The A-Z of Agile: Collabracadabra and the Joygility of Agilicious Teams

Are you frazzledazzled, and need a quagmirequasher who loves a bit of collabracadabra to lift you out of a slump? Or perhaps you’re an outoftheboxian who can’t help but yonderize your agile practices? Or maybe you have no idea what we’re talking about – in which case, read on, dear reader! This is a glossary of the most agilicious new vocab to keep you from going kanbananas.

So buckle up those Leaderhosen, and let’s dive in!

Agilicious (adjective): /əˌdʒɪˈlɪʃəs/

The delightful state of being deliciously agile, where teams move so swiftly that they leave a trail of glitter and rainbows behind.

Bureaucrab (noun): /bjʊˈroʊkræb/

A person with outdated ideas about how businesses should operate. They thrive in overly bureaucratic environments. They side-step progress and efficiency, making slow and cumbersome decisions.

Collabracadabra (noun): /kəˌlæbrəkəˈdæbrə/

The magical moment when cross-functional teams seamlessly collaborate and make project obstacles disappear with a wave of their Agile wands.

Daily Standoff (noun): /ˈdeɪli ˈstændɔf/

A dangerous kind of Daily Standup, where developers and their managers face off in a battle of wills. This can be avoided by ensuring managers are not leading the Daily Scrum. 

(See also: Dailylightful (adjective): /ˌdeɪliˈlaɪtfl̩/ The joyous mood teams have during Daily Scrums that run as smooth as butter) 

Estimagination (noun): /ɛˌstɪməˈdʒeɪʃən

The wild guesswork involved in sizing tasks, where the only rule is that no two team members can agree. 

Frazzledazzle (verb): /ˈfræzəlˌdæzəl/

The art of mustering up the energy and enthusiasm to present your work during Sprint Reviews or stakeholder meetings, despite feeling utterly frazzled by deadlines and project pressures. 

Goofru (noun): /ˈguːfruː/

A self-proclaimed “Agile guru” who dispenses questionable advice, and whose only goal appears to be to win arguments and be “right”. The result is often that other team members just avoid talking to them and adopt a “nod and smile” approach.

Harmoanious (adjective): /hɑːrˈmoʊniəs/

The state observed by oblivious managers: on the surface all seem harmonious and calm, but as soon as they leave the room, there’s only moaning. 

Incremunchious (adjective): /ɪnˌkrɛmʌnˈʃəs/

The delightful feeling when completing incremental tasks is as satisfying as indulging in a scrumptious feast, leaving the team happily munching on accomplishments.

Joygility (noun): /dʒɔɪˈdʒɪlɪti/

The euphoria experienced when a team successfully achieves a milestone or overcomes a significant challenge through Agile collaboration and determination.

Kanbananas (adjective): /ˌkænˈbænənəs/

The state of a Kanban board gone wild, with tasks slipping and sliding, creating a chaotic but strangely appealing project landscape.

Leaderhosen (noun): /ˈliːdərˌhoʊzən/

A term used to describe a moment when a leader needs to step up, stop messing around, and lead their team with the grace and flair of a Bavarian folk dancer. (eg. “When we landed this massive new client, I realized I needed to put on my Leaderhosen and rally the team into formation”.)

Mayhemometer (noun): /ˌmeɪˈhemɒmiːtər/

A tool that gauges the level of project chaos or unexpected challenges. For example: “With the approaching deadline, the Mayhemometer started to rise.”

Nowvation (noun) /naʊˈveɪʃn/

The act of coming up with innovative solutions so quickly, it seems like the ideas were just waiting for the question to be asked.

Outoftheboxian (noun) /ˌaʊtəvðəˈbɒksiən/

A creative thinker or innovator who consistently generates fresh ideas and solutions, pushing the boundaries of conventional wisdom. Everyone needs at least one outoftheboxian in their team. 

Plandemonium (noun) /plæn.dɪˈməʊ.ni.əm/

The chaotic state that ensues when there are too many rigid plans with not enough adaptability, leading to confusion and disarray among team members as soon as anything changes.

Quagmirequasher (noun): /ˈkwægmaɪərˌkwɒʃər/

A troubleshooter so adept at navigating through project quagmires, they can flatten any impediment into a stepping stone with their agile thinking.

Retrocity: /ˈrɛtrəʊˌsɪti/

When the attendance of nitpicky and finger-pointing stakeholders create a Retro that’s a total atrocity. 

Scrumsplaining (verb): /ˈskrʌmˌspleɪnɪŋ/

The act of confidently explaining Scrum concepts to individuals or teams who are already familiar with them, often done with a sense of superiority or condescension. The practice is very prevalent in comment sections across LinkedIn. 

Transformatience (noun): /trænsfɔːrˈmeɪʃəns/

The special kind of patience required when undergoing organizational transformation. It’s the ability to endure the twists, turns, and uncertainties of change, while maintaining resilience and determination. 

Urgentle (adverb): /ˈɜːrdʒəntli/

An urgent request or action conveyed in a polite and tactful manner, subtly emphasizing the need for immediate attention or action without resorting to aggressive or forceful language. (eg. “She sent an urgentle reminder to the team about the looming deadline.”)

Valuatrix (noun): /ˌvæl.jʊˈeɪ.trɪks/

A sophisticated matrix within agile project management, meticulously designed to assess and prioritize tasks, initiatives, and goals based on their actual value. It helps to optimize resource allocation and maximizing outcomes.

Waterfail (noun): /ˈwɔːtərˌfeɪl/

An ancient and slow-moving method of project management is now reserved for cautionary tales.

Xanadon’t (noun): /ˌzænəˈdoʊnt/

A state within project management where processes, practices, or attitudes hinder agility and innovation, causing stagnation or resistance to change. It symbolizes the antithesis of agile values, often characterized by rigid hierarchies, bureaucratic red tape, or a reluctance to embrace experimentation and adaptation.

Yonderize (verb): /ˈjɒn.dər.aɪz/

To explore and venture beyond conventional boundaries or limitations within a project or organization, embracing a spirit of curiosity and innovation to discover new possibilities and opportunities. (eg. “Great idea, but let’s yonderize it even more!”)

Zenban (noun): / ˈzɛnbæn /

A tranquil and harmonious Kanban board, where tasks flow smoothly and team members collaborate peacefully to achieve their goals.