Setting Direction with OKRs and Tracking Progress with KPIs: A Guide for Agile, Project Management, and Tech Teams
14 July 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Introduction
Agile, project management, and tech teams thrive on clarity and momentum. Two powerful tools—Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)—help teams set ambitious goals and track progress. This article explains OKRs and KPIs with practical examples tailored for Agile, project management, and tech teams. It shows how to align daily work with big-picture success.
OKRs
OKRs are a goal-setting framework that inspires teams to aim high and measure progress with precision. Think of OKRs as a "growth engine"—pushing teams beyond daily routines to achieve bold, transformative goals.
OKR Characteristics:
OKR Structure:
OKR Example for Agile:
Scenario: A mobile app development team struggles with slow delivery cycles, frustrating users.
Objective: Accelerate product delivery to delight users with faster updates.
KR1: Improve the percentage of sprint goals successfully delivered from X% to Y% by Q3’s end.
KR2: Cut average user story cycle time from 12 days to 9 days.
KR3: Achieve 95% automated regression testing coverage for critical features (up from 70%).
OKR Example for Project Management:
Objective: Enhance stakeholder engagement.
KR1: Increase stakeholder satisfaction score from 65% to 85% by quarter-end.
KR2: Conduct at least four stakeholder workshops this quarter (up from one last quarter).
KR3: Achieve 80% or higher engagement rates on monthly progress updates, measured via open and response rates.
OKR Example for Technology:
Objective: Improve platform reliability for enterprise users.
KR1: Reduce average incident response time from 45 minutes to under 30 minutes this quarter.
KR2: Achieve 99.99% uptime in Q3, up from 99.9% in Q2.
KR3: Complete 100% of scheduled resiliency drills, increasing from 80% completion last quarter.
KPIs
KPIs are metrics that monitor ongoing performance, offering a real-time pulse on team operations. Think of KPIs as a "health check"—ensuring systems, teams, and projects run smoothly and efficiently.
KPI Characteristics:
KPI Example for Agile:
Defect Density: Target fewer than two defects per 100 story points.
KPI Example for Project Management:
Budget variance, schedule adherence. Our actual project schedule measures hit within 1% of the planned dates.
KPI Example for Technology:
API uptime targets 99.99% availability each month.
Using Both OKRs and KPIs
High-performing teams often combine both for maximum impact.
Example:
A tech team uses KPIs to maintain 99.99% server uptime while setting an OKR to reduce incident response time by 25%.
🚗 Analogy:
KPIs are the dashboard—speed, fuel, and engine health. OKRs are the GPS—destination and progress toward goals.
Pro Tips for Agile, Project Management, and Tech Leaders
Conclusion
OKRs and KPIs are a dynamic duo for high-performing teams. KPIs keep operations humming, while OKRs propel teams toward bold, transformative goals. By balancing the two, Agile, project management, and tech teams are positioned to achieve operational excellence and groundbreaking innovation.
In Short:
Next Steps:
The "KPIs and OKRs Side-by-Side" visual below provides an overview of the tools.
Read on to learn more.
More
Continue reading for:
About KPIs
No single individual is credited with creating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Instead, KPIs evolved over time as part of broader management practices. Here’s highlights of the history:
About OKRs
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) were created by Andy Grove, the former CEO of Intel. Here’s highlights of the history:
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
Introduction
Agile, project management, and tech teams thrive on clarity and momentum. Two powerful tools—Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)—help teams set ambitious goals and track progress. This article explains OKRs and KPIs with practical examples tailored for Agile, project management, and tech teams. It shows how to align daily work with big-picture success.
OKRs
OKRs are a goal-setting framework that inspires teams to aim high and measure progress with precision. Think of OKRs as a "growth engine"—pushing teams beyond daily routines to achieve bold, transformative goals.
OKR Characteristics:
- Purpose: Set ambitious goals and track measurable progress.
- Timeframe: Fixed cycles, typically quarterly.
- Focus: Innovation, improvement, and strategic wins.
OKR Structure:
- Objective: A concise, inspiring goal that rallies the team.
- Key Results: 2–5 measurable outcomes that track progress and ensure accountability.
OKR Example for Agile:
Scenario: A mobile app development team struggles with slow delivery cycles, frustrating users.
Objective: Accelerate product delivery to delight users with faster updates.
KR1: Improve the percentage of sprint goals successfully delivered from X% to Y% by Q3’s end.
KR2: Cut average user story cycle time from 12 days to 9 days.
KR3: Achieve 95% automated regression testing coverage for critical features (up from 70%).
OKR Example for Project Management:
Objective: Enhance stakeholder engagement.
KR1: Increase stakeholder satisfaction score from 65% to 85% by quarter-end.
KR2: Conduct at least four stakeholder workshops this quarter (up from one last quarter).
KR3: Achieve 80% or higher engagement rates on monthly progress updates, measured via open and response rates.
OKR Example for Technology:
Objective: Improve platform reliability for enterprise users.
KR1: Reduce average incident response time from 45 minutes to under 30 minutes this quarter.
KR2: Achieve 99.99% uptime in Q3, up from 99.9% in Q2.
KR3: Complete 100% of scheduled resiliency drills, increasing from 80% completion last quarter.
KPIs
KPIs are metrics that monitor ongoing performance, offering a real-time pulse on team operations. Think of KPIs as a "health check"—ensuring systems, teams, and projects run smoothly and efficiently.
KPI Characteristics:
- Purpose: Measure and maintain operational excellence.
- Timeframe: Continuous tracking (daily, weekly, or monthly).
- Focus: Stability and consistency in day-to-day work.
KPI Example for Agile:
Defect Density: Target fewer than two defects per 100 story points.
KPI Example for Project Management:
Budget variance, schedule adherence. Our actual project schedule measures hit within 1% of the planned dates.
KPI Example for Technology:
API uptime targets 99.99% availability each month.
Using Both OKRs and KPIs
High-performing teams often combine both for maximum impact.
- KPIs support smooth operations, like a car’s dashboard tracking speed, fuel, and engine health.
- OKRs guide teams to ambitious destinations, like a GPS charting the path to the next milestone.
Example:
A tech team uses KPIs to maintain 99.99% server uptime while setting an OKR to reduce incident response time by 25%.
🚗 Analogy:
KPIs are the dashboard—speed, fuel, and engine health. OKRs are the GPS—destination and progress toward goals.
Pro Tips for Agile, Project Management, and Tech Leaders
- Balance Both: Strong KPIs ensure operational stability, while bold OKRs drive breakthroughs.
- Align with Strategy: Tie OKRs to organizational vision and KPIs to daily priorities to avoid conflicts.
- Review Regularly: Monitor KPIs weekly to catch issues early; review OKRs quarterly to assess progress. Adapt as needed.
- Keep It Simple: Limit OKRs to 1–2 per team per quarter and focus on 3–5 key KPIs.
- Celebrate Wins: Recognize achievements—big (hitting an OKR) or small (maintaining a KPI) or anything in between—to boost team morale.
- Avoid Pitfalls: Ensure both OKRs and KPIs are meaningful.
Conclusion
OKRs and KPIs are a dynamic duo for high-performing teams. KPIs keep operations humming, while OKRs propel teams toward bold, transformative goals. By balancing the two, Agile, project management, and tech teams are positioned to achieve operational excellence and groundbreaking innovation.
In Short:
- KPIs = Tracking progress
- OKRs = Setting direction
Next Steps:
- Identify KPIs: Pinpoint 3–5 metrics that reflect operational health (e.g., uptime).
- Set an OKR: Craft one ambitious Objective with 2–3 measurable Key Results for the next quarter.
- Review and Iterate: Schedule weekly KPI check-ins and quarterly OKR reviews to monitor results and adapt as needed.
The "KPIs and OKRs Side-by-Side" visual below provides an overview of the tools.
Read on to learn more.
More
Continue reading for:
- About KPIs,
- About OKRs,
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- How to Cite This Article,
- and more.
About KPIs
No single individual is credited with creating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Instead, KPIs evolved over time as part of broader management practices. Here’s highlights of the history:
- Early 20th Century: The roots of KPIs trace back to Frederick Winslow Taylor and the Scientific Management movement (1911), which introduced the idea of measuring worker output to improve productivity.
- 1950s: Peter Drucker, often called the “father of modern management,” popularized the importance of measuring performance with the famous (attributed) phrase: “What gets measured gets managed.” While Drucker didn’t invent KPIs, his work laid the conceptual groundwork.
- 1980s-1990s: The term “Key Performance Indicators” gained traction alongside the rise of Balanced Scorecards (Kaplan & Norton, 1992) and other strategic management frameworks.
About OKRs
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) were created by Andy Grove, the former CEO of Intel. Here’s highlights of the history:
- Grove introduced the concept internally at Intel as early as 1975.
- Grove covered it in his 1983 book, “High Output Management,” though he didn’t use the exact term “OKRs.” He called it the “iMBO” (Intel Management by Objectives); it was an evolution of Peter Drucker’s Management by Objectives (MBO) concept.
- John Doerr, a former Intel employee, popularized OKRs when he introduced them to Google in 1999. Doerr formally labeled the system OKRs, and Google’s early adoption helped make the framework famous.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, July 14). Setting Direction with OKRs and Tracking Progress with KPIs: A Guide for Agile, Project Management, and Tech Teams. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/setting-direction-with-okrs-and-tracking-progress-with-kpis-a-guide-for-agile-project-management-and-tech-teams.html. 
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
All names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners. 
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Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
AI Showcase Showdown: Ranking AI Accuracy on Project Management Basics
08 July 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Introduction
On 17 June 2025, Scott M. Graffius assessed multiple artificial intelligence (AI) platforms by testing their performance with the same prompt on fundamental information on project management. Among the AIs evaluated, the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Infinity AI produced such problematic results that Graffius wrote about the experience with that singular AI. That day, he published “PMI’s Infinity AI Gets the Basics of Team Development Alarmingly and Repeatedly Wrong.”
The Pants-on-Fire Index for AI
The performance of PMI Infinity AI, which repeatedly fabricated facts and got project management basics wrong, stressed the need for a simple way to spotlight the impact of misinformation generated by AI. Based on that, Graffius created the “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI” and wrote about it on 25 June 2025. The index is a satirical yet candid gauge of the frequency and significance of the misrepresentation and fabrication of facts by AI (a phenomenon called AI hallucinations). The index exposes and scores AI’s related errors, holding AI accountable.
The Pants-on-Fire Index for AI ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 represents no issues and 10 indicates total fabrication. The performance of PMI Infinity AI is shown below.
For details on the above, see Graffius’ 17 June 2025 and 25 June 2025 articles.
Audience Response and Expanded Analysis
Complementing the published articles, Graffius also disseminated the material through multiple social media networks. The audience responded.
Reader feedback included inquiries and requests for a comparative analysis. Some respondents suggested that, although PMI Infinity AI performed poorly, it might still be comparable to—or even outperform—other AI tools. To address these perspectives and provide greater clarity, this article presents the results of testing the same prompt across four additional generative AI platforms: OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, and Microsoft Copilot. These findings benchmark PMI Infinity AI’s performance—on project management basics—against other AIs.
PMI Infinity’s Expected vs. Actual Performance
The PMI is widely recognized as the global authority on project management. When the PMI released the Infinity AI tool under its banner, the tool carried an implicit expectation of accuracy—at least on core project management topics. PMI Infinity AI should at least meet the accuracy of PMI’s materials, especially on core topics. Unfortunately, it did not. Specifically, it scored a 9 out of 10 on the Pants-on-Fire Index for AI (where 10 is the worst).
Comparative Results
While the PMI Infinity AI got project management basics wrong (scoring: 9), all four of the other tools got it right (scoring: 0). The report for PMI Infinity AI was shown earlier in this article. Reports for ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot follow.
Here's the one for ChatGPT.
The report for Google Gemini is next.
Here's the report for Claude.
And, finally, here's the report for Microsoft Copilot.
As shown, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot all got project management basics right; each scored 0 on the Pants-on-Fire Index. For comparison, PMI Infinity AI repeatedly got project management basics wrong; it scored 9 on the Pants-on-Fire Index.
Implications and Cautions
Until significant improvements are made, PMI Infinity AI should be approached with extreme caution—and only exercised if users independently verify its outputs against trusted sources. This evaluation highlights a broader issue: when reputable institutions back AI tools, the stakes are even higher. Accuracy is vital.
Each of the other AIs successfully addressed the prompt on project management basics, while PMI Infinity AI repeatedly ignored or fabricated facts. For professionals who rely on accurate information, such breakdowns represent a failure of trust.
Conclusion
In this AI showcase showdown, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot were winners. Unfortunately, PMI Infinity AI did not achieve the same status.
This article is shared in the interest of transparency—to support informed decision-making and to encourage the responsible advancement of AI tools for the public good.
More
Continue reading for:
About OpenAI's ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a conversational AI developed by OpenAI, based on the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) architecture. It is designed to understand and generate human-like text, enabling applications from chatbots to content creation. Since its launch, ChatGPT has been widely adopted for its versatility and ease of use. For more information, visit https://openai.com/chatgpt.
About Google Gemini
Google Gemini is Google’s next-generation large language model and AI system, aiming to combine advanced language understanding with multimodal capabilities like image and video processing. It is part of Google’s broader AI strategy to integrate powerful AI into search, productivity tools, and more. Gemini is positioned to compete with leading AI platforms by enhancing context awareness and reasoning. Learn more at https://ai.google/.
