It’s time to start out interested by an applicable costume you’ll be able to put on to the numerous agile-themed Halloween events you’ll attend. On this submit I’ll share some last-minute costume concepts you’ll be able to pull collectively whether or not you’re a Scrum Grasp, product proprietor, or perhaps a stakeholder on an agile mission.
This run-down of Halloween costumes for agile groups began out only for enjoyable. However then I obtained to considering, it is also a inventive (and informative) approach to run a Halloween retrospective: Agile staff members may come dressed to characterize the position they performed prior to now dash.
Or you possibly can strive a Halloween agile retrospective for the mission as an entire: and invite stakeholders, administration, and staff members to decorate because the roles they’ve skilled, or want they might expertise, thus far. Or you’ll be able to simply get pleasure from some light-hearted insights into the Scrum roles.
Auto Mechanic
Let’s begin with a Scrum Grasp costume. An auto mechanic costume can be nice for a Scrum Grasp. Like a mechanic, a Scrum Grasp troubleshoots and fixes issues. A talented and skilled mechanic can usually establish points earlier than they grow to be issues (“your brake pads are getting skinny”). A Scrum Grasp may be regarded as tuning up a staff to realize its absolute best efficiency.
Costume: Seize some coveralls, perhaps smear some grease on them, and both carry some instruments or put on a toolbelt.
Ghost
Stakeholders can generally act like ghosts.
Some folks say ghosts don’t exist. My pal Jim Harold says in any other case on his podcast. However the kind of ghost I’m referring to is the stakeholder who doesn’t present up at dash critiques.
Typically stakeholders inform us the mission is necessary and get annoyed if the staff misses a aim. However by by no means attending iteration critiques, successfully being as invisible as a ghost, these stakeholders’ actions point out the mission should not be that necessary in any case.
Costume: A easy white sheet with two eye holes.
Tightrope Walker
Product homeowners are sometimes compelled to prioritize competing wants from completely different stakeholders. Stakeholders might characterize completely different geographic areas, departments inside a company, or they could simply have completely different views of a product’s future.
Whatever the purpose, stakeholders search to affect a product proprietor into constructing what they want, which is perhaps very completely different from what the client or different stakeholders are searching for.
In these conditions, the product proprietor is a tightrope walker balancing competing calls for and striving to not fall by leaning too far to both facet. A technique to assist preserve steadiness is for product homeowners to deal with stakeholders as a second staff, somewhat than as people.
Costume: So long as you carry an extended pole for steadiness, you’ll be able to in all probability put on no matter you need, however some spandex is perhaps applicable.
Golf Caddy
A very good Scrum Grasp is sort of a golf caddy. Every little thing a caddy does is to assist the participant—recommending golf equipment, carrying the golf equipment, observing different gamers—all these aids assist a golfer concentrate on hitting the ball properly. Scrum Masters emulate this by equally eradicating all impediments to a staff’s progress.
After the ultimate putt is made, cheers go up for the successful golfer because the caddy stands by, unnoticed by most. The identical is true of Scrum Masters. When their groups succeed, reward is heaped on the staff. However astute observers know the way a lot the Scrum Grasp did behind the scenes to assist the staff succeed.
Costume: Channel Rodney Dangerfield from Caddyshack, or put on your loudest polyester pants and borrow your brother-in-law’s previous golf golf equipment.
Bartender
A very good Scrum Grasp listens to detect when a staff is having an issue, after which fixes that downside. A bartender listens to patrons’ issues and…OK, affords solace at greatest, however doesn’t repair the issue. So put on a bartender costume if you wish to costume up like a nasty Scrum Grasp.
Costume: A white apron maybe with a holster belt that holds a bottle on either side will work properly. If you wish to transcend the minimal, add a vest or suspenders with aptitude.
Ted Lasso
As an alternative of dressing like a nasty Scrum Grasp, although, think about dressing as an ideal agile coach: Ted Lasso. As a coach, Lasso displays many traits we’d all do properly to emulate: empathy for his staff members, nice listening expertise, willingness to experiment, lack of an outsized ego, searching for to make his staff the most effective it may be, and extra.
Costume: A blue tracksuit or pullover with sun shades. Don’t overlook to both develop a mustache or purchase a stick-on one. Nearer to Halloween, you may want to purchase the mustache.
Alfred Pennyworth
Batman can be misplaced with out his trusted butler, Alfred. A retired actor and former particular agent of the British authorities, Alfred does no matter Batman wants, normally with out Batman even having to ask. Alfred often is the truest instance potential of a true servant chief.
Costume: It is a nice DIY costume. Alfred is at all times impeccably dressed, so put in your greatest swimsuit and tie a full Windsor knot—and shortly rehearse your English accent.
A Couple’s Costume: A Rooster and a Pig
A narrative from the early days of Scrum concerned a hen and a pig who needed to open a breakfast restaurant. The pig declined the chance, figuring out that in producing a ham-and-egg breakfast he’d be dedicated, the hen can be merely concerned.
The story was informed way back to say that product homeowners had been merely concerned in sprints. They weren’t dedicated like Scrum Masters and staff members. I by no means agreed with that view, as a result of in my expertise probably the most profitable groups have product homeowners who act each bit as dedicated because the builders.
However, in all probability as a result of the joke is a minimum of barely amusing, chickens and pigs nonetheless sometimes come up in Scrum discussions. This makes them the right couple’s or group Halloween costume.
Costume: Go all out and make (or purchase) hen and pig costumes. Or maintain it easy and get a pig snout on an elastic band. Complement it with a pink hoodie if you would like. The hen can put on a white or yellow hoodie and a plastic beak.
What Are You Carrying This 12 months?
I hope I’ve given you just a few staff costume concepts for work, and a few group costume concepts for the entire Halloween events, costume contests, and treat-or-treating outings you’re certain to be invited to. And I hope that I’ve additionally given you some new issues to consider with the varied Scrum roles or planted the seeds for some new holiday-themed retrospective concepts.
What different concepts do you have got? What costume would you put on to an agile Halloween occasion? Please share your ideas within the feedback beneath.
