The Day My Son Became Part of My Agile Experiment

When I earned my PMI-Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP) certification on 25 January 2025, I thought the biggest impact would be on my career.

I was wrong.

Like many people who learn something new, I became slightly obsessed with Agile. User stories, retrospectives, continuous improvement, feedback loops. You name it, I was seeing Agile everywhere.

And before I knew it, I had started bringing Agile home.

No, I didn’t create a Scrum board for my family.

At least not immediately.

One evening, after a particularly emotional day, I came across a simple retrospective technique called “Mad, Sad, Glad.”

In project teams, it’s used to help people reflect on experiences and improve. The concept is simple:

Mad 😠

What frustrated us during this sprint/project?

Examples:

• Delays in approvals or decisions
• Unclear requirements
• Frequent scope changes
• System issues or tool limitations
• Dependencies outside the team’s control

Sad 😔

What disappointed us or could have gone better?

Examples:

• Missed deadlines
• Team members feeling overloaded
• Opportunities we couldn’t pursue
• Stakeholder disengagement
• Quality issues discovered late

Glad 😊

What went well that we should celebrate or continue doing?

Examples:

• Successful delivery of key milestones
• Strong collaboration across teams
• Positive stakeholder feedback
• Process improvements that saved time
• Team members stepping up to support others

Curious of this restrospective, I decided to try it with my son.

I expected a one-minute conversation.

Instead, I got a glimpse into a world I rarely saw.

He spoke about a classmate who upset him.

A game he enjoyed.

Something that disappointed him.

Something that made him proud.

What surprised me wasn’t the answers.

It was the fact that he had answers.

As adults, we often assume children will tell us when something is bothering them. The reality is that many emotions remain hidden unless someone creates the space for them to be expressed.

Over the next few days, the exercise became part of our evening conversations.

Some days were funny.

Some days were surprising.

Some days were eye-opening.

Slowly, I noticed a change.

Instead of simply saying “school was fine,” he started talking about specific experiences.

Instead of reacting immediately to situations, he started reflecting on them.

Without realizing it, he was developing a skill many adults still struggle with: self-awareness.

That’s when it struck me.

Agile isn’t really about frameworks, ceremonies, or sticky notes.

At its core, Agile is about reflection, learning, adaptation, and continuous improvement.

And those aren’t workplace skills.

They’re life skills.

The PMI-ACP certification taught me Agile. My son taught me why it matters.

But watching Agile principles come alive at home taught me something even more valuable:

Sometimes the best lessons from work are the ones we bring into our personal lives.

Key Takeaways

• Agile principles can be applied beyond projects and workplaces.
• Regular reflection helps build emotional awareness and communication skills.
• Creating a safe space for children to express emotions can strengthen trust and understanding.
• Continuous improvement isn’t just a professional practice. It’s a life skill.
• Simple habits often create the biggest long-term changes.