About Anthropic Claude
Claude is an AI assistant created by Anthropic, a company focused on building reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. Claude emphasizes safety and ethical considerations while delivering powerful natural language understanding and generation capabilities. It is designed to assist with a variety of tasks such as summarization, coding help, and conversational engagement. Visit https://www.anthropic.com/ for details.
About Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot integrates advanced AI capabilities into Microsoft 365 applications like Word, Excel, and Outlook, enabling users to generate text, analyze data, and automate workflows seamlessly. Built on OpenAI’s GPT technology and enhanced with Microsoft’s productivity tools, Copilot aims to boost efficiency and creativity in professional environments. Discover more at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot.
About PMI and PMI Infinity
Founded in 1968, the Project Management Institute (PMI) is a globally recognized professional organization dedicated to advancing the practice, science, and profession of project management. It provides resources, certifications, and networking opportunities to empower professionals in managing projects effectively across various industries. Its flagship certifications are widely respected and sought after for demonstrating expertise in project leadership. Through its standards, publications, and global community, PMI fosters best practices and drives innovation in project, program, and portfolio management. Visit https://www.pmi.org to learn more about the PMI.
On January 22, 2024, the PMI announced the launch of PMI Infinity™, marketed as an AI-powered assistant designed for project professionals. It claims to offer smart navigation through "over 14,000 vetted project‑management resources." Although its failure to correctly answer a prompt about project management basics—as delineated in this article—is problematic.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
Here's the answer to the question posed by Oliver: No. To date, the PMI has not responded.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
Introduction
On 17 June 2025, Scott M. Graffius assessed multiple artificial intelligence (AI) platforms by testing their performance with the same prompt on fundamental information on project management. Among the AIs evaluated, the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Infinity AI produced such problematic results that Graffius wrote about the experience with that singular AI. That day, he published “PMI’s Infinity AI Gets the Basics of Team Development Alarmingly and Repeatedly Wrong.”
The Pants-on-Fire Index for AI
The performance of PMI Infinity AI, which repeatedly fabricated facts and got project management basics wrong, stressed the need for a simple way to spotlight the impact of misinformation generated by AI. Based on that, Graffius created the “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI” and wrote about it on 25 June 2025. The index is a satirical yet candid gauge of the frequency and significance of the misrepresentation and fabrication of facts by AI (a phenomenon called AI hallucinations). The index exposes and scores AI’s related errors, holding AI accountable.
The Pants-on-Fire Index for AI ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 represents no issues and 10 indicates total fabrication. The performance of PMI Infinity AI is shown below.
For details on the above, see Graffius’ 17 June 2025 and 25 June 2025 articles.
Audience Response and Expanded Analysis
Complementing the published articles, Graffius also disseminated the material through multiple social media networks. The audience responded.
Reader feedback included inquiries and requests for a comparative analysis. Some respondents suggested that, although PMI Infinity AI performed poorly, it might still be comparable to—or even outperform—other AI tools. To address these perspectives and provide greater clarity, this article presents the results of testing the same prompt across four additional generative AI platforms: OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, and Microsoft Copilot. These findings benchmark PMI Infinity AI’s performance—on project management basics—against other AIs.
PMI Infinity’s Expected vs. Actual Performance
The PMI is widely recognized as the global authority on project management. When the PMI released the Infinity AI tool under its banner, the tool carried an implicit expectation of accuracy—at least on core project management topics. PMI Infinity AI should at least meet the accuracy of PMI’s materials, especially on core topics. Unfortunately, it did not. Specifically, it scored a 9 out of 10 on the Pants-on-Fire Index for AI (where 10 is the worst).
Comparative Results
While the PMI Infinity AI got project management basics wrong (scoring: 9), all four of the other tools got it right (scoring: 0). The report for PMI Infinity AI was shown earlier in this article. Reports for ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot follow.
Here's the one for ChatGPT.
The report for Google Gemini is next.
Here's the report for Claude.
And, finally, here's the report for Microsoft Copilot.
As shown, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot all got project management basics right; each scored 0 on the Pants-on-Fire Index. For comparison, PMI Infinity AI repeatedly got project management basics wrong; it scored 9 on the Pants-on-Fire Index.
Implications and Cautions
Until significant improvements are made, PMI Infinity AI should be approached with extreme caution—and only exercised if users independently verify its outputs against trusted sources. This evaluation highlights a broader issue: when reputable institutions back AI tools, the stakes are even higher. Accuracy is vital.
Each of the other AIs successfully addressed the prompt on project management basics, while PMI Infinity AI repeatedly ignored or fabricated facts. For professionals who rely on accurate information, such breakdowns represent a failure of trust.
Conclusion
In this AI showcase showdown, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot were winners. Unfortunately, PMI Infinity AI did not achieve the same status.
This article is shared in the interest of transparency—to support informed decision-making and to encourage the responsible advancement of AI tools for the public good.
More
Continue reading for:
- About OpenAI ChatGPT,
- About Google Gemini,
- About Anthropic Claude,
- About Microsoft Copilot,
- About PMI Infinity,
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- How to Cite This Article,
- and more.
About OpenAI's ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a conversational AI developed by OpenAI, based on the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) architecture. It is designed to understand and generate human-like text, enabling applications from chatbots to content creation. Since its launch, ChatGPT has been widely adopted for its versatility and ease of use. For more information, visit https://openai.com/chatgpt.
About Google Gemini
Google Gemini is Google’s next-generation large language model and AI system, aiming to combine advanced language understanding with multimodal capabilities like image and video processing. It is part of Google’s broader AI strategy to integrate powerful AI into search, productivity tools, and more. Gemini is positioned to compete with leading AI platforms by enhancing context awareness and reasoning. Learn more at https://ai.google/.
About Anthropic Claude
Claude is an AI assistant created by Anthropic, a company focused on building reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. Claude emphasizes safety and ethical considerations while delivering powerful natural language understanding and generation capabilities. It is designed to assist with a variety of tasks such as summarization, coding help, and conversational engagement. Visit https://www.anthropic.com/ for details.
About Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot integrates advanced AI capabilities into Microsoft 365 applications like Word, Excel, and Outlook, enabling users to generate text, analyze data, and automate workflows seamlessly. Built on OpenAI’s GPT technology and enhanced with Microsoft’s productivity tools, Copilot aims to boost efficiency and creativity in professional environments. Discover more at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot.
About PMI and PMI Infinity
Founded in 1968, the Project Management Institute (PMI) is a globally recognized professional organization dedicated to advancing the practice, science, and profession of project management. It provides resources, certifications, and networking opportunities to empower professionals in managing projects effectively across various industries. Its flagship certifications are widely respected and sought after for demonstrating expertise in project leadership. Through its standards, publications, and global community, PMI fosters best practices and drives innovation in project, program, and portfolio management. Visit https://www.pmi.org to learn more about the PMI.
On January 22, 2024, the PMI announced the launch of PMI Infinity™, marketed as an AI-powered assistant designed for project professionals. It claims to offer smart navigation through "over 14,000 vetted project‑management resources." Although its failure to correctly answer a prompt about project management basics—as delineated in this article—is problematic.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, July 8). AI Showcase Showdown: Ranking AI Accuracy on Project Management Basics. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ai-showcase-showdown-ranking-ai-accuracy-on-project-management-basics.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
All names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.
ChatGPT name, mark, and content are the property of OpenAI, L.L.C.
Google and Google Gemini names, marks, and content are the property of Alphabet Inc.
Anthropic and Anthropic Claude names, marks, and content are the property of Anthropic Public-Benefit Corporation (PBC).
Microsoft and Microsoft Copilot names, marks, and content are the property of Microsoft Corporation.
PMI and PMI Infinity names, marks, and content are the property of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
"Pants-on-Fire Index for AI" is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Top 5 Hashtags
#ArtificialIntelligence
#AI
#ProjectManagement
#ProjectManagers
#PMIInfinity
Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Supplement on 8 July 2025
[Unsolicited feedback received a few hours after the article was published; feedback reproduced with permission, with personal details omitted]
Mr. Graffius,
You seem to take your readers’ feedback seriously, so here’s my review of your AI Showcase Showdown article, prioritising what I found particularly engaging and distinctive.
The piece is compelling. What stood out as original and valuable was your introduction of the Pants-on-Fire Index for AI, which I found to be a witty and memorable device for quantifying a growing concern that, until now, has lacked a straightforward metric. The name keeps it accessible, while still addressing the serious issue of AI misinformation.
What surprised me most was the stark disparity in performance uncovered in the comparative analysis. It’s quite striking that PMI Infinity AI, offered by the very organisation regarded as the worldwide authority on project management, fared so poorly on fundamental concepts, particularly when all four competitors (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot) managed the same prompt without issue. It creates a fascinating paradox: the AI tool backed by the most authoritative body in the field turns out to be the weakest performer.
Methodologically, for a non-scientific paper, I found your approach thoughtful and robust. Rather than singling out PMI Infinity for criticism, you broadened the scope to include data on other AI platforms under identical conditions. That comparative angle adds important context and avoids the appearance of an unfair or isolated critique.
The article also raises significant questions about institutional credibility and the responsibilities that come with it. When a respected body such as PMI puts its name behind an AI tool, users are naturally inclined to expect a higher standard of reliability, which makes its underperformance all the more concerning.
Your writing strikes a commendable balance between professional rigour and approachability, making complex AI evaluation concepts digestible for practitioners who rely on this information to choose their tools wisely.
It would have been interesting to note whether PMI had liaised with you regarding their Infinity. If they had, it might suggest a receptiveness to constructive input and a pledge to improvement.
Yours sincerely,
Oliver H.
—————
Scott M. Graffius delineated and shared findings on PMI Infinity via:
- Article published on 17 June 2025;
- Feedback provided to PMI via their provide feedback mechanism — this is detailed in the Post-Publication Notes section of the 17 June 2025 article;
- Posts on social media, which included, as noted in the Post-Publication Notes section of the 17 June 2025 article, a post on LinkedIn where Graffius tagged the PMI and the CEO of the PMI;
- Article published on 25 June 2025;
- This 8 July 2025 article.
Here's the answer to the question posed by Oliver: No. To date, the PMI has not responded.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
BookAuthority Features “Agile Scrum” by Scott M. Graffius in “10 Agile Software Development Books That Define the Field”
02 July 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Agile Scrum Named a Top 10 Agile Software Development Book That Defines the Field
BookAuthority published a new article, “10 Agile Software Development Books That Define the Field,” on June 23, 2025. The feature showcases ten notable titles that are recognized for defining and shaping the field of Agile software development. Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Scott M. Graffius is honored to be included.
Excerpts from BookAuthority follow.
The article by BookAuthority notes,
and
About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive. There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.
With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps readers:
Agile Scrum is for those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management. It's for those who have not yet used Scrum. It's also for people already using Scrum, in roles such as Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Development Team members (business analysts, solution and system architects, designers, developers, testers, etc.), customers, end users, agile coaches, executives, managers, and other stakeholders. For those already using Scrum, this guide can serve as a reference on practices for consideration and potential adaptation.
Reactions to Agile Scrum have been fantastic:
Additionally, Agile Scrum has received 17 first place awards.
Credit to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on the book.
Agile Scrum is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Harvard Book Store, and other sellers around the globe. Order your copy today!
About BookAuthority
BookAuthority curates the books recommended by the world's most successful business leaders and domain experts such as Warren Buffett, Sheryl Sandberg, and David Allen. Only the very best books are featured on BookAuthority. To keep it objective and unbiased, BookAuthority uses a proprietary technology to identify and rate the best nonfiction books, using dozens of different signals, including public mentions, recommendations, ratings, sentiment, popularity, and sales history. BookAuthority does not accept requests to feature books, nor does BookAuthority conduct business with publishers or authors. BookAuthority has been featured on CNN, Forbes and Inc.
More
Continue reading for:
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
Agile Scrum Named a Top 10 Agile Software Development Book That Defines the Field
BookAuthority published a new article, “10 Agile Software Development Books That Define the Field,” on June 23, 2025. The feature showcases ten notable titles that are recognized for defining and shaping the field of Agile software development. Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Scott M. Graffius is honored to be included.
Excerpts from BookAuthority follow.
The article by BookAuthority notes,
"What if the key to transforming your software projects lies not in the latest tools, but in mastering Agile principles that truly work? Agile Software Development continues to reshape how teams deliver value, yet many struggle to navigate its evolving landscape. Expert voices like Steve Blank, a Stanford adjunct professor and author, and Dr. Bhaskar Ghosh, Global DevOps Lead at Accenture, have pinpointed the books that cut through the noise and clarify Agile's core."
and
"Steve Blank, known for his startup innovation insights, champions Extreme Programming Explained for its rigorous approach to adaptability and quality. Meanwhile, Dr. Ghosh credits DevOps For The Modern Enterprise with reshaping his view on integrating Agile and cultural change in legacy IT settings. Their endorsements highlight how these works offer practical wisdom rooted in real challenges."
About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive. There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.
With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps readers:
- Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum
- Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement
- Support innovation and drive competitive advantage
Agile Scrum is for those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management. It's for those who have not yet used Scrum. It's also for people already using Scrum, in roles such as Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Development Team members (business analysts, solution and system architects, designers, developers, testers, etc.), customers, end users, agile coaches, executives, managers, and other stakeholders. For those already using Scrum, this guide can serve as a reference on practices for consideration and potential adaptation.
Reactions to Agile Scrum have been fantastic:
- "One of the best Scrum books of all time" ― BookAuthority
- "The book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully" ― Literary Titan
- "A superbly written and presented guide to team-based project management that is applicable across a broad range of businesses from consumer products to high-tech" ― IndieBRAG
- "The book is excellent" ― Readers' Favorite
- "An all-inclusive instruction guide that is impressively 'user-friendly' in tone, content, clarity, organization, and presentation" ― Midwest Book Review
- "A must-have" ― PM World Journal
Additionally, Agile Scrum has received 17 first place awards.
