Backlog – light my fire!
We would like to be able to develop at a constant pace without disruption. A continuous flow of work gives us predictability and allows the teams to focus. This may sound like an obvious suggestion. It is however different from the expectations in classical project management.
One effect can be daunting to the team. In a Classical approach, the future work is always decreasing towards a single fixed goal. If we are working continuously, there is no “end point”. We achieve successes but we continue with future challenges. The team must adjust to the workload being continuous (but at a sustainable pace).
Surfing
I use the analogy of surfing to represent the perception of work. It may not be an obvious link. Where do I see surfing as representing development? In particular how does surfing represent the way that we perceive work?
Work to be completed piles up behind the team like a wave. Most developers see this pending work as a threat. In many organizations, the culture increases this pressure. The wave is made up of everything that is riding on the development – revenue, prestige, reputation for the company. Teams and individuals often rely on success (or at least perceived success) for their personal advancement.
This can make the outstanding work seem overwhelming – a wave waiting to crash down on you. This mind-set is particularly prevalent in start-ups where it seems every misstep could sink the company. If we take a continuous flow approach to work, that wave will always be there.
Relighting the fire
You may not have thought where the name “Backlog” comes from. Its origin is in medieval fires. A large fire takes considerable effort to lay correctly, to light and to clean after it has finished. Constantly re-starting a fire adds a considerable amount of effort. We avoid the need to do this with a “back log”; a large log which sits at the back of the fire. When the fire is not in use, perhaps at night, the log continues to smoulder away. Because the backlog keeps the heat, it is easy to start cooking by simply adding more fuel.
The backlog is the continuous set of fuel which allows the team to always have clear work. Without this, there will be a delay as the team resets, decides what comes next and restarts. “Relighting the fire” would be an extra cost. We avoid this cost by ensuring the backlog is never empty and there is always work ready to be started.
Good practices
We need to change this way of thinking about work. We cannot achieve a sustainable pace of work while every piece of work is an immediate threat. As a leader you need to reposition what backlog really is.
Surfing reminds us that there are two ways to view a wave. It can be a powerful threat waiting to tear you from your board. But to a skilled surfer, it is also the power which drives you forwards. Without the wave, there is no motion.
View backlog as much closer to being an endless, reliable amount of fuel. If the backlog runs low, the team risks stalling and having no valuable work to do. A well-prepared backlog gives clarity to the team. They are always aware of what their priorities are right now. Priorities show what they are being asked to do next. Then they can agree how and when to prepare for the next items so that they flow smoothly into progress.
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