How to be done like December 2022

Some things are clear when they’re done, like with

• Time: we know when December is over and we’re done with 2022
• Or resources: remember the toilet paper shortage of 2020?

Some things have variable but clear standards of done:

• A steak can be rare, medium, or well done

Other things don’t have such a clear measure:

• When is a painting done? Or a piece of music?

A big challenge for teams delivering a product is that done isn’t always visible.

A product can range:

• From an MVP where you know there is more to do but it’s done enough to get some form of feedback.
• To something that looks perfect but is missing security or regulatory requirements.

An easier way to know if something is done is to have a checklist for the visible, hidden, explicit and implicit variables that need to be completed to deliver an increment of value. A Definition of Done.

As The Scrum Guide says when you’ve met your Definition of Done, an increment is born.  

What does work look like without a Definition of Done?

Half baked… it may not show up in the Sprint Review. It may even get released to your customers and stakeholders. But you will see the consequences of work not done. It will show up in feedback, issues, and a lot of rework.

If you want to be celebrating the work you’ve done, then spend some time updating your Definition of Done.

Last year was a time of huge growth for Meirik, we’ve rebranded, launched a new website, delivered 52 training courses, and cooperated with quite a few companies. We supported Ukraine organising money collecting and released free of charge training sessions for Ukrainian residents and refugees of Ukraine.

Our Definition of Done ensures the best standard of quality for our coaching and training. How do we know we’re done? We hear directly from you. Thanks for all of the great feedback and support you’ve given us this year.

We can’t wait to see what the rest of 2023 would be like.

If you already plan the upcoming quarters of 2023, see Meirik Masterclasses and Scrum, Kanban courses we have scheduled.