Credit to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on the book.
Agile Scrum is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Harvard Book Store, and other sellers around the globe. Order your copy today!
About BookAuthority
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Continue reading for:
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- How to Cite This Article,
- and more.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, July 2). BookAuthority Features “Agile Scrum” by Scott M. Graffius in “10 Agile Software Development Books That Define the Field.” Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/bookauthority-features-agile-scrum-by-scott-m-graffius-in-10-agile-software-development-books-that-define-the-field.html.
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DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
This article includes brief excerpts from BookAuthority, attributed and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.
BookAuthority name, mark, and content are the property of Lifehack Labs LLC.
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
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Exploring Team Dynamics, Adaptability, and Creative Problem-Solving Through Felix the Cat’s Metaphorical Toolkit
01 July 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Introduction
Felix the Cat, a classic animated character from the early days of cartoons, wields a magical Bag of Tricks that defies physics, logic, and reason. This checkered sack morphs into ladders, conjures lions, pulls out entire living rooms, and more—on demand. It’s a cartoonish masterclass in adaptability and creative problem-solving.
Whether you lead, participate in, or otherwise collaborate with teams, this article explains how the Bag of Tricks mirrors the ingenuity of great teams (Agile or otherwise). It also shows how embracing that same spirit of adaptability and creativity can fuel real-world success.
This concise article explores two modes (transformation and summoning), highlights adaptability, and then wraps up with points on success.
Transformation Mode
In transformation mode, process adapts to needs.
Just as Felix’s bag transforms into a boat to navigate choppy waters, high-performing teams reshape their approach to meet challenges. They adapt.
That might mean shifting priorities, streamlining workflows, adjusting roles, adding sync points, or rethinking how work gets done. Whether the context is Agile (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, etc.), Waterfall, or something else—adaptation is universal.
In this mode, the process itself transforms—becoming the ladder, the raft, or whatever tool the team needs to move forward and succeed.
Summoning Mode
In summoning mode, the team brings in who or what it needs.
Sometimes, adaptability means pulling in new resources or capabilities. Like Felix opening the bag to unleash a lion, great teams summon what’s needed to tackle impediments and move ahead.
That might mean engaging external subject-matter experts, tapping partnerships, or bringing in additional tools (like Miro or Trello). It’s about having the ability to summon the right support at the right time.
This mode works across all types of teams and projects—Agile, Waterfall, hybrid, or otherwise.
Why Adaptability Matters
The real magic is adaptability.
Only Felix has a magical bag with infinite resources. But the best teams build their own version of a Bag of Tricks—filled with knowledge, skills, networks, and flexible thinking.
This is for teams using Agile (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, etc.) or anything else. It’s universal.
Teams that thrive create a plan, but they adapt—morphing processes, summoning resources, and solving problems as situations evolve. Whether it involves AI, automation, or anything else, the principle holds: adapt as needed.
Part of building that Bag of Tricks is knowing where a team stands in its journey. Tools can help. For example, Scott M. Graffius’ "Phases of Team Development" guides leaders in identifying what the team needs (development-wise) at any given point—and exactly which strategies to apply to help it grow, thrive, and succeed.
Conclusion
The genius of Felix’s Bag of Tricks is how he applies it to solve problems and save the day.
Great teams work the same way—engaging the right people, tools, and practices as needed. Build your own Bag of Tricks, and you’ll be better equipped to seize opportunities and conquer challenges.
In a world where problems shift daily and solutions rarely come pre-packaged, success often hinges on a dynamic Bag of Tricks. What’s in your bag?
See the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more insights.
Read on for:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FAQ 1. Why use a cartoon metaphor like Felix the Cat's Bag of Tricks for teamwork?
Metaphors simplify complex concepts. Felix’s Bag of Tricks represents adaptability, resourcefulness, and creative problem-solving. Those qualities are essential for successful teams.
FAQ 2. Is adaptability really that important in teamwork?
Yes. Research consistently shows that adaptable teams outperform rigid ones, especially in dynamic environments. Flexibility enables teams to pivot, overcome obstacles, and innovate more effectively.
FAQ 3. How can leaders foster adaptability and creativity in their teams?
By cultivating psychological safety, encouraging experimentation, embracing diverse perspectives, and rewarding creative problem-solving.
FAQ 4. What goes into a team’s real-world Bag of Tricks?
Toolkits might include ways of working (such as Scrum or Kanban), digital tools (like Miro or Trello), or soft skills (examples include communication, emotional intelligence, collaboration, leadership, or time management).
FAQ 5. Where can I learn more about high performance teams?
See Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development.
FAQ 6. Why don’t the visuals show the Bag of Tricks used by Felix the Cat? And why is the bag red?
To respect the Felix the Cat intellectual property, the visuals in the article feature a unique bag—with a custom design, distinctive pattern, and different color—rather than Felix’s bag. The choice of red is a subtle nod to classic red metal toolboxes that house physical tools, reinforcing the article’s central metaphor: a practical, go-to toolkit for teams.
FAQ 7. What are some other ways to explore adaptability and teamwork?
While this article uses a cartoon metaphor to explore teamwork, adaptability, and creative problem-solving, Graffius also explores these themes in Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum. It’s a fast-paced satirical fiction that doubles as a stealth guide to agility, leadership, experimentation, and resilience in action. If you enjoy lessons delivered through humor and engaging story, be sure to check out the book.
Bibliography
Select bibliography:
Additional Articles
You may also be interested in these relatively recent articles:
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
Introduction
Felix the Cat, a classic animated character from the early days of cartoons, wields a magical Bag of Tricks that defies physics, logic, and reason. This checkered sack morphs into ladders, conjures lions, pulls out entire living rooms, and more—on demand. It’s a cartoonish masterclass in adaptability and creative problem-solving.
Whether you lead, participate in, or otherwise collaborate with teams, this article explains how the Bag of Tricks mirrors the ingenuity of great teams (Agile or otherwise). It also shows how embracing that same spirit of adaptability and creativity can fuel real-world success.
This concise article explores two modes (transformation and summoning), highlights adaptability, and then wraps up with points on success.
Transformation Mode
In transformation mode, process adapts to needs.
Just as Felix’s bag transforms into a boat to navigate choppy waters, high-performing teams reshape their approach to meet challenges. They adapt.
That might mean shifting priorities, streamlining workflows, adjusting roles, adding sync points, or rethinking how work gets done. Whether the context is Agile (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, etc.), Waterfall, or something else—adaptation is universal.
In this mode, the process itself transforms—becoming the ladder, the raft, or whatever tool the team needs to move forward and succeed.
Summoning Mode
In summoning mode, the team brings in who or what it needs.
Sometimes, adaptability means pulling in new resources or capabilities. Like Felix opening the bag to unleash a lion, great teams summon what’s needed to tackle impediments and move ahead.
That might mean engaging external subject-matter experts, tapping partnerships, or bringing in additional tools (like Miro or Trello). It’s about having the ability to summon the right support at the right time.
This mode works across all types of teams and projects—Agile, Waterfall, hybrid, or otherwise.
Why Adaptability Matters
The real magic is adaptability.
Only Felix has a magical bag with infinite resources. But the best teams build their own version of a Bag of Tricks—filled with knowledge, skills, networks, and flexible thinking.
This is for teams using Agile (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, etc.) or anything else. It’s universal.
Teams that thrive create a plan, but they adapt—morphing processes, summoning resources, and solving problems as situations evolve. Whether it involves AI, automation, or anything else, the principle holds: adapt as needed.
Part of building that Bag of Tricks is knowing where a team stands in its journey. Tools can help. For example, Scott M. Graffius’ "Phases of Team Development" guides leaders in identifying what the team needs (development-wise) at any given point—and exactly which strategies to apply to help it grow, thrive, and succeed.
Conclusion
The genius of Felix’s Bag of Tricks is how he applies it to solve problems and save the day.
Great teams work the same way—engaging the right people, tools, and practices as needed. Build your own Bag of Tricks, and you’ll be better equipped to seize opportunities and conquer challenges.
In a world where problems shift daily and solutions rarely come pre-packaged, success often hinges on a dynamic Bag of Tricks. What’s in your bag?
See the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more insights.
Read on for:
- Frequently Asked Questions,
- Bibliography,
- Additional Articles,
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- and more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FAQ 1. Why use a cartoon metaphor like Felix the Cat's Bag of Tricks for teamwork?
Metaphors simplify complex concepts. Felix’s Bag of Tricks represents adaptability, resourcefulness, and creative problem-solving. Those qualities are essential for successful teams.
FAQ 2. Is adaptability really that important in teamwork?
Yes. Research consistently shows that adaptable teams outperform rigid ones, especially in dynamic environments. Flexibility enables teams to pivot, overcome obstacles, and innovate more effectively.
FAQ 3. How can leaders foster adaptability and creativity in their teams?
By cultivating psychological safety, encouraging experimentation, embracing diverse perspectives, and rewarding creative problem-solving.
FAQ 4. What goes into a team’s real-world Bag of Tricks?
Toolkits might include ways of working (such as Scrum or Kanban), digital tools (like Miro or Trello), or soft skills (examples include communication, emotional intelligence, collaboration, leadership, or time management).
FAQ 5. Where can I learn more about high performance teams?
See Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development.
FAQ 6. Why don’t the visuals show the Bag of Tricks used by Felix the Cat? And why is the bag red?
To respect the Felix the Cat intellectual property, the visuals in the article feature a unique bag—with a custom design, distinctive pattern, and different color—rather than Felix’s bag. The choice of red is a subtle nod to classic red metal toolboxes that house physical tools, reinforcing the article’s central metaphor: a practical, go-to toolkit for teams.
FAQ 7. What are some other ways to explore adaptability and teamwork?
While this article uses a cartoon metaphor to explore teamwork, adaptability, and creative problem-solving, Graffius also explores these themes in Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum. It’s a fast-paced satirical fiction that doubles as a stealth guide to agility, leadership, experimentation, and resilience in action. If you enjoy lessons delivered through humor and engaging story, be sure to check out the book.
Bibliography
Select bibliography:
- Alexa, L. (2021, August 25). “Felix the Cat” Returning in New Kids’ Comic Book Series. Animation World Network (AWN). Available at: https://www.awn.com/news/felix-cat-returning-new-kids-comic-book-series.
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) (2012, February 8). ABC TV Rewind. Archived at: https://web.archive.org/web/20120208080454/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/rewind/txt/s1229985.htm.
- Berlin School of Business and Innovation (2022, September 22). How Do Technical Abilities Combined with Leadership Skills Fuel Career Growth? Available at: https://www.berlinsbi.com/blog/career-advice/how-do-technical-abilities-combined-with-leadership-skills-fuel-career-growth.
- Booklife by Publishers Weekly (n.d.). Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum. Available at: https://booklife.com/project/agile-protocol-the-transformation-ultimatum-100435.
- Callaway, A. (2020, November 10). Felix the Catalyst: An Antipodean Who Animated Modernism. Journal of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature, 20 (2): 1–14.
- Canemaker, John (1991). Felix: The Twisted Tale of the World's Most Famous Cat. Pantheon.
- Clarke, Arthur C. (1973). Profiles of the Future: An Inquiry Into the Limits of the Possible. Revised edition. New York City, New York: Harper & Row.
- Classic Media (2012). Felix the Cat: The Complete 1958–1959 Series [DVD]. Classic Media.
- Dweck, Carol S. (2007). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books.
- Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44 (2): 350–383. DOI: 10.2307/2666999.
- Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions (@Exceptional_LLC) (2019, April 3). "'Project management isn’t magic. But high-caliber project management professionals can apply the tradecraft to organizations’ strategic initiatives and consistently complete them on-scope, on-budget, on-time, and on-satisfaction. Which is sort of magical.'" — Scott M. Graffius" [Tweet]. X. Available at: https://x.com/Exceptional_LLC/status/1113290399647379456.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2016). Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. North Charleston, SC: CreateSpace.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2018, October 18). Agile Scrum Helps Innovators, Disruptors, and Entrepreneurs Develop and Deliver Products at Astounding Speed Which Drives Competitive Advantage [Presentation]. Talk delivered at Techstars Startup Week Conference. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25009.12647.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2019). Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change. Scotts Valley, CA: CreateSpace.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2020, November 27). Definition of Agile Culture. Available at: https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/agile-culture.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2023, May 1). AI is a Team Sport: A Confluence of Diverse Technical and Soft Skills are Crucial for Success. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/successful-ai-teams.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.20321.79200.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2024, April 5). Cisco Features Scott M. Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development' Work' Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/cisco-2024.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.16689.60000.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2024, May 3). Leverage Agile and AI to Innovate at the Speed of Light. Talk at private event in Dubai, UAE. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.30790.48960.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2025, January 24). When Agile, AI, and Strategic Thinking Converge. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/when-agile-ai-and-strategic-thinking-converge.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2025, January 7). Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development: 2025 Update. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/phases-of-team-development-update-for-2025.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.33705.30564.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2025, May 13). Scott M. Graffius Delivering $2.3 Billion in Value Through AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Leadership. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/scott-m-graffius-delivering-2-point-3-billion-dollars-in-impact-for-organizations.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2025). Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum. Seattle, WA: Amazon Digital Services.
- Kerzner, Harold (2022). Innovation Project Management: Methods, Case Studies, and Tools for Managing Innovation Projects—Second Edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley.
- Morsa, Luigi (2022, July 7). Agile. Creativity. Innovation. Available at: https://blog.iil.com/agile-creativity-innovation/.
