Introduction
Managing tasks effectively is crucial for the success of any project. During my time at Ladbrokes and EB Games, I worked with established teams, focusing on enhancing workflows and aligning them with Agile methodologies. Later, at CQUniversity, I took on the challenge of forming a new team from the ground up. In each case, introducing Jira as a task management tool played a pivotal role in streamlining processes and fostering collaboration. This article shares my experiences with Jira and provides insights into how it can be leveraged to improve task management.
Lessons from Working Across Industries and Forming Teams
Leading teams at Ladbrokes and EB Games, and forming a new team at CQUniversity, taught me that clarity and structure are vital for driving productivity and fostering collaboration. While each environment presented unique challenges, a consistent takeaway was the importance of:
- Standardise task workflows. to ensure consistency across the team.
- Provide transparency across the team. to keep everyone aligned and informed.
- Support iterative improvements in line with Agile principles. by integrating Agile principles and tools like Jira.
Jira was the tool that enabled us to achieve this. Here’s how we made it work.
Understanding the Jira Board
A Jira board offers a visual representation of your workflow. Each task moves through clearly defined columns, making it easy to track progress. You can create any columns you need but I will go through the ones that we used.
Columns in Our Workflow
- Backlog: A repository for unprioritised tasks, ensuring nothing gets overlooked.
- Assigned: Tasks ready to be worked on, clearly assigned to team members.
- In Progress: Tracks tasks currently being executed.
- QA (Quality Assurance): Ensures tasks meet technical and quality standards.
- UAT (User Acceptance Testing): Validates that tasks meet end-user expectations.
- Done: The final destination for completed tasks.
- Cancelled: For tasks no longer needed, keeping the board tidy and focused.
Handling Blocked Tasks
At CQUniversity, as at Ladbrokes and EB Games, one key challenge was addressing blockers. Jira’s flagging feature allowed us to mark blocked tasks and prioritise their resolution during daily stand-ups.
Structuring Work with Epics and Tasks
As we adopted Agile methodologies, it became clear that breaking work into Epics and Tasks was essential for clarity and focus.
The Role of Epics
Epics represent larger projects that provide context for related tasks.
Example Epic Content:
- Epic Name: Website Relaunch
- Description: This epic involves redesigning the website to improve user engagement.
- Acceptance Criteria:
- A modern design is approved and implemented.
- Content is migrated successfully.
- Site is mobile-friendly and responsive.
Tasks: Actionable Units of Work
Tasks are specific actions contributing to the Epic’s goals. We would try and keep these around two days maximum amoutn of work effort.
Example Task Content:
- Description: Build a SharePoint site for employee collaboration.
- User Story: As an employee, I want a hub for company updates and resources.
- Acceptance Criteria:
- The site includes sections for news and announcements.
- IT and HR approve the final structure.
Adapting Jira to a New Team
When forming a team, it’s common for some members to be unfamiliar with Jira or Agile workflows. To address this, I prioritised training sessions, ensuring everyone understood how to use Jira effectively. I encouraged team members to actively participate by asking questions, providing feedback, and suggesting improvements to our workflows. This approach fostered a sense of ownership and supported continuous improvement.
At CQUniversity, I drew on my prior experience to position Jira as the foundation of our task management strategy. By tailoring workflows, aligning tasks with strategic objectives, and promoting team collaboration, we achieved impactful and meaningful outcomes.
Reflections and Insights
From Ladbrokes to EB Games and CQUniversity, implementing Jira wasn’t just about managing tasks, it was about creating a culture of ownership and innovation. The adaptability of Jira made it a valuable tool across the different teams and industries.
Conclusion
Jira has been instrumental in my journey of leading teams and driving project success. Whether you’re forming a new team or refining an existing one, Jira’s flexibility and structured approach make it a powerful ally.
If you’re forming a new team or looking to refine your workflows, Jira offers a structured yet flexible approach to task management. Based on my experience, it’s not just a tool but a framework for fostering clarity, accountability, and collaboration.
If you are interested in checking out Jira the free version supports up to 10 users and unlimited projects.
Thank you for reading and I hope this gives some insight into your next project and the possibility of using Jira!