• Agile & Scrum Basics

Fresh Start tip 1: Start with rhythm, not speed

My guess is that everyone recognizes this feeling: you come back from vacation or a quiet period and you want to hit the gas right away. Quickly clear the backlog, update everything and get great results. But in sports, in music and in teams, this approach often leads to the same result. Namely: you get out of balance, miss the flow and the energy sinks in after just a few days.

Look at sports. A runner who hasn’t trained for a few weeks doesn’t start at a race pace. Smart coaches plan slow endurance runs first, build rhythm. Only then do the fast sessions follow. This is not a matter of being lazy, but of smart peaking. Those who go full speed right away get overworked or injured.

In music, for example in my band Porchville Stringband, it’s no different. We don’t start a rehearsal with the most difficult song or a complicated solo. We start with a simple groove, a run or a basic melody. That way we tune into each other and find common timing. When that’s in place, energy is released to excel.

Focus on collaboration

The same principle applies in work. After a break, the temptation lurks to immediately tackle the most complex stories or start that strategic project in sprint 1. But the real power is in rhythm. Get your team back in the flow with a simple sprint, small deliverables and clear routines. Start by focusing on collaboration: short standup, simple planning sessions and quick retrospectives.

Building sustainable progress

I hear you thinking: okay, and then what happens? You build a stable foundation. Team members get into cadence, collaboration recovers faster and productivity rises naturally. Instead of crashing after a few weeks, sustainable progress occurs. Just like an athlete who trains injury-free. Or a band that walks out the door after an evening of rehearsals feeling fulfilled.

Choose constructive rhythm

And then, if I may, a piece of business advice: after every break, no matter how long or short, choose to build rhythm. Get the team up to speed first. After that, speed will follow naturally. An example of such a rhythm? Got me. Start your first sprint after summer with a clear goal. Plan a joint lunch or walk on Day 1 so people feel connection again. The result is that you end up crossing the finish line faster, with more energy and in better cooperation.

Interested in sparring further on that together? Above all, let me know.