- Prasad, Baba (2025, May 5). Interpreters, Challengers and Stewards: The Role of Agile Leaders in an AI World. Brown University. Available at: https://professional.brown.edu/news/2025-05-05/agile-leadership-ai-world.
- Prilosadoso, B. H., Kurniawan, R. A., Pandanwangi, B., & Yunianto, I. K. (2021). The Appeal of Cartoon Characters in Instructional Media Through Animation in Early Childhood Education in Surakarta. International Journal of Social Sciences, 4 (1): 35-38. DOI: 10.31295/ijss.v4n1.430.
- Robinson, T. (2019, October 28). Universal Celebrates 100 years of “Felix the Cat” with All‑New Merchandising. Animation Scoop. Archived at: https://web.archive.org/web/20191031222230/http://www.animationscoop.com/universal-celebrates-100-years-of-felix-the-cat-with-all-new-merchandising/.
- Tallman, Stephen, and Shenkar, Oded, & Wu, Jay Valerian. (2023). Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast: Use and Abuse of Culture in International Strategy Research. Strategic Management Review, 4 (2): 193-229.
- Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental Sequence in Small Groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63: 384-399.
- Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of Small-Group Development Revisited. Group and Organizational Studies, 2 (4): 419-427.
- TVTropes (n.d.). The MagicBag. TV Tropes. Available at: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/JoeOrioloFelixTheCat1x01TheMagicBag.
Additional Articles
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- Agile for Unicorns: 7 Keys to Thrive; Scott M. Graffius’ Workshop
- Meta and Anduril’s EagleEye and the Future of XR: How Gaming, AI, and Agile Are Transforming Defense
- AI in Agile: Benefits, Risks, Outlook
- National Science Foundation’s LTER Network Features Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development IP
- Scott M. Graffius Delivering $2.3 Billion in Value Through AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Leadership
- NESEA Conference Session on Innovation Highlights Scott M. Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development'
- U.S. Soccer Scores with Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property on Teamwork
- Scott M. Graffius' Role in Advancing Project Management Institute (PMI) Standards Excellence
- When Agile, AI, and Strategic Thinking Converge
- Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development: 2025 Update
- Scott M. Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development' was Spotlighted in Journal of Neurosurgery
- Hochschule Coburg (Coburg University) Germany Uses Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development IP in Coursework on Agile Development
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- AI is a Team Sport
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, July 1). Exploring Team Dynamics, Adaptability, and Creative Problem-Solving Through Felix the Cat’s Metaphorical Toolkit. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/exploring-team-dynamics-adaptability-and-creative-problem-solving-through-a-metaphorical-toolkit.html.
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Content Acknowledgements
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.
Intellectual property rights in ‘Felix the Cat' are held by DreamWorks Animation, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal.
Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
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Mind Games and Master Plans: How PsyOps Exploit Psychological Phenomena
25 June 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
1. Introduction: The Hidden Forces Shaping Your Mind
Imagine this: A government tries to suppress a leaked document—only for it to erupt across social media and be shared by millions. Or a company “accidentally” leaks a teaser for a new product, instantly igniting a frenzy of hype. These are strategic plays designed to trigger specific psychological responses. Welcome to the world of PsyOps, where natural human phenomena are harnessed and weaponized for influence.
Definitions
Psychological effects (PsyEffects) refer to the natural or induced changes in individual or collective behavior, emotions, or cognition due to psychological phenomena like cognitive biases, social influence, or stress responses. These effects can shape how people perceive and react to the world around them.
Psychological operations (PsyOps), on the other hand, are orchestrated and strategic efforts typically employed by military, governmental, or corporate entities to influence perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of target audiences for specific objectives. While PsyEffects occur organically or as a byproduct of various stimuli, PsyOps deliberately utilize these effects to achieve specific outcomes, such as altering public opinion.
This article dives into PsyEffects and PsyOps.
🔑 Key Takeaways
2. Deep Dive into PsyEffects: The Invisible Drivers of Human Behavior
Our minds are wired with quirks—shortcuts and biases that help us navigate a complex world but often lead us astray. These are PsyEffects: natural, sometimes unpredictable shifts in our behavior, emotions, or thinking triggered by cognitive biases, social dynamics, or emotional cues. They’re the undercurrents of human psychology, shaping how we interpret information and make decisions, often without us realizing it. From viral outrage on social media to panic-buying during a crisis, these effects ripple through our lives, setting the stage for both spontaneous trends and calculated manipulation.
What Are PsyEffects?
PsyEffects arise from the brain’s attempt to process information efficiently. Cognitive biases, like confirmation bias (favoring information that aligns with our beliefs) or the availability heuristic (overestimating the importance of recent or vivid events), distort our perceptions. Social influences, such as groupthink (conforming to a group’s opinion) or social proof (following the crowd), shape our actions. Emotional triggers, like fear or excitement, can magnify these effects, leading to impulsive decisions. Together, these phenomena create predictable patterns in how we think and act—patterns that occur organically but can be exploited.
PsyEffects in Play
Some PsyEffects are particularly ripe for manipulation because they’re so universal. Here are a few examples:
Real-World Impact
These effects aren’t just academic—they shape our daily lives. Consider a viral post sparking outrage over a politician’s misstep. The bandwagon effect kicks in as users pile on, amplifying the story. Confirmation bias ensures people interpret the event to fit their worldview, while the Streisand Effect guarantees that any attempt to “delete” the post only makes it spread faster. These organic reactions can shift public opinion, sway markets, or even influence elections, often without a single orchestrator. But what happens when someone deliberately taps into these effects to steer the outcome? That’s where PsyOps come in, building on the predictable chaos of human psychology to craft a specific narrative or result. Understanding these effects is the first step to spot when they’re being used against us.
🔑 Key Takeaways
3. PsyOps: Mechanics and Motives – The Art of Strategic Influence
While PsyEffects bubble up naturally from the quirks of human psychology, PsyOps are the deliberate, calculated efforts to harness these mental patterns for specific goals. Employed by militaries, governments, corporations, and even activist groups, PsyOps are strategic campaigns designed to shape perceptions, influence behaviors, and control narratives. From wartime propaganda to viral marketing stunts, PsyOps turn the predictable patterns of our minds into tools for persuasion. Let’s unpack how they work, who uses them, and why.
What Are PsyOps?
PsyOps are orchestrated efforts to manipulate the psychological state of a target audience—whether it’s an enemy army, a voting public, or a consumer base. Historically rooted in military tactics, like dropping leaflets to demoralize troops during World War II, PsyOps have evolved into sophisticated operations across digital and traditional media. Today, they might involve social media bots amplifying a narrative, a carefully timed corporate “leak,” or a government’s disinformation campaign. The core objective remains: to alter how people think, feel, or act in ways that serve the orchestrator’s agenda.
How PsyOps Work
PsyOps are a blend of science, strategy, and creativity. Their execution typically follows a clear playbook:
The trickery of PsyOps lies in their ability to feel organic. PsyOps don’t shout—they whisper in ways that sound like your own thoughts.
Who Uses PsyOps and Why?
PsyOps aren’t just for government agencies. Various players deploy them for diverse motives:
More Examples of PsyOps in Action
PsyOps shine when they tap into PsyEffects for maximum impact:
Ethical Questions
The ethics of PsyOps hinge on intent and impact: whether the goal is to inform or manipulate, to empower or exploit. As PsyOps grow more sophisticated in our digital age, spotting them—and questioning their motives—becomes critical.
By understanding the mechanics of PsyOps, we see how they transform PsyEffects from organic quirks into precision tools. The next step section explores where these worlds collide, as PsyOps deliberately amplify our mental biases to shape the reality we perceive.
🔑 Key Takeaways
4. The Intersection: Where PsyEffects Meet PsyOps – Engineering the Mind’s Predictable Chaos
PsyEffects are the raw materials of human behavior— natural phenomena like the Streisand Effect or confirmation bias that shape how we think and act. PsyOps are the engineers, deliberately wielding these effects to sculpt perceptions and drive outcomes. The intersection of PsyEffects and PsyOps is where organic human psychology meets strategic intent, creating a powerful synergy that can sway crowds, spark trends, or even alter history. This section explores how PsyOps exploit PsyEffects, with real-world examples that reveal the mechanics and stakes of this dynamic interplay.
How PsyOps Amplify PsyEffects
PsyOps succeed by turning our predictable mental shortcuts into tools for influence. Operatives study PsyEffects to anticipate how people will react, then design campaigns to trigger or amplify those reactions. For instance, the Streisand Effect shows that suppressing information often makes it spread faster—PsyOps engineers might leak a “forbidden” document knowing curiosity will make it go viral. Confirmation bias, where people favor information aligning with their beliefs, is a favorite for political PsyOps, ensuring divisive narratives stick. By understanding these effects, PsyOps transform spontaneous natural phenomena into calculated outcomes, often without the audience suspecting manipulation.
Case Studies: PsyEffects Weaponized by PsyOps
To illustrate this intersection, here are two scenarios where PsyOps leveraged PsyEffects to achieve specific goals:
Why This Intersection Matters
The convergence of PsyEffects and PsyOps reveals a hidden force shaping our world. Every day, we’re bombarded with information—news, ads, social media posts—that may seem organic but often carries intent. PsyOps leveraging PsyEffects can erode trust (when we realize a viral story was manipulated), deepen division (by feeding confirmation bias), or drive irrational decisions (like panic-buying from FOMO). In an era where information spreads instantly, the stakes are higher: a single PsyOp can sway elections, crash markets, or ignite social movements. Understanding this interplay empowers us to question narratives and spot manipulation, whether it’s a government’s propaganda or a brand’s viral stunt.
This intersection isn’t just about control—it’s about potential. The same tools can be used for good or bad. As we navigate this landscape, recognizing how PsyEffects and PsyOps intertwine is the first step to reclaiming agency over our minds and choices.
🔑 Key Takeaways
5. Implications and Takeaways: Navigating the Mind’s Battlefield
The interplay between PsyEffects and PsyOps isn’t just an academic curiosity—it’s a lens for understanding the forces shaping our perceptions, decisions, and societies. From viral X posts to orchestrated disinformation campaigns, the deliberate use of PsyEffects in PsyOps influences how we think and act, often without us noticing. This section explores the implications of this dynamic for individuals, society, and professionals, offering practical takeaways to navigate a world where influence is both omnipresent and invisible.
For Individuals: Spotting the Strings
PsyEffects like confirmation bias or the Streisand Effect make us vulnerable to manipulation, but awareness is our first defense. Here’s how to protect yourself:
By staying curious and skeptical, you can mitigate the pull of PsyEffects and spot when PsyOps are at play.
For Society: The Bigger Picture
The weaponization of PsyEffects through PsyOps has profound societal impacts:
Countering these effects requires collective effort: promoting media literacy, encouraging transparent communication from leaders, and fostering platforms that prioritize verified information over sensationalism.
For Professionals: Ethical Influence
Marketers, communicators, and policymakers often use PsyEffects to persuade, but there’s a line between influence and manipulation:
By grounding strategies in ethical principles, professionals can harness PsyEffects to inform rather than exploit.
The dance between PsyEffects and PsyOps reveals how deeply our psychology shapes our reality—and how others can steer it. For individuals, cultivating critical thinking and media literacy is key to resisting manipulation. For society, rebuilding trust and reducing polarization demand collective vigilance and better systems for truth verification. For professionals, the challenge is to wield influence ethically, respecting the fine line between persuasion and deceit. In an era where a single social media post can ignite a global firestorm, understanding this intersection isn’t just empowering—it’s essential for navigating the modern world with clarity and agency.
🔑 Key Takeaways
6. Conclusion: Take Control of Your Mind’s Narrative
The interplay of PsyEffects and PsyOps reveals a truth we can’t ignore: our minds are both generally predictable and dangerously manipulable. From suppressed stories going viral (via the Streisand Effect) to PsyOps exploiting confirmation bias to sway opinions, these forces shape our perceptions in ways we rarely notice. Whether it’s a government crafting propaganda, a corporation fueling FOMO, or a viral post steering public outrage, the stakes are clear—our thoughts, choices, and societies are being influenced, often deliberately. But knowledge is power. By understanding how PsyEffects and PsyOps work together, we can challenge the narratives vying for our attention and reclaim agency over our related decisions.
Start questioning the stories that flood your feeds. When a post sparks outrage or a product feels like it is a “must-have,” pause and ask who benefits from your reaction. Cross-check sources and seek out opposing views. Demand transparency from institutions, and support sources and services committed to objective facts. The choice to see through the noise is yours—make it count.
🔑 Key Takeaways
Explore the Bibliography section, next, to learn more.
Bibliography
Additional Articles
You may also be interested in these relatively recent articles:
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
1. Introduction: The Hidden Forces Shaping Your Mind
Imagine this: A government tries to suppress a leaked document—only for it to erupt across social media and be shared by millions. Or a company “accidentally” leaks a teaser for a new product, instantly igniting a frenzy of hype. These are strategic plays designed to trigger specific psychological responses. Welcome to the world of PsyOps, where natural human phenomena are harnessed and weaponized for influence.
Definitions
Psychological effects (PsyEffects) refer to the natural or induced changes in individual or collective behavior, emotions, or cognition due to psychological phenomena like cognitive biases, social influence, or stress responses. These effects can shape how people perceive and react to the world around them.
Psychological operations (PsyOps), on the other hand, are orchestrated and strategic efforts typically employed by military, governmental, or corporate entities to influence perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of target audiences for specific objectives. While PsyEffects occur organically or as a byproduct of various stimuli, PsyOps deliberately utilize these effects to achieve specific outcomes, such as altering public opinion.
