Tip of the Week: Start With the Real Problem
Each Wednesday, SAFe Connect shares a practical insight from our featured member. This week, Bria Schecker offers grounded guidance drawn from her real world experience.
What’s one practical or tactical tip you’d give someone applying SAFe in a complex environment?
Start with the problem, not the prescription. Instead of trying to Go SAFe as a blanket solution, I focus on identifying what is actually holding the organization back from achieving its goals. Then I use SAFe principles and practices to address those root causes. For me, it is less about adopting a framework and more about solving real business challenges. SAFe just happens to be a great toolkit for that.
What’s a resource you always recommend to other SAFe professionals and why?
It really depends on what someone is trying to learn and how they like to learn. Personally, I have found the Intro to LPM toolkit incredibly useful. I have borrowed and adapted many of its concepts for workshops I design for customers and colleagues. It is a great starting point if you want practical tools you can use right away.
What’s your go to productivity hack or ritual?
I love Stephen Covey’s advice: Don’t prioritize your schedule. Schedule your priorities. While I love a good Kanban board as much as any agilist, I have learned that I am most productive when I block calendar time for my top priorities. Visualizing work is helpful, but protecting time to get the work done is even better for me.
How do you stay current or keep learning in your Agile journey?
SAFe Summits are one of my favorite places to learn and connect. I also enjoy engaging with the community on LinkedIn because it is a great way to discover new approaches and perspectives. For deeper conversations, Meetups and SPC Circles are hard to beat.
