Address and remove impediments, obstacles, and blockers

Enablers

• Determine critical impediments, obstacles, and blockers for the team. (ECO 1.7.1)
• Prioritize critical impediments, obstacles, and blockers for the team. (ECO 1.7.2)
• Implement solutions to remove impediments, obstacles, and blockers for the team. (ECO 1.7.3)
• Re-assess continually to ensure impediments, obstacles, and blockers for the team are being addressed. (ECO 1.7.4)

Deliverables, and Tools

Impediments, Obstacles, and Blockers

An impediment * is an obstacle that prevents the team from achieving its objectives.

• Impediments reference situations, conditions, and actions that slow down or hinder progress.

(For example, the team not coming to a decision on a file saving location.)

• Obstacles reference barriers that should be able to be moved, avoided, or overcome with some effort or strategy.

(For example, the construction crew is unable to arrive at the work site before permits are signed.)

• Blockers reference events or conditions that cause stoppages in the work or any further advancement.

(For example, the company has halted the use of any products in a certain firm until a new contract is signed.)

Backlog Assessment

• Impediments and obstacles may block work or planned efforts from moving forward.
• Assess product backlog, scheduled activities, and other lists of work items must be assessed in reference to the hindrances.
• Evaluating the impediments against the pending work.
• The team and business stakeholders to assess the backlogged work in terms of value and priority.
• Backlog assessment and refinement can also explore alternatives to overcome or avoid the risk; or in some instances, remove the work item or blockage altogether.

Daily Standup

Daily Standup*: A brief, daily collaboration meeting in which the team reviews progress from the previous day, declares intentions for the current day, and highlights any obstacles encountered or anticipated. Also known as a Daily Scrum.

• Conducted at the start of working hours.
• Presence of all team members involved in the Sprint is mandatory.
• During the meeting, these questions are answered:
• What has been done since the last meeting?
• What needs to be done before the next meeting?
• What does anyone need help with?

Tracking Impediments

By tracking impediments as they are raised, addressed, and resolved, communication and proper oversight is increased.

Methods for tracking impediments might include:

• Impediment task boards
• Software applications

Task boards need to convey the status and efforts associated with the identified impediments.

Risk Reviews / Risk List

• Impediments may be due to or as a result of project risks or issues.
• Risks that are raised during the daily standup meetings, iteration reviews, and other meetings, as well as everyday conversations, are added to the risk list.
• Newly identified and existing risks on the project risk list must be updated based on the current knowledge and situation.

Handling Impediments as Servant Leaders

• Servant leaders aim to clear an unobstructed path for the project team so they may contribute and deliver.
• Project managers want to optimize the workplace to be free of obstacles and other impediments.
• Physical team space
• Shielding the team from non-value activities
• Removing distraction, randomization, and other confusion enables the project team to be more effective and efficient.
• Project managers can take on most of the burden of addressing and removing impediments so the team can do their best work on the project to achieve its desired objectives.

Guidelines for Working with External Stakeholders, Other Projects, and Work Demands

• Discuss with the team to assess and evaluate the impediment.
• Review efforts previously attempted or considered.
• Discuss impact and solutions.
• Relay the impediment to the external source.
• Establish a single point of contact (SPOC) within the team, typically the project manager or person with the most subject matter knowledge. Shield the rest of the team as appropriate so they may focus on other work.
• Create action plan and schedule.
• Follow up and communicate per agreements.
• Document resolution and lessons learned for future reference.

Guidelines to Prioritize Critical Impediments, Obstacles, and Blockers

• Define the categories or levels of prioritization appropriate for your team, project, and/or organization. Redefine levels as needed.
• Anchor the priority levels with real examples.
• Clarify the new and still open impediments.
• Review the impact or potential impact to the team and to the project objectives.
• Assign a priority to each impediment as a team or a selected sub group based on connection to the impediment. Use any technique suitable for the team and allotted time, such as, but not limited to:
• Fist to five—Participants give a priority level from 0 (fist) to 5 (full hand).
• T-Shirt sizes—Participants repurpose the t-shirt sizing estimation to the priorities.
• Unique naming—Team designs their own unique naming conventions for scale that works for their needs and associations.
• Planning Poker—Participants repurpose the estimating technique for priorities.
• Communicate the priorities levels in an easily accessible area, such as a software tool, information radiator posted on a wall, or communal message board.
• Begin creating action plans for the highest priority impediments.
• Reassess continually to ensure impediments, obstacles, and blockers for the team are being addressed.