This article dives into PsyEffects and PsyOps.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- PsyEffects are natural phenomena.
- PsyOps are strategic manipulations that exploit PsyEffects to achieve specific goals.
- Understanding the overlap between PsyEffects and PsyOps reveals how influence operates beneath the surface.
2. Deep Dive into PsyEffects: The Invisible Drivers of Human Behavior
Our minds are wired with quirks—shortcuts and biases that help us navigate a complex world but often lead us astray. These are PsyEffects: natural, sometimes unpredictable shifts in our behavior, emotions, or thinking triggered by cognitive biases, social dynamics, or emotional cues. They’re the undercurrents of human psychology, shaping how we interpret information and make decisions, often without us realizing it. From viral outrage on social media to panic-buying during a crisis, these effects ripple through our lives, setting the stage for both spontaneous trends and calculated manipulation.
What Are PsyEffects?
PsyEffects arise from the brain’s attempt to process information efficiently. Cognitive biases, like confirmation bias (favoring information that aligns with our beliefs) or the availability heuristic (overestimating the importance of recent or vivid events), distort our perceptions. Social influences, such as groupthink (conforming to a group’s opinion) or social proof (following the crowd), shape our actions. Emotional triggers, like fear or excitement, can magnify these effects, leading to impulsive decisions. Together, these phenomena create predictable patterns in how we think and act—patterns that occur organically but can be exploited.
PsyEffects in Play
Some PsyEffects are particularly ripe for manipulation because they’re so universal. Here are a few examples:
- The Streisand Effect: When someone tries to suppress information, it often backfires, drawing more attention to it. Think of a celebrity demanding a photo be removed from the internet, only for it to spread like wildfire. This effect thrives in our hyper-connected world, where curiosity and defiance amplify “forbidden” content.
- Confirmation Bias: We seek out and believe information that reinforces our existing views. On social media, this might look like users sharing posts that align with their beliefs while ignoring opposing views, creating echo chambers that deepen divisions.
- Bandwagon Effect: People tend to adopt beliefs or behaviors because “everyone else is doing it.” This drives trends, from viral TikTok challenges to stock market frenzies fueled by social media hype.
- FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): The anxiety of being left out pushes us to act—whether it’s buying a hyped-up product or joining a trending conversation. Marketers and influencers lean heavily on this to drive engagement.
Real-World Impact
These effects aren’t just academic—they shape our daily lives. Consider a viral post sparking outrage over a politician’s misstep. The bandwagon effect kicks in as users pile on, amplifying the story. Confirmation bias ensures people interpret the event to fit their worldview, while the Streisand Effect guarantees that any attempt to “delete” the post only makes it spread faster. These organic reactions can shift public opinion, sway markets, or even influence elections, often without a single orchestrator. But what happens when someone deliberately taps into these effects to steer the outcome? That’s where PsyOps come in, building on the predictable chaos of human psychology to craft a specific narrative or result. Understanding these effects is the first step to spot when they’re being used against us.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Psychological phenomena like confirmation bias and the Streisand Effect influence decisions unconsciously.
- These effects emerge from how our brains simplify complex information.
- They shape everything from viral content to emotional reactions, often without our awareness.
3. PsyOps: Mechanics and Motives – The Art of Strategic Influence
While PsyEffects bubble up naturally from the quirks of human psychology, PsyOps are the deliberate, calculated efforts to harness these mental patterns for specific goals. Employed by militaries, governments, corporations, and even activist groups, PsyOps are strategic campaigns designed to shape perceptions, influence behaviors, and control narratives. From wartime propaganda to viral marketing stunts, PsyOps turn the predictable patterns of our minds into tools for persuasion. Let’s unpack how they work, who uses them, and why.
What Are PsyOps?
PsyOps are orchestrated efforts to manipulate the psychological state of a target audience—whether it’s an enemy army, a voting public, or a consumer base. Historically rooted in military tactics, like dropping leaflets to demoralize troops during World War II, PsyOps have evolved into sophisticated operations across digital and traditional media. Today, they might involve social media bots amplifying a narrative, a carefully timed corporate “leak,” or a government’s disinformation campaign. The core objective remains: to alter how people think, feel, or act in ways that serve the orchestrator’s agenda.
How PsyOps Work
PsyOps are a blend of science, strategy, and creativity. Their execution typically follows a clear playbook:
- Audience Analysis: Operatives study their target—demographics, beliefs, fears, and media habits. For example, a political campaign might analyze social media posts to gauge voter sentiment.
- Message Crafting: Messages are tailored to exploit PsyEffects like fear, trust, or confirmation bias. A military PsyOp might spread rumors of an enemy’s weakness to erode morale, while a brand might create a “limited-time offer” to trigger FOMO.
- Channel Selection: Delivery matters. PsyOps use platforms where the audience is most receptive—X (formerly Twitter) for viral memes, TV for older demographics, or influencers for Gen Z. Timing and repetition amplify impact.
- Feedback Loop: Operatives monitor reactions (e.g., social media engagement metrics) and adjust tactics to maximize influence.
The trickery of PsyOps lies in their ability to feel organic. PsyOps don’t shout—they whisper in ways that sound like your own thoughts.
Who Uses PsyOps and Why?
PsyOps aren’t just for government agencies. Various players deploy them for diverse motives:
- Military: To weaken enemy resolve or win civilian support. During the Cold War, the CIA’s Radio Free Europe broadcast pro-Western messages to Soviet citizens, exploiting distrust in communist regimes.
- Governments: To shape public opinion or counter adversaries. Investigations reveal state-backed disinformation campaigns on social media platforms, spreading narratives to influence elections.
- Corporations: To drive sales or manage reputations. Think of a tech company staging a “leak” about a new gadget to spark hype, leveraging the Streisand Effect.
- Political Campaigns: To sway voters. The [redacted] scandal used targeted Facebook ads to exploit confirmation bias, nudging undecided voters.
More Examples of PsyOps in Action
PsyOps shine when they tap into PsyEffects for maximum impact:
- Military: In Iraq, U.S. forces used loudspeakers to blare unsettling sounds at insurgents, exploiting fear to disrupt their focus.
- Corporate: [Redacted]’s limited-edition sneaker drops create artificial scarcity, triggering FOMO and driving resale prices sky-high.
- Social Media: A brand might pay influencers to “organically” share a product, using social proof to make it seem like everyone’s buying it.
Ethical Questions
The ethics of PsyOps hinge on intent and impact: whether the goal is to inform or manipulate, to empower or exploit. As PsyOps grow more sophisticated in our digital age, spotting them—and questioning their motives—becomes critical.
By understanding the mechanics of PsyOps, we see how they transform PsyEffects from organic quirks into precision tools. The next step section explores where these worlds collide, as PsyOps deliberately amplify our mental biases to shape the reality we perceive.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- PsyOps are deliberate campaigns designed to manipulate public perception and behavior.
- They rely on targeting specific audiences, crafting persuasive messages, and exploiting known biases.
- Governments, corporations, and others use PsyOps to drive agendas while appearing organic.
4. The Intersection: Where PsyEffects Meet PsyOps – Engineering the Mind’s Predictable Chaos
PsyEffects are the raw materials of human behavior— natural phenomena like the Streisand Effect or confirmation bias that shape how we think and act. PsyOps are the engineers, deliberately wielding these effects to sculpt perceptions and drive outcomes. The intersection of PsyEffects and PsyOps is where organic human psychology meets strategic intent, creating a powerful synergy that can sway crowds, spark trends, or even alter history. This section explores how PsyOps exploit PsyEffects, with real-world examples that reveal the mechanics and stakes of this dynamic interplay.
How PsyOps Amplify PsyEffects
PsyOps succeed by turning our predictable mental shortcuts into tools for influence. Operatives study PsyEffects to anticipate how people will react, then design campaigns to trigger or amplify those reactions. For instance, the Streisand Effect shows that suppressing information often makes it spread faster—PsyOps engineers might leak a “forbidden” document knowing curiosity will make it go viral. Confirmation bias, where people favor information aligning with their beliefs, is a favorite for political PsyOps, ensuring divisive narratives stick. By understanding these effects, PsyOps transform spontaneous natural phenomena into calculated outcomes, often without the audience suspecting manipulation.
Case Studies: PsyEffects Weaponized by PsyOps
To illustrate this intersection, here are two scenarios where PsyOps leveraged PsyEffects to achieve specific goals:
- Historical: Operation Mockingbird (1940s-1970s). During the Cold War, the CIA reportedly ran Operation Mockingbird, a covert campaign to influence domestic and foreign media. The agency recruited journalists from major U.S. outlets—like The New York Times, Time, and CBS—to act as assets, feeding them stories designed to promote pro-American narratives and counter Soviet propaganda. By exploiting confirmation bias and social proof, these stories subtly shaped public opinion without audiences realizing the source was intelligence-driven. While officially denied for years, declassified documents and investigative journalism later confirmed aspects of the program. This operation highlights how PsyOps can weaponize trust in credible institutions to manipulate perceptions, blur truth, and steer the collective narrative.
- Hypothetical: The Staged Corporate Leak. Imagine a tech company “accidentally” leaking a blurry image of an unreleased phone. The Streisand Effect takes hold as attempts to remove the image fuel speculation, driving millions to share and discuss it. The company, orchestrating the leak, exploits FOMO to build hype, knowing fans will clamor for the “exclusive” product. Social proof amplifies the effect as influencers jump in, signaling the phone’s must-have status. This fictional scenario mirrors real corporate PsyOps, like rumored product leaks by Apple or Tesla, showing how companies use PsyEffects to manipulate consumer behavior.
Why This Intersection Matters
The convergence of PsyEffects and PsyOps reveals a hidden force shaping our world. Every day, we’re bombarded with information—news, ads, social media posts—that may seem organic but often carries intent. PsyOps leveraging PsyEffects can erode trust (when we realize a viral story was manipulated), deepen division (by feeding confirmation bias), or drive irrational decisions (like panic-buying from FOMO). In an era where information spreads instantly, the stakes are higher: a single PsyOp can sway elections, crash markets, or ignite social movements. Understanding this interplay empowers us to question narratives and spot manipulation, whether it’s a government’s propaganda or a brand’s viral stunt.
This intersection isn’t just about control—it’s about potential. The same tools can be used for good or bad. As we navigate this landscape, recognizing how PsyEffects and PsyOps intertwine is the first step to reclaiming agency over our minds and choices.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- PsyOps succeeds by deliberately triggering predictable PsyEffects.
- Studies show how manipulation often masquerades as natural public sentiment.
- Recognizing these tactics helps people fortify/reclaim agency over their thoughts and reactions.
5. Implications and Takeaways: Navigating the Mind’s Battlefield
The interplay between PsyEffects and PsyOps isn’t just an academic curiosity—it’s a lens for understanding the forces shaping our perceptions, decisions, and societies. From viral X posts to orchestrated disinformation campaigns, the deliberate use of PsyEffects in PsyOps influences how we think and act, often without us noticing. This section explores the implications of this dynamic for individuals, society, and professionals, offering practical takeaways to navigate a world where influence is both omnipresent and invisible.
For Individuals: Spotting the Strings
PsyEffects like confirmation bias or the Streisand Effect make us vulnerable to manipulation, but awareness is our first defense. Here’s how to protect yourself:
- Question Viral Narratives: That trending post sparking outrage? Pause and check its source. Is it amplified by bots or coordinated accounts? Cross-reference with primary sources to avoid falling for confirmation bias-driven PsyOps.
- Beware of FOMO: Limited-time offers or “exclusive” leaks often exploit fear of missing out. Ask yourself: Is this urgency real, or is it engineered to rush my decision?
- Recognize the Streisand Effect: If someone’s trying to suppress a story, consider why. Dig deeper, but verify before sharing—amplifying a PsyOp’s bait is exactly what they want.
- Diversify Your Information: Avoid echo chambers by following social media accounts or news sources with differing perspectives. This counters confirmation bias and exposes you to a fuller picture.
By staying curious and skeptical, you can mitigate the pull of PsyEffects and spot when PsyOps are at play.
For Society: The Bigger Picture
The weaponization of PsyEffects through PsyOps has profound societal impacts:
- Erosion of Trust: When PsyOps (like disinformation campaigns) are exposed, public faith in media, institutions, or even facts erodes. This fuels cynicism and makes collective action harder.
- Polarization: By targeting confirmation bias, PsyOps deepen divides, as seen in political echo chambers on social media. Societies fracture when people can’t agree on basic truths.
- Information Overload: The sheer volume of manipulated content—amplified by bandwagon effects or viral Streisand moments—overwhelms our ability to discern truth, leaving us vulnerable to further manipulation.
Countering these effects requires collective effort: promoting media literacy, encouraging transparent communication from leaders, and fostering platforms that prioritize verified information over sensationalism.
For Professionals: Ethical Influence
Marketers, communicators, and policymakers often use PsyEffects to persuade, but there’s a line between influence and manipulation:
- Ethical Use of PsyEffects: Public health campaigns, like anti-vaping ads using social proof to show “everyone’s quitting,” demonstrate how PsyEffects can serve the public good without deceit.
- Avoiding PsyOps Pitfalls: Professionals must resist the temptation to cross into manipulative PsyOps, like staging fake controversies for attention. Transparency and authenticity build trust, while deception risks backlash.
- Practical Application: Understand your audience’s biases (e.g., FOMO for younger consumers) and use them responsibly. A retailer might highlight a product’s popularity (social proof) but should avoid false scarcity claims that erode credibility.
By grounding strategies in ethical principles, professionals can harness PsyEffects to inform rather than exploit.
