How I Hacked a Master’s Degree Project with Scrum: The Art of Managing a Diverse Team and Crushing Deadlines

As a Master’s student in Health Informatics and Data Science, juggling a summer semester chock-full of demanding courses felt like trying to ride a unicycle on a tightrope. But the course that captivated me most? Management Healthcare Communication Systems, particularly its group project focused on “Enhancing Remote Monitoring for High-Risk Pregnancies.” This isn’t a tale about the project topic itself, fascinating as it may be. Instead, it’s about how I orchestrated a harmonious blend of Agile, Scrum, and classic project management techniques to lead a team comprised of three nurses, one Health Information specialist, and one Pharmacy technician. Teammates, if you’re reading this, now you’ll know the method to my apparent madness.

Agile: The Customizable Symphony of Productivity

The beauty of Agile isn’t just its flexibility—it’s how you can tailor this dynamic framework to solve unique challenges. In our case, the challenges weren’t just about building a project; they were about getting an ‘A’ while also building long-term team relationships (long-term relationships are important to me).

Step 1: Assemble Your Avengers – Know Thy Team

Scrum operates on events, roles, and artifacts. Before you can effectively assign these, you have to understand who you’re working with. In our first week, I held one-on-one conversations with team members to gauge their strengths and a bit of their personal lives, essentially searching for our Product Owner (PO). Mission accomplished, we had our PO, while I took on the role of both Project Manager and Scrum Master.

Step 2: Your Holy Grail – Know Thy Product

While having a proficient team was essential, understanding our project was crucial. The nurses in our group had firsthand experience with high-risk pregnancies—our target user group. Our Health Information Specialist/Product Owner grasped the entire project’s requirements, and our Pharmacy technician had personally experienced the need for the product we were developing.

Step 3: The Magic Sauce – Know Thy Process

Coordinating six people across different time zones and life commitments was nothing short of a Herculean task. Our silver bullet? What I like to call the “Open Door Policy,” heavily inspired by “Pair Programming” from eXtreme programming. Team members were grouped into pairs to work on different sections of the project. A mini RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed) chart kept everyone on the same page, while weekly appointees ensured that the work was progressing smoothly.

Step 4: The Grand Reveal – Sprint Review

To keep the project narrative coherent, we instituted an innovative Sprint Review mechanism. A rotating pair acted as the project’s editors, ensuring that the project maintained a unified voice and vision. This allowed us to identify any changes or adjustments we needed to make.

Step 5: The Aftermath – Output & Lessons Learned

The project received rave reviews and invaluable feedback. Reflecting on the journey, I realized the need for greater transparency. While the team enjoyed the process and rotation, the true value of these systems extends beyond the project to creating longer-term relationships.

What’s Next?

I hope this chronicle of our academic adventure provides not just an entertaining read but also valuable insights into the art of team management and Agile methodology. Keep your eyes peeled—there’s more on the horizon. Until then, stay agile, my friends!

Gotta run 🙂