In this series of Blog posts on 5 unique uses of PostIt notes, so far we talked about using Post It for Doodling and Visual note taking. Let’s talk about another unique way to use it.

In the (controlled) chaotic world of Agile, we are always looking for ways to have everyone participate in the ongoing discussions in the room. We are looking to have collaborative sessions where everyone brings in their view points.

When you have more than two people in the room, it is very easy to get off-track. We need a ‘referee’ to keep things moving in the right direction and stay the course. Unlike Soccer where only referee can raise the Yellow flag, we can empower entire team with this Yellow card.

This acts as a visual indicator and anyone in the room can raise it, if they feel that:

• the conversation is off-track and we are wasting everyone’s time
• conversation does not help us get to the goal we set out for in the beginning of the session
• the conversation is going into ‘weeds’
• S/he needs to break the conversation to give everyone a pause and ensure being on track

The team member has to briefly explain the reasoning for raising the Yellow card and request the team to get back to the appropriate discussions.

Often times, the out come of raising a Yellow card is additional items going on to the Parking Lot. Agile teams generally should have yellow Post It notes handy, and being agile, you make the most of what you are given. So, I came up with this idea of (re) using yellow Post It notes as Yellow card.

In a collaborative session that we want to have, you need every one to actively participate, yet stay on the central topic of the discussion. it is easier said than done! This is a simple concept, yet, very effective tool to aid the team and keep the communication and collaboration on the right track, making the sessions more productive for the team.

It improves productivity, enhances collaboration within team, as well as helps build the chemistry and trust among team members. It also helps those who are ‘soft spoken’, those ‘introverts’ in a sense that it provides them a tool to voice their concerns.

Go ahead, and make your next session very productive. Don’t be afraid to use it!