The dance between PsyEffects and PsyOps reveals how deeply our psychology shapes our reality—and how others can steer it. For individuals, cultivating critical thinking and media literacy is key to resisting manipulation. For society, rebuilding trust and reducing polarization demand collective vigilance and better systems for truth verification. For professionals, the challenge is to wield influence ethically, respecting the fine line between persuasion and deceit. In an era where a single social media post can ignite a global firestorm, understanding this intersection isn’t just empowering—it’s essential for navigating the modern world with clarity and agency.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Individuals are advised to stay skeptical, verify sources, and break out of echo chambers.
- Weaponized influence can erode trust in institutions and fracture societies.
- Ethical communication uses psychological insight to inform—not exploit—the public.
6. Conclusion: Take Control of Your Mind’s Narrative
The interplay of PsyEffects and PsyOps reveals a truth we can’t ignore: our minds are both generally predictable and dangerously manipulable. From suppressed stories going viral (via the Streisand Effect) to PsyOps exploiting confirmation bias to sway opinions, these forces shape our perceptions in ways we rarely notice. Whether it’s a government crafting propaganda, a corporation fueling FOMO, or a viral post steering public outrage, the stakes are clear—our thoughts, choices, and societies are being influenced, often deliberately. But knowledge is power. By understanding how PsyEffects and PsyOps work together, we can challenge the narratives vying for our attention and reclaim agency over our related decisions.
Start questioning the stories that flood your feeds. When a post sparks outrage or a product feels like it is a “must-have,” pause and ask who benefits from your reaction. Cross-check sources and seek out opposing views. Demand transparency from institutions, and support sources and services committed to objective facts. The choice to see through the noise is yours—make it count.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Ethical communication uses psychological insight to inform—not exploit—people.
- Weaponized influence can erode trust in institutions and fracture societies.
- Individuals should be skeptical and verify sources of information.
Explore the Bibliography section, next, to learn more.
Bibliography
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About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, June 25). Mind Games and Master Plans: How PsyOps Exploit Psychological Phenomena. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/mind-games-and-master-plans-how-psyops-exploit-psychological-phenomena.html. 
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Content Acknowledgements
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The “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI”
25 June 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
When an AI confidently claims the moon is made of cheese, it’s funny but troubling.
Generative AI can dazzle. However, it’s prone to deliver fiction as fact, a phenomenon known as AI hallucinations. Enter the “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI,” created by Scott M. Graffius. This satirical yet sharp tool exposes and scores AI’s factual errors, holding AI accountable.
The idea for the index emerged after Graffius detailed the alarming performance of the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) AI tool, which repeatedly fabricated facts and got project management basics wrong. That experience stressed the need for a simple way to spotlight AI-generated misinformation.
The “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI” scores the frequency and significance of inaccuracies, exposing the problem with clear metrics. It rates AI on a scale of 0 to 10: 0 signals accuracy and 10 denotes blazing fabrications. The following example shows the index for the PMI’s AI tool.
Recommended practices for using generative AI include:
When AI gets things wrong, using its output can spread false information, damage reputations, and create other issues. The “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI” playfully but pointedly spotlights these errors, underscoring the importance of verifying AI outputs before acting on them.
More
Continue reading for:
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About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
When an AI confidently claims the moon is made of cheese, it’s funny but troubling.
Generative AI can dazzle. However, it’s prone to deliver fiction as fact, a phenomenon known as AI hallucinations. Enter the “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI,” created by Scott M. Graffius. This satirical yet sharp tool exposes and scores AI’s factual errors, holding AI accountable.
The idea for the index emerged after Graffius detailed the alarming performance of the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) AI tool, which repeatedly fabricated facts and got project management basics wrong. That experience stressed the need for a simple way to spotlight AI-generated misinformation.
The “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI” scores the frequency and significance of inaccuracies, exposing the problem with clear metrics. It rates AI on a scale of 0 to 10: 0 signals accuracy and 10 denotes blazing fabrications. The following example shows the index for the PMI’s AI tool.
Recommended practices for using generative AI include:
- Use resources like the “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI” to gain insights on reliability and use the AI tools with the best ratings.
- Verify AI output claims by tracking down cited sources and cross-checking information against trusted references, like peer-reviewed journals or official records.
When AI gets things wrong, using its output can spread false information, damage reputations, and create other issues. The “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI” playfully but pointedly spotlights these errors, underscoring the importance of verifying AI outputs before acting on them.
More
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- Additional Articles,
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- How to Cite This Article,
- and more.
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- Bayer Employs Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property
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About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, June 25). The “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI”. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/pants-on-fire-index-for-ai.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.
PMI and PMI Infinity names, marks, and content are the property of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
Top 5 Hashtags
#AI
#ArtificialIntelligence
#AIHallucinations
#AIEthics
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Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Update on 8 July 2025
See the related story, AI Showcase Showdown: Ranking AI Accuracy on Project Management Basics.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
16 Causes of Technical Debt and How to Avoid It
23 June 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Introduction
Did you know that, conservatively, 10-20% of software development budgets are spent addressing technical debt instead of building new features? (McKinsey & Company, 2020; Forbes, 2022; Software Improvement Group, 2025).
In 1992, Ward Cunningham coined "technical debt" to describe the lasting consequences of prioritizing quick fixes over quality in software design or development. For example, rushing flawed code to meet a deadline—knowing it will need rewriting later—creates technical debt, a persistent challenge that can hinder long-term maintainability.
Why Technical Debt Matters More Than Ever
In today’s fast-paced digital economy, organizations face pressure to deliver features quickly using Agile, DevOps, cloud-native technologies, microservices, AI/ML, embedded systems, IoT, and more. These trends drive innovation but amplify technical debt without disciplined quality controls. Technical debt extends beyond code to architecture, infrastructure, security, testing, documentation, and team culture. Unchecked, it drives software entropy, degrading system health, inflating costs, slowing delivery, and frustrating teams. Conversely, proactively managing technical debt unlocks a competitive edge—fostering faster innovation, higher quality, and resilient products and services.
Key Causes of Technical Debt
There are 16 primary causes of technical debt.
The High Cost of Ignoring Technical Debt
Technical debt accelerates software entropy, causing:
Unmanaged technical debt turns software from an asset into a liability, hindering product viability and competitiveness. But it can be managed.
The following table—Types of Technical Debt and Their Mitigation Strategies—summarizes key information from this article.
How to Avoid and Manage Technical Debt
Technical debt is inevitable in real-world projects, but proactive management mitigates its impact:
For more, see the table above.
Turning Technical Debt into an Advantage
Teams that manage technical debt gain agility and resilience. Transparent debt tracking enables better prioritization. Ongoing investment in code and processes boosts delivery and innovation. Managing technical debt is a strategic necessity in today’s fast-evolving software landscape.
Conclusion
Technical debt is an inevitable part of software development, but that doesn’t mean it has to spiral out of control. With a clear understanding of its causes and consequences, teams can take proactive steps to manage it effectively and deliver lasting value. Often, technical debt arises from decisions that prioritize speed or short-term wins—whether due to tight deadlines, inadequate design, skill gaps, or deeper cultural challenges within an organization. When left unchecked, this debt compounds, increasing costs, slowing down delivery, and chipping away at team morale. However, with a commitment to practices like refactoring, rigorous testing, and transparent tracking—anchored by a strong culture of quality—teams can keep technical debt in check. In doing so, they don’t just maintain stability; they gain a real strategic advantage.
This article updates and expands content from the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions.
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive. There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.
With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps readers:
Agile Scrum is for those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management. It's for those who have not yet used Scrum. It's also for people already using Scrum, in roles such as Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Development Team members (business analysts, solution and system architects, designers, developers, testers, etc.), customers, end users, agile coaches, executives, managers, and other stakeholders. For those already using Scrum, this guide can serve as a reference on practices for consideration and potential adaptation.
Reactions to Agile Scrum have been fantastic:
Additionally, Agile Scrum has received 17 first place awards.
Credit to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on the book.
Agile Scrum is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Harvard Book Store, and other sellers around the globe. Order your copy today!
More
Continue reading for:
Bibliography
Additional Articles
You may also be interested in these relatively recent articles:
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
Introduction
Did you know that, conservatively, 10-20% of software development budgets are spent addressing technical debt instead of building new features? (McKinsey & Company, 2020; Forbes, 2022; Software Improvement Group, 2025).
In 1992, Ward Cunningham coined "technical debt" to describe the lasting consequences of prioritizing quick fixes over quality in software design or development. For example, rushing flawed code to meet a deadline—knowing it will need rewriting later—creates technical debt, a persistent challenge that can hinder long-term maintainability.
Why Technical Debt Matters More Than Ever
In today’s fast-paced digital economy, organizations face pressure to deliver features quickly using Agile, DevOps, cloud-native technologies, microservices, AI/ML, embedded systems, IoT, and more. These trends drive innovation but amplify technical debt without disciplined quality controls. Technical debt extends beyond code to architecture, infrastructure, security, testing, documentation, and team culture. Unchecked, it drives software entropy, degrading system health, inflating costs, slowing delivery, and frustrating teams. Conversely, proactively managing technical debt unlocks a competitive edge—fostering faster innovation, higher quality, and resilient products and services.
Key Causes of Technical Debt
There are 16 primary causes of technical debt.
- Time Pressures: The drive to ship quickly fuels technical debt. Agile sprints, continuous delivery, and market demands pressure teams to cut corners on design, testing, or documentation, incurring debt that grows over time.
- Complex Designs: Complexity from legacy monoliths, sprawling microservices, or tangled integrations raises maintenance costs and fragility. Both over-engineered and under-engineered (overly simplistic) designs can exacerbate technical debt.
- Non-Compliance with Standards: Disregarding coding, security, or regulatory standards leads to inconsistent codebases and costly vulnerabilities.
- Skill Gaps or Turnover: Inexperienced teams or high turnover yield suboptimal code and designs. Remote work can worsen knowledge silos, amplifying debt.
- Poor Code Quality: Copy-pasting code, inadequate reviews, or outdated tools create brittle, hard-to-maintain codebases.
- Delayed Refactoring: Postponing refactoring due to backlog pressure or fear of breaking features lets issues pile up, becoming harder to fix.
- Inadequate Testing: Skipping automated unit, integration, or end-to-end tests results in fragile systems with proliferating defects, hindering future changes.
- Tooling Mismatches: Outdated libraries, unsupported frameworks, or incompatible tools generate hidden debt.
- Infrastructure Mismanagement: Mismanaged cloud resources, container sprawl, or neglected infrastructure-as-code drive related debt.
- Security Neglect: Ignoring vulnerabilities or skimping on security creates risky debt with regulatory and reputational fallout.
- Documentation Gaps: Missing or outdated documentation, such as for code, APIs, AI model parameters (e.g., unrecorded training data assumptions), or embedded system firmware (e.g., untracked hardware specs), slows onboarding and raises error rates.
- Cultural and Process Issues: Poor visibility, unclear ownership, inadequate code reviews, or siloed teams (e.g., frontend-backend disconnects causing redundant code) foster systemic debt.
- Data Debt: Poor data quality (e.g., incomplete, inconsistent, or inaccurate datasets, especially in AI/ML), inadequate data governance or lineage, data silos or inaccessible datasets, outdated or undocumented data schemas, and hardcoded data dependencies create inefficiencies and costs that compound over time. In AI/ML projects, where data is a core asset, issues like unoptimized training datasets, model drift, and lack of data traceability significantly hinder scalability and accuracy.
- External Dependency Debt: Reliance on unstable, deprecated, or poorly maintained external systems, APIs, or vendor services leads to cascading failures, forced migrations, or performance degradation that compounds over time. This refers specifically to third-party or external dependencies.
- Service Debt: Suboptimal or out-of-date internal services or service integrations (e.g., incompatible versions or unstable dependencies within the organization’s own systems) lead to maintenance overhead and system fragility. This is distinct from external dependency debt, which involves third-party systems.
- Build Debt: Inefficiencies or fragility in the build, integration, or deployment process (e.g., slow builds, broken pipelines, or manual steps) that hinder rapid development and delivery.
The High Cost of Ignoring Technical Debt
Technical debt accelerates software entropy, causing:
- Higher Maintenance Costs: More time fixing bugs or updating legacy code than innovating.
- Slower Delivery: Complexity and instability bog down teams.
- Poorer Quality: More defects and security risks.
- Lower Morale: Developers frustrated by brittle, unclear code.
- Rewrites: Severe debt may necessitate costly system rewrites.
Unmanaged technical debt turns software from an asset into a liability, hindering product viability and competitiveness. But it can be managed.
The following table—Types of Technical Debt and Their Mitigation Strategies—summarizes key information from this article.
How to Avoid and Manage Technical Debt
Technical debt is inevitable in real-world projects, but proactive management mitigates its impact:
- Simplify Designs: Prioritize straightforward, modular architectures.
- Refactor Regularly: Leave code cleaner than you found it.
- Test Rigorously: Automate unit, integration, and end-to-end tests to catch issues early.
- Review Code: Use peer reviews and pair programming to maintain quality.
- Track Debt: Log technical debt in backlogs or dedicated systems.
- Address Debt in Sprints/Cycles: Include debt remediation in the definition of done.
- Allocate Debt Control Budgets: Dedicate time to reduce debt.
- Enforce Standards: Use linter tools which automatically flag code issues and enforce style rules, static analysis tools like SonarQube, and architectural reviews.
- Automate Operations: Use DevOps and infrastructure-as-code to minimize operational debt.
- Build a Quality Culture: Promote learning, collaboration, and ownership.
For more, see the table above.
