What is Information Radiator?
Communication and transparency are important aspects of teamwork. All team members should be made aware of the latest happenings at all times. There are different ways of effecting communication within team members.
In this article, we will take a look at one of the most effective ways of information displays- the information radiator. We will delve deeper into what an information radiator is, the role it plays in agile, benefits of using information radiator, information radiator approach and some information radiator examples.
This is a key instrument that can play an important role in team coordination and engagement. Let’s get started.
Information Radiation Definition
Information radiation is a collective term of displaying any handwritten, drawn, printed or electronic displays in a highly visible place for effective communication between team members and passers-by. An information radiator allows them to have a look at the recent information, albeit at a glance.
These pieces of information differ from velocity, incident reports, automated tests and continuous integration status. Information radiation can be generally referred to as Big Visible Chart or information workspace.
Its origin can be traced back to the 1980s when the idea of visual control was introduced from the Toyota Production System. It was not until more than a decade later in 1999 that the term Big Visible Chart was coined by Kent Beck in his work ‘Extreme Programming Explained’ but later attributed to Martin Fowler.
The term information radiator was lastly coined by Alistair Cockburn in 2001. However, it had a completely different meaning, referring to the movement of information by using heat and gas.
Information Radiator in Agile (Scrum)
Agile teams have moments whereby everyone comes together to evaluate the past sprint and make some changes for the next one, in what is called as the sprint retrospective. These retrospectives are normally necessary to agile teams and all organizations seeking to adapt and improve how they work.
Members should therefor ensure that they collect enough information on different topics to fuel effective discussions. Scrum retrospectives should, therefore, rely on an information radiator to record events, feedback, ideas and comments. Let’s take and in-depth look at information radiators in scrum.
Information radiator can be used in agile technologies. Representing key information in an information radiator can highly benefit an agile organization provided that it is well implemented in a scrum team. It can also be used to exploit data in a scrum team.
In agile technology, information radiator refers to a detailed display of key team information that is openly shared with all team members and other stakeholders. It ensures that all members and stakeholders are updated regularly.
These radiators can be displayed in different formats including handwritten, drawn, printed and electronic. It has helped agile companies share information easily with different people including remote workers.
It has helped boost feedback and communication in agile environments and helped teams fully focus on results. However, there are a few parameters that must be met for effective information radiation process.
These include:
- Accurate information
An information radiator must show accurate information to improve consultations. The information needs to be precise to help the team evaluate their performance and work on turnaround options if any.
- Constant updates
An information radiator needs to offer continuous updates. Keep in mind that information is only relevant if constantly updated. Certain teams give members the freedom to update their data whereas others have rules regarding information update.
The best data update approach in agile teams is via daily meetings or the sprint retrospective.
- Simplicity
An information radiator should be simple for easier and better readability. It should be easy to understand at a glance. Complex display of information may bring more confusion which may inhibit consultations.
An agile team can use visual control traffic lights or colored stickers to increase efficiency and clarity. Other useful additions would be how-to-read notes.
- Accessibility and visibility
An information radiator needs to be accessible and visible for all the stakeholders. All the team members should be able to access he latest updates in the information radiator regardless of their location. Arrangements should be made to include a remote team.
Benefits of Using Information Radiator
Information radiators are mainly used for transparency. It is a mandatory requirement that team members are kept on the know all through the stages of the project. They should have access to every piece of information, whether good or bad.
An information radiator is normally displaced in a public place which means that the team members will always be informed without asking. Transparency dictates that no information is hidden or relayed at a later date, which is what an information radiator prevents.
Here are some of the benefits of using an information radiator:
- Keeps everyone informed
An information radiator is not only meant for a defined team. It keeps everyone, including the different stakeholders who rarely leave their offices involved. An information radiator is generally placed in an open place, where even the janitor can see what is happening.
It also communicates the team progress to the other members of the organization who may be interested but have no or little say. It is the best means of telling all and sundry how a project is coming along and some of the obstacles that may have been faced.
- It conserves time
Using an information radiator is one of the most time efficient methods of relying information. You only need a public place where all members of the company have access to and you are done. You do not have to call everyone for a boardroom interview just to update them on a given occurrence.
Also, the content of an information radiator can be adjusted as new information trickles in. It saves everyone time, leaving them to tend to their jobs as they get regular updates. It also prevents unnecessary movement to and from boardrooms, which is one of the most time-consuming activities in office settings. One can easily access information from his/ her desk.
- It is a cost-effective method of information display
Using an information radiator is one of the cheapest ways of relaying team information. You do not need to personally update every employee or stakeholder in the organization in case a new information trickles in.
It reaches several people at a time given that information is relayed in an open space. It is better than constant phone calls or emails to team members who may not be present. Information relay via information radiator therefore requires only a source of power, which makes it one of the most cost-effective means.
- Promote responsibility among team members
Information radiators are public displays. Therefore, all members of an organization and even the particular team are made aware of the results and progress of given projects. It therefore evokes team responsibility since nobody wants to be publicly ridiculed.
Information radiators are therefore, more or less display of results. A team which shows excellence in their projects will be happy with the public display whereas one whose results are not enticing will strive to turn around the project and better their output.
Therefore, it serves as a means of pushing a team to achieve their potential while working on different projects. It also serves as a means of influencing other teams to work hard and beat the successful one. It works both ways.
- Provoke conversations
Information radiator provoke conversions that may lead to betterment of a given project. Information is relayed openly to everyone including the public, whose expertise may be of immense helps. It therefore serves as a means of indirectly including other professionals in the attainment of a given objective.
Businesses serve different people, including those who may be experienced in filed touching on a team’s project. Just by peeping at the progress of a team, one can give a suggestion that may turn around everything, creating a new vie of the project and accelerating its achievement.
It therefore benefits the business indirectly.
- Helps in confronting problems
Through information radiation, information is displayed publicly and therefore, the team members are made aware of their problems and what they need to do to confront them. It is quite challenging to prolong or downplay problems when they are in the public domain.
It pushes the team members to come up with solutions for salvageable problems and prevent public ridicule. They will therefore work twice as hard to achieve results, helping the business scale greater heights at the same time.
Therefore, it ensures that team members have absolutely nothing to hide from themselves.
Information Radiator Approach
There are certain approaches that should be taken when coming up with an information radiator. The most effective one is customized by the team members. Some of the things that should be included include a backlog board, work-in-progress board, calendar, team documents and an obstacle board.
An information radiator must also be personalized during preparation. The information must be relevant to the team.
Information Radiation Examples
Some of the common information radiators used in Scrum include scrum boards owned by the development team, impediment list by the scrum master and spring burndown charts owned by the development team.
Conclusion
Information radiators play an important role in fostering communication and transparency among team members. It should therefore be employed by businesses who would like to revolutionize their operations.
