Method · Problem solving

Walk the board: how to run it

Run a team stand-up by going through the work board from right to left — what is nearly done first — instead of person by person, so the talk is about finishing work.

15 minutes4 stepsProblem solving
Other methods

When it helps

Use it for teams that track work on a board (Kanban or Scrum), when stand-ups have become a list of personal updates and work piles up unfinished.

When to use something else

Skip it when the board is out of date — fix that first — or when the team has no shared board.

How to run it, step by step

  1. Start at the right-hand column3 min
    • Begin with work closest to done: what does it need to finish?
  2. Move left, item by item7 min
    • For each item: is it moving? What is blocking it?
  3. Look at the limits3 min
    • Is any column overloaded? Should someone help finish rather than start something new?
  4. Agree who helps whom2 min
    • Pair up on blocked items; note anything for after the stand-up.

What comes out — an example

Made up, to show the shape.

Ready to release. Two items waiting for a reviewer — Sam reviews this morning.

In progress. Five items; the import fix blocked on a database password — ops asked after the call.

Limit. Testing column at 6 (limit 4) — no new work starts until it drops.

Questions

What does walk the board mean?

Running a stand-up by reviewing the work items on the team’s board, usually from the column nearest done backwards, instead of each person giving an update.

Why go from right to left?

Starting with nearly finished work keeps the team focused on finishing, not starting new things.

How long should it take?

About fifteen minutes, like any stand-up.

What if somebody’s work is not on the board?

Then the board is not showing the real work. Add it as a card after the stand-up, so the next walk includes it and nobody has to give a separate update.

Other methods

Five whysAsk “why?” about a problem, then about the answer, and keep going — usually around five times — until you reach a cause you can actually fix.PremortemBefore starting a project, imagine it has already failed and have everyone write down why — then change the plan to prevent the likeliest causes.Parking lotA visible list where topics that come up but do not belong in this meeting are written down, so they are not lost and the meeting stays on track.TimeboxingGive each part of a meeting or task a fixed amount of time, and stop when it runs out — then decide whether to continue, move on, or come back to it.Lean CoffeeA meeting with no agenda until it starts: everybody writes topics, the group votes, and you talk about the most popular ones in short, timed rounds.Fishbowl discussionA few people talk in an inner circle while everyone else listens from around them; listeners can step in by taking an empty chair, so a large group can hold one real conversation.

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