Turning Technical Debt into an Advantage
Teams that manage technical debt gain agility and resilience. Transparent debt tracking enables better prioritization. Ongoing investment in code and processes boosts delivery and innovation. Managing technical debt is a strategic necessity in today’s fast-evolving software landscape.
Conclusion
Technical debt is an inevitable part of software development, but that doesn’t mean it has to spiral out of control. With a clear understanding of its causes and consequences, teams can take proactive steps to manage it effectively and deliver lasting value. Often, technical debt arises from decisions that prioritize speed or short-term wins—whether due to tight deadlines, inadequate design, skill gaps, or deeper cultural challenges within an organization. When left unchecked, this debt compounds, increasing costs, slowing down delivery, and chipping away at team morale. However, with a commitment to practices like refactoring, rigorous testing, and transparent tracking—anchored by a strong culture of quality—teams can keep technical debt in check. In doing so, they don’t just maintain stability; they gain a real strategic advantage.
This article updates and expands content from the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions.
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive. There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.
With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps readers:
- Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum
- Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement
- Support innovation and drive competitive advantage
Agile Scrum is for those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management. It's for those who have not yet used Scrum. It's also for people already using Scrum, in roles such as Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Development Team members (business analysts, solution and system architects, designers, developers, testers, etc.), customers, end users, agile coaches, executives, managers, and other stakeholders. For those already using Scrum, this guide can serve as a reference on practices for consideration and potential adaptation.
Reactions to Agile Scrum have been fantastic:
- "One of the best Scrum books of all time" ― BookAuthority
- "The book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully" ― Literary Titan
- "A superbly written and presented guide to team-based project management that is applicable across a broad range of businesses from consumer products to high-tech" ― IndieBRAG
- "The book is excellent" ― Readers' Favorite
- "An all-inclusive instruction guide that is impressively 'user-friendly' in tone, content, clarity, organization, and presentation" ― Midwest Book Review
- "A must-have" ― PM World Journal
Additionally, Agile Scrum has received 17 first place awards.
Credit to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on the book.
Agile Scrum is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Harvard Book Store, and other sellers around the globe. Order your copy today!
More
Continue reading for:
- Bibliography,
- Additional Articles,
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- How to Cite This Article,
- and more.
Bibliography
- Brown, N., Cai, Y., Guo, Y., Kazman, R., Kim, M., Kruchten, P., Lim, E., MacCormack, A., Nord, R. L., Ozkaya, I., Seaman, C., & Sullivan, K. (2019). Managing Technical Debt: Reducing Friction in Software Development (SEI Series in Software Engineering). Addison-Wesley Professional.
- Cunningham, W. (1992). The WyCash Portfolio Management System. Addendum to Proc. Object-Oriented Programming Systems, Languages, and Applications, ACM, 29-30.
- DeWyze, John (2023, February 16). The 25 Percent Rule for Tackling Technical Debt. Shopify Engineering. Available at: https://shopify.engineering/technical-debt-25-percent-rule.
- Ernst, N. A., Bellomo, S., Ozkaya, I., Nord, R. L., & Kruchten, P. (2015). Measure It? Manage It? Ignore It? Software Practitioners and Technical Debt. Proceedings of the 2015 10th Joint Meeting on Foundations of Software Engineering, 50-60. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1145/2786805.2786848.
- Ernst, N., Kazman, R., & Delange, J. (2021). Technical Debt in Machine Learning Systems. In Technical Debt in Practice: How to Find It and Fix It. MIT Press. Available at: https://direct.mit.edu/books/monograph/5160/chapter/3403977/Technical-Debt-in-Machine-Learning-Systems.
- Ernst, N. (2015, July 27). A Field Study of Technical Debt. Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute. Available at: https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/blog/a-field-study-of-technical-debt/.
- Forbes (2022, August 10). Measuring And Managing Technical Debt. Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2022/08/10/measuring-and-managing-technical-debt/.
- Forbes (2025, June 2). How Today's Technical Debt Becomes Tomorrow's AI Roadblock. Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2025/06/02/how-todays-technical-debt-becomes-tomorrows-ai-roadblock/.
- Fowler, Martin (2018). Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code (2nd Edition). Addison-Wesley Professional.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2017, September 25). 7 Causes of Technical Debt and How to Avoid It. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/7-Causes-of-Technical-Debt-and-How-to-Avoid-It.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2019). Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change. Scotts Valley, CA: CreateSpace.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2025, January 24). When Agile, AI, and Strategic Thinking Converge. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/when-agile-ai-and-strategic-thinking-converge.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2025, June 16). Agile for Unicorns: 7 Keys to Thrive; Scott M. Graffius’ Workshop. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/agile-for-unicorns---7-keys-to-thrive---scott-m-graffius-workshop.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2016). Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. North Charleston, SC: CreateSpace.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2025, May 27). AI in Agile: Benefits, Risks, Outlook. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ai-in-agile-benefits-risks-and-outlook-by-scott-m-graffius.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2025). Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum. Seattle, WA: Amazon Digital Services.
- Kruchten, P., Nord, R. L., & Ozkaya, I. (2012). Technical Debt: From Metaphor to Theory and Practice. IEEE Software, 29 (6): 18-21. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1109/MS.2012.167.
- Martin, Robert C. (2008). Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship. Pearson.
- Martin, Robert C. (2019). Clean Agile: Back to Basics. Pearson.
- McKinsey & Company (2020). Tech Debt: Reclaiming Tech Equity. McKinsey. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Business%20Functions/McKinsey%20Digital/Our%20Insights/Tech%20debt%20Reclaiming%20tech%20equity/Tech-debt-Reclaiming-tech-equity.pdf.
- McKinsey & Company (2023, April 25). Breaking Technical Debt’s Vicious Cycle to Modernize Your Business. McKinsey. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/breaking-technical-debts-vicious-cycle-to-modernize-your-business.
- Software Improvement Group. (2025, March 26). Technical Debt and Its impact on IT budgets. Software Improvement Group (SIG). Available at: https://www.softwareimprovementgroup.com/technical-debt-and-it-budgets/.
- Tom, E., Aurum, A., & Vidgen, R. (2013). An Exploration of Technical Debt. Journal of Systems and Software, 86 (6): 1498-1516. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2012.12.052.
Additional Articles
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- Agile for Unicorns: 7 Keys to Thrive; Scott M. Graffius’ Workshop
- Meta and Anduril’s EagleEye and the Future of XR: How Gaming, AI, and Agile Are Transforming Defense
- AI in Agile: Benefits, Risks, Outlook
- National Science Foundation’s LTER Network Features Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development IP
- Scott M. Graffius Delivering $2.3 Billion in Value Through AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Leadership
- NESEA Conference Session on Innovation Highlights Scott M. Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development'
- U.S. Soccer Scores with Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property on Teamwork
- Scott M. Graffius' Role in Advancing Project Management Institute (PMI) Standards Excellence
- When Agile, AI, and Strategic Thinking Converge
- Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development: 2025 Update
- Scott M. Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development' was Spotlighted in Journal of Neurosurgery
- Hochschule Coburg (Coburg University) Germany Uses Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development IP in Coursework on Agile Development
- EU Europass Teacher Academy Features Scott M. Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ in Leadership Training
- Tufts University Features Scott M. Graffius 'Phases of Team Development' Intellectual Property
- Bayer Employs Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property
- Semiconductor Manufacturing Firm Lam Research Features Scott M. Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development' Intellectual Property
- Scott M. Graffius Speaking on Agile, AI, and Innovation at a Private Event in Dubai
- Cisco Features Scott M. Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development' Work
- Scott M. Graffius Speaking on Successful AI at DevDays Europe 2024 Conference
- University of California, San Diego Features Scott M. Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ Work
- AI is a Team Sport
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, June 23). 16 Causes of Technical Debt and How to Avoid It. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/16-causes-of-technical-debt-and-how-to-avoid-it.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.
Top 5 Hashtags
#Agile
#TechDebt
#TechnicalDebt
#Software
#Refactoring
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
PMI’s Infinity AI Gets the Basics of Team Development Alarmingly and Repeatedly Wrong
17 June 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Introduction
When an artificial intelligence product is released under the banner of the Project Management Institute (PMI)—a globally recognized authority on project management—it carries the weight of authority. PMI’s Infinity™ 2.0, marketed as an AI assistant to support professionals, should at least meet the accuracy of the PMI’s materials, especially on core topics such as team development.
Unfortunately, it does not.
This article reports how PMI Infinity performed when asked a basic question about a foundational concept in project management: the phases of team development (also known as the stages of team development, team dynamics, group dynamics, etc.). The result is a case study in misstatement, backpedaling, and conceptual fuzziness that would be unacceptable in a project management 101 course—let alone from a product designed to represent the PMI.
The Context: Team Development is Not Optional in Project Management
Bruce Tuckman’s 1965 model of team development—comprised of forming, storming, norming, and performing—was expanded in 1977 with colleague Mary Ann Jensen to include adjourning. These five phases are a well-established staple in organizational behavior, leadership studies, and—critically—project management.
PMI itself integrates Tuckman’s model into its materials. Project teams do not operate in a vacuum. Understanding how they form, clash, align, deliver, and disband is essential to project success. The project manager’s job is to navigate that lifecycle.
Failure in this area by PMI Infinity AI is not a minor glitch. It’s a foundational error, and it happened not just once but across multiple responses.
The Timeline of Errors: A Blow-by-Blow Breakdown
Here’s how PMI's Infinity AI handled the queries about team development, step by step (the detailed transcript is available in text format and screen shot format):
1. Omission of Adjourning in the Initial Answer
In the first response, PMI Infinity lists:
That’s it.
Adjourning—the critical fifth stage added in 1977—is not on the list. This is a fundamental factual error. Tuckman and Jensen's 1977 update has been in existence for 48 years. The AI’s failure to include it is inexcusable.
2. “Adjourning/Reforming” is a Fabricated Concept
Later, the AI refers to the last phase as “Adjourning/Reforming.”
This hybrid phrase does not originate from Tuckman or Tuckman/Jensen. It’s not a dual label. Adjourning is the correct term, and it has a specific meaning: the disbanding of the team. While teams can regroup in the future, Tuckman never inserted “reforming” as a part of the developmental progression.
This error is especially egregious because it fabricates terminology under the guise of authority. PMI Infinity is not just being sloppy—it’s making things up.
3. Misleading Framing of Adjourning
Even when the AI agrees with its error, corrects itself, and then uses the proper term (adjourning), it frames the phase as:
“... acknowledging the lifecycle of a team beyond the completion of a project.”
This phrasing is incomplete and misleading. It suggests that adjourning only occurs when a project is completed, ignoring the fact that teams may otherwise adjourn due to:
Reducing adjourning to “after completion” is not just simplistic—it’s incorrect. In real-world project management, teams disband for many reasons. This is not nuance; it’s the reality of the profession.
4. Only After Multiple Prompts Does the AI Yield an Accurate Answer
The AI repeatedly ignored facts and fabricated facts. Such AI errors are termed "hallucinations." Only because the user was an expert on the subject matter, there was several rounds of feedback and corrections.
An AI that needs to be corrected repeatedly, with escalating specificity, to get a basic, textbook-level answer right is not ready for professional use.
Why This Matters: The Cost of Getting It Wrong
The team development model is part of the behavioral bedrock of leadership, communication, and team performance. If PMI Infinity can’t reliably explain the phases of team development:
This is a serious, material issue. Misinformation at the foundational level breeds misunderstanding and downstream failure.
Final Scorecard
On a scale of 1-10 (where 10 is best), here's the rating of the performance of PMI's Infinity AI tool:
Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for PMI and Users of PMI's Infinity AI
PMI Infinity AI failed to provide accurate, complete, and credible information on one of the most fundamental topics in project management. This should concern every professional who uses the tool.
Team development is not a minor topic. It is a core competency area covered in PMI publications and lived daily by project managers worldwide. For PMI’s AI to fumble this topic so spectacularly and repeatedly is not just ironic—it’s alarming.
Until significant improvements are made, PMI Infinity AI should only be used with extreme caution—and only with the user independently verifying information from reliable sources. When AI incorporates facts, it can be a powerful tool. When AI disregards facts or fabricates facts, it’s a threat. Alarmingly, PMI Infinity AI has shown that it repeatedly disregarded facts and fabricated facts.
More
Continue reading for:
About the PMI Infinity AI Tool
On January 22, 2024, the Project Management Institute (PMI) announced the launch of PMI Infinity™, marketed as an AI-powered assistant designed for project professionals. It claims to offer smart navigation through "over 14,000 vetted project‑management resources."
About the PMI
The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a globally recognized professional organization dedicated to advancing the practice, science, and profession of project management. Founded in 1969, it provides resources, certifications, and networking opportunities to empower professionals in managing projects effectively across various industries. Its flagship certifications, such as the Project Management Professional (PMP), are widely respected and sought after for demonstrating expertise in project leadership. Through its standards, publications, and global community, PMI fosters best practices and drives innovation in project, program, and portfolio management. Visit https://www.pmi.org to learn more.
Additional Articles
You may also be interested in these relatively recent articles on Agile, AI, and Project Management:
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
And here's a screen shot.
Further updates, if any, will appear here.
Update on 25 June 2025
See the related story, The “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI”.
Update on 8 July 2025
See the related story, AI Showcase Showdown: Ranking AI Accuracy on Project Management Basics.
Top 5 Hashtags
#AI
#ArtificialIntelligence
#PMI
#PMIInfinity
#PMIAI
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Introduction
When an artificial intelligence product is released under the banner of the Project Management Institute (PMI)—a globally recognized authority on project management—it carries the weight of authority. PMI’s Infinity™ 2.0, marketed as an AI assistant to support professionals, should at least meet the accuracy of the PMI’s materials, especially on core topics such as team development.
