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 for the other.

I also removed something else from the method: a teammate. As a rule, you find
someone with whom you can exchange ideas and reflect on things twice a week. Today, I do it on my own – and enjoy the freedom to start and end my week when it suits me. 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, I can see early on whether I am overtaxing myself or whether there is still room for short-term tasks. Once per game, a look at the next two weeks is given. This helps me recognize at an early stage whether important dates, workshops or deadlines have slipped through.

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.