to any organizational-level norms, regulations, standards, or security policies that must be part of the product's Definition of Done. The Definition of Done supports the Scrum framework throughout its five Scrum events. During the Sprint Planning event, it helps the Scrum team understand the required activities to complete the work and decompose the Product Backlog Items into an actionable plan. The Daily Scrum event helps build a "Team Goal over Individual Goal" mindset by realizing that a product backlog item i...

Introduction As a program/project manager with experience in Agile work, I have encountered a plethora of red flags that have caused me concern over the years. Some have been easier to spot than others, but I have learned that it is essential to heed the warning signs to avoid finding oneself in a difficult situation. The Contents Don't Match the Label One of the most common red flags I've encountered is when the contents of a role do not match the job description. This has happened to me more than once, and I have learned the hard way that it is important to clarify the responsibilities and expectations of a role before accepting a job. In one instance, I accepted a program manager role that seemed to match my skill set and the job description, only to find out that the role required me to update PowerPoint slides all day instead of doing actual program management. Needless to say, I did not stay in that role for long. Sprinting Another red flag that I've encountered is wh...