Month: September 2023

The PARA Method example

Projects

    • OKR 1: Increase website traffic by 10% in the next quarter.
      • Tasks:
        • Conduct keyword research and develop new SEO strategies.
        • Create and publish high-quality content on a regular basis.
        • Promote the website through social media and other channels.
      • Resources:
        • OKR scorecard
        • Keyword research tool
        • Content management system
        • Social media accounts
    • OKR 2: Launch a new product feature within the next two months.
      • Tasks:
        • Design the new product feature.
        • Develop the new product feature.
        • Test the new product feature.
        • Deploy the new product feature to production.
      • Resources:
        • OKR scorecard
        • Design software
        • Development environment
        • Testing environment
        • Production environment

Areas of Responsibility

    • Scrum team: Web development team
      • Goals:
        • Deliver high-quality software on time and within budget.
        • Improve the user experience of the website and mobile app.
        • Increase website traffic and mobile app downloads.
      • Objectives:
        • Release new features and bug fixes every two weeks.
        • Reduce the number of customer support tickets by 20%.
        • Increase website traffic by 10% in the next quarter.
    • Products: Website and mobile app
      • Goals:
        • Provide a valuable and user-friendly experience for customers.
        • Increase website traffic and mobile app downloads.
        • Generate revenue from advertising and other sources.
      • Objectives:
        • Launch a new product feature within the next two months.
        • Increase website traffic by 10% in the next quarter.
        • Increase mobile app downloads by 15% in the next quarter.
    • Customers: Website visitors and mobile app users
      • Goals:
        • Provide a valuable and user-friendly experience for customers.
        • Increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
        • Generate revenue from advertising and other sources.
      • Objectives:
        • Reduce the number of customer support tickets by 20%.
        • Increase the customer satisfaction score by 5%.
        • Increase the average time spent on the website by 10%.

Resources

    • OKR scorecards
    • Sprint plans
    • Product backlogs
    • Design files
    • Codebase
    • Customer feedback
    • Documentation
    • Templates

Archives

    • Completed projects
    • Reference materials
    • Personal documents

The Scrum team can use the PARA system to organize their work and information around their OKRs in the following ways:

    • Projects: The Scrum team can create a project for each of their OKRs. For example, they can create a project for “Increase website traffic by 10% in the next quarter.”
    • Areas of Responsibility: The Scrum team can create an area of responsibility for their team. For example, they can create an area of responsibility for “Web development team.”
    • Resources: The Scrum team can add relevant resources to each project. For example, they can add the OKR scorecard, keyword research tool, content management system, and social media accounts to the project for “Increase website traffic by 10% in the next quarter.”
    • Archives: The Scrum team can move completed projects and other information that they don’t need to access on a regular basis to their Archives list.

The Scrum team can use their PARA system to inform their sprint planning. For example, when they are planning their next sprint, they can review their Projects and Areas of Responsibility lists to identify the most important tasks that they need to work on. They can also use their PARA system to track their progress on their OKRs and other goals. At the end of each sprint, they can review their PARA system to see how much progress they made.

The Scrum team can also use their PARA system to collaborate with other teams. For example, if they are working on a project with the marketing team, they can share their PARA system with the marketing team so that everyone is on the same page.

By using the PARA method, the Scrum team can stay organized and focused on their OKRs. This can help them to achieve their goals more efficiently and effectively.

The PARA method

The PARA method is a productivity system developed by Tiago Forte. It stands for Projects, Areas of Responsibility, Resources, and Archives. The goal of the PARA method is to help you organize your work and information in a way that is clear, efficient, and accessible.

The PARA method can be applied to agile Scrum OKRs in the following way:

Projects

Your Projects list should contain all of the active projects that you are working on. This could include OKRs, sprints, or other initiatives. For each project, you should have a clear understanding of the goal, the scope, the timeline, and the next steps.

Areas of Responsibility

Your Areas of Responsibility list should contain all of the areas of your work that you are responsible for. This could include things like your team, your products, or your customers. For each area of responsibility, you should have a clear understanding of your goals and objectives.

Resources

Your Resources list should contain all of the information and tools that you need to do your job. This could include things like documents, notes, code, and templates. For each resource, you should have a clear understanding of where it is located and how to access it.

Archives

Your Archives list should contain all of the information that you need to keep, but that you don’t need to access on a regular basis. This could include things like completed projects, reference materials, and personal documents. For each archive, you should have a clear understanding of what it contains and why you are keeping it.

Here are some specific tips for applying the PARA method to agile Scrum OKRs:

    • Create a project for each of your OKRs.
    • Create an area of responsibility for each of your Scrum teams.
    • Add any relevant resources to your Resources list, such as OKR scorecards, sprint plans, and product backlogs.
    • Move completed projects and other information that you don’t need to access on a regular basis to your Archives list.

The PARA method can help you to stay organized and focused on your OKRs. By taking the time to set up your PARA system, you can create a clear and actionable roadmap for achieving your goals.

Here are some additional tips for using the PARA method in an agile Scrum environment:

    • Review your PARA system regularly. As your OKRs and priorities change, you may need to adjust your PARA system accordingly.
    • Use your PARA system to inform your sprint planning. When you are planning your next sprint, review your Projects and Areas of Responsibility lists to identify the most important tasks that you need to work on.
    • Use your PARA system to track your progress. At the end of each sprint, review your PARA system to see how much progress you made on your OKRs and other goals.
    • Use your PARA system to collaborate with others. If you are working on a project with other people, share your PARA system with them so that everyone is on the same page.

The PARA method is a powerful tool for organizing your work and information. By applying the PARA method to your agile Scrum OKRs, you can set yourself up for success.