Scrum Masters should not use Scrum themselves. Try Kandike instead.
As an Agile Consultant and Scrum Master, I juggle several customer projects, internal tasks and spontaneous requirements every day. Structure isn’t just helpful – it’s essential. My job is to help my teams apply Scrum correctly to plan their work. But here’s a strange thing: Scrum doesn’t necessarily help me plan my work myself. None of my tasks are in the team backlog and we don’t talk about them in the dailies. Some time ago, I came across the Kandike method, a gamified Lean-Agile method that organizes tasks like playing cards, cleverly combining motivation and productivity. It’s a bit like Scrum on an individual level – only with a lot more fun. And while I don’t quite use Kandike “in accordance with the rules,” it has proven to be a real game changer for me. I can say that my productivity has increased by about 20%.
What is Kandike anyway?
Kandike combines elements of Kanban and the card game Klondike. Tasks are visualized as cards organized into decks. Every week a “game” is played: You draw cards from different decks, plan the week, work on it in a concentrated way and reflect on how it went at the end of the “game”. All of this together is intended to promote personal agility – with fun and structure.
Rules are there to be broken.
Everything has its meaning and its use in Kandike. But I have decided for myself that I will bend some rules, if not break them, so that the benefit for me personally is even greater. For example, instead of dividing the cards into different “colors,” I simply introduced labels for categories. This means that “customer projects”, “internal tasks” or “private matters” can be distinguished by their colors, and in each game I can see exactly how much I have planned for one category and how little I have planned for the other. That makes it clearer and more flexible for me.
I also removed something else from the method for me, which makes Kandike special but doesn’t really suit me: a teammate. As a rule, you can find someone with whom you can exchange ideas and reflect on things twice a week. This was very helpful, especially at the beginning, but it also tied you up time. Today, I do it on my own – and enjoy the freedom to start and end my week when it suits me. Kandike gives me the structure, but I determine the rhythm. And the nice thing is: I’m not doing anything wrong with it. The method thrives on tailoring it to one’s own reality – and that’s exactly what works wonderfully for me.
Estimated Early Warning System.
A particularly valuable aspect for me is the use of story points for planning my work, which paradoxically I can’t do in Scrum as a Scrum Master, because my work is not part of the team’s velocity. By awarding points to the planned work week after week and thus seeing how much I have planned, I can see early on whether I am overtaxing myself or whether there is still room for short-term tasks. This helps me to plan realistically and not to take on too much from the beginning – a real advantage, especially if I have several projects at the same time.
Another highlight that has saved me from great embarrassment several times and saved me from having to work through the nights: Once per game, a look at the next two weeks is given. This helps me to recognize at an early stage whether important dates, workshops or deadlines have slipped through so far and I still have to prepare something here. In this way, I skilfully stay in front of the wave and can proactively prepare what to expect without having to push anything in between shortly before handing it in in order to make it in time.
What I have also come to appreciate very much is the opportunity to exchange ideas with Michael Sender, the inventor of the Kandike Method, if I have any questions. Because sometimes I forget why certain things are there at all and what they are supposed to be for (a disadvantage if you don’t follow the rules faithfully, I admit). But since I know that Michael offers an appointment every month for questions or suggestions, I can be sure that I can address my uncertainties in a timely manner and will certainly get an answer that will help me.
Conclusion: Kandike works – also individually adapted.
I don’t use Kandike 1:1 like in the textbook. And that’s perfectly fine. The method is flexible enough to adapt to personal needs – and that’s exactly where its strength lies. For me as a Scrum Master, it is a valuable tool to maintain clarity, focus and motivation – even in a complex, dynamic work environment.
Curious? The Kandike training courses will start soon!
If you would like to get to know Kandike yourself and find out how you can apply the method to yourself – individually and practically – then sign up for one of the upcoming training courses. The next dates are coming up soon and it’s really worth being there. For more information, please visit Trainings-kalender – P3 group GmbH Kandike Practitioner – Gamified Agile Personal Productivity Mastery – P3 group GmbH.
