Juggling Work, Life, and PMP Prep
Scrum vs Kanban: Agile is BAU Process
Hey, I’m Gabor and welcome to Agile Admiral weekly newsletter. Your Essential Resource for Project Management Excellence.
Each week I tackle reader questions about PMP preparation, how to implement PMP into real-life projects and Senior Project manager career.
For more: PMP Passing Rate | Power of Lessons Learned | Agile Paradox | What Project Managers and Chefs have in common?
What's Inside This Edition:
📣 14 Project Managers passed PMP since January 1st
🔬 Scrum vs. Kanban: Choosing the delivery model which works
Scrum vs. Kanban
Continues improvement became a BAU process(Business As Usual).
Project managers have been asked to constantly look for ways to improve timelines, costs, margins, baselines, EAC, ETC, customer relationships……………..and the list goes on.
Agile project management is a leading approach now. No longer a “proof of concept”.
Let's have a look, amongst the most frequently used delivery models which can help you to deliver your next project.
Scrum is highly structured with fixed-length iterations called sprints. It emphasizes regular cadence, clear roles, and ceremonies.
Kanban is more flexible, focusing on visualizing work and limiting work-in-progress to optimize flow.
Structure and Workflow
Scrum:
Fixed-length sprints (typically 1-4 weeks)
Defined roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team
Prescribed ceremonies: Sprint Planning, Daily Standup, Sprint Review, Retrospective
Commits to a sprint backlog that shouldn't change mid-sprint
Kanban:
Continuous flow rather than fixed iterations
No prescribed roles
Work items move through columns on a board
WIP limits to prevent bottlenecks
Changes can be made at any time
Delivery and Forecasting
Scrum provides predictable delivery through sprint commitments and velocity measurements, making it easier to forecast when features will be completed.
Kanban focuses on cycle time (how long it takes for a task to move through the system) and throughput (how many tasks complete in a given timeframe), which can provide more real-time metrics.
Best Suited For
Scrum works well for projects with:
New teams learning Agile
Complex products with evolving requirements
Need for regular stakeholder feedback
Defined release cycles
Kanban excels in:
Support and maintenance environments
Projects with varying priorities
Teams with mature Agile practices
Continuous delivery environments
Final Thoughts
Rather than viewing Scrum and Kanban as competitors, we can adopt a hybrid approach, taking the best elements from each methodology. The key is to choose practices that best suit your team's needs and continuously improve your process based on feedback and results.
Remember that both methodologies are means to an end: delivering quality software that meets user needs. The best approach is the one that helps your team work most effectively and deliver the value.
PMP Update
Since January 1st, 14 of my clients passed PMP
Little bit over 1 person per week
As per LinkedIn job search, 9/10 PM jobs asking for PMP cert
Passing ratio remained as 1 out 3 people passing each week
PMBOK8 is coming, but we don't know when
140,000 new PMPs in 2024
Studying for the PMP is tough.
You face long hours and complex ideas.
You feel overwhelmed.
Here’s how to stay motivated:
1. Challenge: Juggling Work, Life, and PMP Prep
❌ Balancing everything is tough.
✅ Solution: Create a Realistic Study Plan
→ Block study time like it's a meeting.
→ Prioritize quality study over cramming(no need for 4 hours study sessions).
→ If you are "brave" enough, share your goals with family and friends for support.
→ In case your schedule is getting hectic, just plan one week ahead of time and try to stick to your plan.
2. Challenge: Studying Alone Feels Isolating
❌ The journey can feel lonely.
✅ Solution: Find a Study Group or Accountability Partner
→ Join a PMP study group for shared motivation.
→ Connect with others preparing for the exam.
→ Having someone to check in with keeps you on track.
→ Join PMP Operating system.
3. Challenge: Losing Focus Over Time
❌ Long study hours will lead to burnout.
✅ Solution: Study 2 x 1 hours sessions
→ Use flashcards, videos, and exercise spreadsheets.
→ Teach what you learn to someone else.
→ Change your study spot to boost focus.
→ Take regular breaks. Simply because on the exam you are also allowed to take a 2 x 10min break.
Stay focused. Keep pushing forward.
Remind yourself why you started.
The effort is worth it.
Your PMP certification will open doors and set you apart as a project leader.
Everybody "teaches" PMP differently.
My approach is focusing on questions and how to improve the testing score to 80%+ passing rate.
PMP is your commitment to the project management career path.
Exam preparation is challenging:
-> Due to the million different materials.
-> 1000 x different advices.
-> Many interpretations of the best practices.
I do NOT offer 35 hours of training. That is something 99% of people do.
I am not telling you my program is the BEST program in the world.
I am planning to give you clarity and direction to ensure exam prep is smoother.
To ensure you do not spend 4 - 6 months preparing PMP.
Looking forward to seeing you next week.
Register Here: Im in :-)
Thank you for reading. Appreciate you!
