PMP lesson · Agile Metrics & Events · Agile metrics · lesson 5 of 5 · about 5 minutes
Information radiators and transparency
Agile and hybridFree preview
Goal: After this lesson you can explain what an information radiator is, which ones help most, and how they reduce interruptions and status meetings.
1The situation
“Just a quick question…”
Stakeholders kept walking up to MES developers: “How is it going? What's blocking you? When will export be ready?” The project manager spent hours a day answering the same questions, and the team kept losing focus.
Meanwhile, the team's daily stand-up had become a status report to the PM, who attended to “stay informed”.
Both problems had the same solution: make the information visible to everyone, all the time.
2What is an information radiator?
An information radiator is a large, visible display of key project information that anyone can see at a glance: task board, burndown, impediments, goals. It “radiates” information without anyone having to ask.
Visible
Big and public
In the team area or on a shared dashboard.
Current
Updated as work happens
Not prepared once a week.
Simple
Understood in seconds
Few charts, clear meaning.
Many interruptions for status → information radiators, not more status meetings. The stand-up stays the team's coordination event.
3Typical information radiators
Task board
Who is doing what; what is blocked.
Burndown / burn-up
Progress toward the sprint or release.
Impediment list
Blockers and who is removing them.
Team agreements & goals
Sprint goal, working agreement, definition of done.
Physical wall or online dashboard: what matters is that it is big, visible, current and simple, and anyone can see it without asking.
A few simple, current displays.
4How it looks on the exam
Exam-style question 1. Stakeholders frequently interrupt team members to ask about progress, and the project manager spends much of the day answering similar questions. What is the MOST effective way to address this?
A. Ask stakeholders to email questions
B. Schedule a daily status meeting for stakeholders
C. Use information radiators such as a visible task board, burn charts and an impediment list
D. Tell team members to refuse questions
Show the answer and the decode
Answer: C.
In simple English
Repeated status questions disrupt the team.
What is the question really asking?
The best fix.
Key words / trigger
“interrupt team members to ask about progress”
PMP logic
Information radiators make progress visible to all, reducing interruptions.
Why the wrong answer looks attractive
A daily status meeting looks organised, but costs the team more time.
5Remember this
Your memory card
Information radiators: big, visible, current, simple
Task board · burn charts · impediment list · goals and agreements
Reduce interruptions and status meetings
Transparency works only when it is safe to show problems