The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
books_are_nice_and_enjoyable's review against another edition
2.0
The authors make a lot of claims and don't present much evidence as to why I should trust those particular claims. Some of the ideas included here are worth knowing about, but altogether this was a somewhat underwhelming book to read.
chrisxaustin's review
4.0
A very practical and actionable book without a lot of filler. I was expecting it to focus more on techniques for mapping the value stream, vs guidance on how to structure meetings and build consensus through active participation, but I found that aspect very helpful. It doesn't matter how good the plan is if the stakeholders weren't part of the conversation and didn't take an active role in shaping the future state.
davidetarasconi's review
3.0
True, there are not many books about value stream mapping out there and the topic itself tends to be regarded as obscure by many, so this is a good start.
There are lots of insights on how to conduct a mapping activity in terms of contents, questions and planning, but not much guidance in how to actually make this supposed 3-day-long event happen.
As a facilitator, Agile coach and consultant I must say that you really need to be an expert facilitator in order to put in practice the teachings of this book in a realistic way.
The hurdles you go through in real life in order to plan, design and facilitate such an intensive retrospective and prospective analysis call for a strong reduction of the scope for this mapping activity: in real life it will be either a shorter event (one day, not three), or less details (it's unlikely to have in the same room all at once all the people that can detail all those numbers), or a more modest goal (mapping a single segment instead of an entire stream).
The book gives you both a great overviews and all the details you need in order to use the value stream mapping at its maximum capacity, but I would be happy to be able to apply even a 25% of it in a real-world scenario.
That being said, it is a well written book and a good read also for the inexperienced people. I highlighted many passaged, and I believe that as a coach and facilitator it gives you an edge in terms of having an additional tool in your "bag of tricks" – a fundamental one if you really want to implement Lean and Kanban beyond a single team and to the portfolio/strategic level.
There are lots of insights on how to conduct a mapping activity in terms of contents, questions and planning, but not much guidance in how to actually make this supposed 3-day-long event happen.
As a facilitator, Agile coach and consultant I must say that you really need to be an expert facilitator in order to put in practice the teachings of this book in a realistic way.
The hurdles you go through in real life in order to plan, design and facilitate such an intensive retrospective and prospective analysis call for a strong reduction of the scope for this mapping activity: in real life it will be either a shorter event (one day, not three), or less details (it's unlikely to have in the same room all at once all the people that can detail all those numbers), or a more modest goal (mapping a single segment instead of an entire stream).
The book gives you both a great overviews and all the details you need in order to use the value stream mapping at its maximum capacity, but I would be happy to be able to apply even a 25% of it in a real-world scenario.
That being said, it is a well written book and a good read also for the inexperienced people. I highlighted many passaged, and I believe that as a coach and facilitator it gives you an edge in terms of having an additional tool in your "bag of tricks" – a fundamental one if you really want to implement Lean and Kanban beyond a single team and to the portfolio/strategic level.
More...