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A Scrum Master’s Strategy for Focusing a Scattered Mind
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, this powerful exercise shows you where to spend your energy
A while back, I noticed that my teenage daughter was overwhelmed by everything she had on her plate: moving out on her own for the first time, applying to internships, searching for a part-time job, staying on top of her health, and maintaining her social life. While she has always been very disciplined, all of these activities were competing for her attention, and she was struggling to find the right balance. She wasn’t getting enough sleep, and it began to affect her well-being.
It hurt me to see one of my kids struggling. I wanted to help my daughter without telling her what to do (not that she would have listened — she was becoming an adult, after all). I wanted to teach her how to manage multiple tasks, a skill she would need for the rest of her life.
In my job as a scrum master, I guide teams in understanding their priorities so they can find focus. I thought back on all the exercises and interventions I’ve used in my work, and eventually landed on one that I thought could really help my daughter sort out her scattered thoughts: the WADE Matrix. WADE stands for What, Analog, Digital, and Execute. (It’s also the name of its creator, scrum master…
