We have used the terms "release plan," "backlog," and "product road map" more or less interchangeably. Do these terms mean the same thing in your environment? If not, how and why are they different? How long is each one, in terms of weeks of work?
2.
How long is an iteration in your environment? Why do you use that cadence? Does the work of clearly defining the details of the customer problem happen inside of or prior to the iteration?
3.
Discuss in a team meeting: What is the difference between story-test driven development and unit-test driven development? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Which do you use? Which should you use?
4.
On a scale of 05 (with 0 = low and 5 = high) rate your organization on:
Standardized architecture
Standardized tools
Coding conventions
Configuration management
Automated unit tests
Automated acceptance tests
One-click build and test
Continuous integration
Automated release
Automated installation
Total your score.
5.
At your next team meeting, ask the team to take a look at your team room. Rate its general appearance on a scale of 05 (high). Now rate the general neatness and simplicity of your code base on the same scale. Are the results similar? If you have a score of 3 or lower, propose to the team that you do a 5S exercise, first on the room and then on the code base.
6.
Who is responsible for setting standards? Who should be? How closely are standards followed? How easily are they changed? Is there a connection between the last two answers in your organization?