Unfortunately, it does not.
This article reports how PMI Infinity performed when asked a basic question about a foundational concept in project management: the phases of team development (also known as the stages of team development, team dynamics, group dynamics, etc.). The result is a case study in misstatement, backpedaling, and conceptual fuzziness that would be unacceptable in a project management 101 course—let alone from a product designed to represent the PMI.
The Context: Team Development is Not Optional in Project Management
Bruce Tuckman’s 1965 model of team development—comprised of forming, storming, norming, and performing—was expanded in 1977 with colleague Mary Ann Jensen to include adjourning. These five phases are a well-established staple in organizational behavior, leadership studies, and—critically—project management.
PMI itself integrates Tuckman’s model into its materials. Project teams do not operate in a vacuum. Understanding how they form, clash, align, deliver, and disband is essential to project success. The project manager’s job is to navigate that lifecycle.
Failure in this area by PMI Infinity AI is not a minor glitch. It’s a foundational error, and it happened not just once but across multiple responses.
The Timeline of Errors: A Blow-by-Blow Breakdown
Here’s how PMI's Infinity AI handled the queries about team development, step by step (the detailed transcript is available in text format and screen shot format):
1. Omission of Adjourning in the Initial Answer
In the first response, PMI Infinity lists:
- Forming,
- Storming,
- Norming, and
- Performing.
That’s it.
Adjourning—the critical fifth stage added in 1977—is not on the list. This is a fundamental factual error. Tuckman and Jensen's 1977 update has been in existence for 48 years. The AI’s failure to include it is inexcusable.
2. “Adjourning/Reforming” is a Fabricated Concept
Later, the AI refers to the last phase as “Adjourning/Reforming.”
This hybrid phrase does not originate from Tuckman or Tuckman/Jensen. It’s not a dual label. Adjourning is the correct term, and it has a specific meaning: the disbanding of the team. While teams can regroup in the future, Tuckman never inserted “reforming” as a part of the developmental progression.
This error is especially egregious because it fabricates terminology under the guise of authority. PMI Infinity is not just being sloppy—it’s making things up.
3. Misleading Framing of Adjourning
Even when the AI agrees with its error, corrects itself, and then uses the proper term (adjourning), it frames the phase as:
“... acknowledging the lifecycle of a team beyond the completion of a project.”
This phrasing is incomplete and misleading. It suggests that adjourning only occurs when a project is completed, ignoring the fact that teams may otherwise adjourn due to:
- Project cancellation,
- Restructuring,
- Budget cuts,
- Organizational shifts, or
- Other related situations.
Reducing adjourning to “after completion” is not just simplistic—it’s incorrect. In real-world project management, teams disband for many reasons. This is not nuance; it’s the reality of the profession.
4. Only After Multiple Prompts Does the AI Yield an Accurate Answer
The AI repeatedly ignored facts and fabricated facts. Such AI errors are termed "hallucinations." Only because the user was an expert on the subject matter, there was several rounds of feedback and corrections.
An AI that needs to be corrected repeatedly, with escalating specificity, to get a basic, textbook-level answer right is not ready for professional use.
Why This Matters: The Cost of Getting It Wrong
The team development model is part of the behavioral bedrock of leadership, communication, and team performance. If PMI Infinity can’t reliably explain the phases of team development:
- How can it be trusted to assist professionals under deadline pressure?
- How will it guide students or others trying to build foundational knowledge?
- What confidence can any user have that more complex questions will yield credible results?
This is a serious, material issue. Misinformation at the foundational level breeds misunderstanding and downstream failure.
Final Scorecard
On a scale of 1-10 (where 10 is best), here's the rating of the performance of PMI's Infinity AI tool:
- Factual Accuracy: 1/10
- Alignment with PMI Materials: 1/10
- Terminological Precision: 1/10
- Responsiveness to Correction: 5/10
- Professional Use Readiness: 1/10
- Overall Score: 1/10
Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for PMI and Users of PMI's Infinity AI
PMI Infinity AI failed to provide accurate, complete, and credible information on one of the most fundamental topics in project management. This should concern every professional who uses the tool.
Team development is not a minor topic. It is a core competency area covered in PMI publications and lived daily by project managers worldwide. For PMI’s AI to fumble this topic so spectacularly and repeatedly is not just ironic—it’s alarming.
Until significant improvements are made, PMI Infinity AI should only be used with extreme caution—and only with the user independently verifying information from reliable sources. When AI incorporates facts, it can be a powerful tool. When AI disregards facts or fabricates facts, it’s a threat. Alarmingly, PMI Infinity AI has shown that it repeatedly disregarded facts and fabricated facts.
More
Continue reading for:
- About the PMI Infinity AI Tool,
- About the PMI,
- Additional Articles,
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- How to Cite This Article,
- and more.
About the PMI Infinity AI Tool
On January 22, 2024, the Project Management Institute (PMI) announced the launch of PMI Infinity™, marketed as an AI-powered assistant designed for project professionals. It claims to offer smart navigation through "over 14,000 vetted project‑management resources."
About the PMI
The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a globally recognized professional organization dedicated to advancing the practice, science, and profession of project management. Founded in 1969, it provides resources, certifications, and networking opportunities to empower professionals in managing projects effectively across various industries. Its flagship certifications, such as the Project Management Professional (PMP), are widely respected and sought after for demonstrating expertise in project leadership. Through its standards, publications, and global community, PMI fosters best practices and drives innovation in project, program, and portfolio management. Visit https://www.pmi.org to learn more.
Additional Articles
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About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, June 17). PMI’s Infinity AI Gets the Basics of Team Development Alarmingly and Repeatedly Wrong. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/pmi-infinity-ai-gets-the-basics-of-team-development-alarmingly-and-repeatedly-wrong---by-scott-m-graffius.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
This article includes brief excerpts from the Project Management Institute (PMI), attributed and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.
PMI and PMI Infinity names, marks, and content are the property of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Update on 18 June 2025
The page for PMI's Infinity AI tool (https://infinity.pmi.org/chat) has a "Provide Feedback" mechanism. The feedback form has three parts: satisfaction level, expectations, and suggested improvements. Graffius provided feedback to the PMI. His responses follow:
- Satisfaction: Graffius selected: Very Unsatisfied.
- Expectations: Graffius wrote: "At a minimum, PMI's AI should get basic project management information right. However, it got simple info on team development repeatedly wrong. See: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/pmi-infinity-ai-gets-the-basics-of-team-development-alarmingly-and-repeatedly-wrong---by-scott-m-graffius.html"
- Suggested improvements: Graffius wrote: "Because PMI's Infinity AI tool has not yet delivered correct information on basic project management matters, fixing that shocking problem should be the immediate objective."
And here's a screen shot.
Further updates, if any, will appear here.
Update on 25 June 2025
See the related story, The “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI”.
Update on 8 July 2025
See the related story, AI Showcase Showdown: Ranking AI Accuracy on Project Management Basics.
Top 5 Hashtags
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#ArtificialIntelligence
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Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
Agile for Unicorns: 7 Keys to Thrive; Scott M. Graffius’ Workshop
16 June 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Introduction
Scott M. Graffius—a globally recognized technology leader, award-winning author, and sought-after international speaker—has inspired audiences at conferences and other events across 25 countries. In his 94th session, “Agile for Unicorns,” delivered on 16 June 2025, he unveiled powerful strategies for privately-held startups valued at $1 billion or more to thrive in high-stakes environments. This article shares select highlights from that transformative session, while the complete set of detailed strategies and actionable guidance is available through his workshop.
Unicorns—private startups valued at $1 billion or more—face unique challenges in applying Agile. While Agile’s core values remain essential, the high-stakes world of unicorns—characterized by rapid growth, constant change, and intense investor pressure—demands tailored approaches. To succeed, unicorns must adapt Agile principles to their dynamic environment without compromising its core values.
Unicorns Must Tailor Their Agile Implementation Across Seven Areas for Maximum Impact
✅ 1. Hypergrowth Dynamics
Unicorns typically operate in a hypergrowth environment, where:
Why it matters: Agile implementations can falter under rapid expansion. For example, a unicorn doubling its engineering team in six months may outgrow Scrum. To stay effective, Agile must scale quickly—using frameworks like Scrum of Scrums, SAFe, or other models—while avoiding bureaucracy that stifles innovation.
✅ 2. Innovation vs. Execution Balance
Agile prioritizes iterative delivery, but unicorns must balance relentless innovation with:
Why it matters: Unicorns often need hybrid approaches—blending Agile with Lean Startup or Design Thinking—to balance creativity with consistent execution. Innovation cannot come at the cost of stability, and vice versa.
✅ 3. Distributed and Multidisciplinary Teams
As unicorns grow, they often become globally distributed with cross-functional teams spanning:
Why it matters: Agile ceremonies and tools must adapt to and support distributed teams. Implement asynchronous standups, timezone-aware planning, and collaborative virtual kanban boards to stay aligned. Prioritize culture, trust, and clarity to bridge distances.
✅ 4. Founder-Driven Culture
Many unicorns are deeply influenced by their founders, who may be visionary but resistant to processes.
Why it matters: Agile must resonate with the founder’s vision. Agile isn’t about enforcing processes; it’s about amplifying innovation and customer focus. Leaders and coaches must frame Agile as a catalyst for speed and creativity, or it risks being dismissed as bureaucratic red tape.
✅ 5. Technical Debt Accumulation
Speed often wins in the early days. But fast delivery can leave behind a trail of:
Why it matters: Teams must integrate regular refactoring, solid Definition of Done criteria, and other best practices to maintain sustainable velocity. Agile isn't just about just speed; it's about sustaining a good pace and going far.
✅ 6. Constant Change (Teams, Tools, Markets)
High turnover, rapid team scaling, evolving markets, and tool churn can mean:
Why it matters: Agile frameworks must be resilient to flux. Use modular team structures, continuous backlog refinement, and flexible planning cadences. The goal is stability within change, not avoidance of change.
✅ 7. Metrics and Outcomes Obsession
Unicorns are usually data-obsessed and under constant pressure to demonstrate business impact.
Why it matters: Agile teams should align sprint goals with measurable outcomes—not just story points. Track metrics like:
Delivering business value must become a shared goal across all Agile teams.
Conclusion
Agile isn’t just possible in unicorns—it’s essential. But thriving at scale requires a tailored and evolved approach for:
Unicorns should be resilient, adaptable, and strong enough to withstand storms while supporting rapid, towering growth. Want to supercharge your unicorn’s agility? Bring in Scott M. Graffius for his “Agile for Unicorns” interactive workshop and unlock:
Complete a speaker engagement request form or email Graffius.
More
Continue reading for:
Scott M. Graffius has Delivered Talks and Workshops at 84 Conferences and Other Events Across 25 Countries
Scott M. Graffius—a globally recognized technology leader, award-winning author, and sought-after international speaker—has inspired audiences at conferences and other events. Including his “Agile for Unicorns” workshop on 16 June 2025, he's delivered 94 sessions across 25 countries.
The 25 countries include: Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.
His 94 sessions are detailed here and summarized next (most recent shown first).
Graffius uses everyday language and vibrant custom content to make complex topics clear and understandable, and he provides audiences with practical information they can use. His sessions are highly rated by attendees and organizers alike.
Committed to giving back, Graffius delivers a set amount of work pro bono (no charge) to non-profits and charities.
Visit https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html for details, including a listing of prior and upcoming engagements, testimonials, his rate card, booking information, and more.
Booking inquiries: Complete a speaker engagement request form or email Graffius.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
Introduction
Scott M. Graffius—a globally recognized technology leader, award-winning author, and sought-after international speaker—has inspired audiences at conferences and other events across 25 countries. In his 94th session, “Agile for Unicorns,” delivered on 16 June 2025, he unveiled powerful strategies for privately-held startups valued at $1 billion or more to thrive in high-stakes environments. This article shares select highlights from that transformative session, while the complete set of detailed strategies and actionable guidance is available through his workshop.
Unicorns—private startups valued at $1 billion or more—face unique challenges in applying Agile. While Agile’s core values remain essential, the high-stakes world of unicorns—characterized by rapid growth, constant change, and intense investor pressure—demands tailored approaches. To succeed, unicorns must adapt Agile principles to their dynamic environment without compromising its core values.
Unicorns Must Tailor Their Agile Implementation Across Seven Areas for Maximum Impact
✅ 1. Hypergrowth Dynamics
Unicorns typically operate in a hypergrowth environment, where:
- Teams scale rapidly,
- Product lines expand quickly, and
- Market demands shift frequently.
Why it matters: Agile implementations can falter under rapid expansion. For example, a unicorn doubling its engineering team in six months may outgrow Scrum. To stay effective, Agile must scale quickly—using frameworks like Scrum of Scrums, SAFe, or other models—while avoiding bureaucracy that stifles innovation.
✅ 2. Innovation vs. Execution Balance
Agile prioritizes iterative delivery, but unicorns must balance relentless innovation with:
- Delivering reliable product updates, and
- Meeting board and investor expectations for growth and stability.
Why it matters: Unicorns often need hybrid approaches—blending Agile with Lean Startup or Design Thinking—to balance creativity with consistent execution. Innovation cannot come at the cost of stability, and vice versa.
✅ 3. Distributed and Multidisciplinary Teams
As unicorns grow, they often become globally distributed with cross-functional teams spanning:
- Engineering,
- Product, and
- Marketing,
- And more.
Why it matters: Agile ceremonies and tools must adapt to and support distributed teams. Implement asynchronous standups, timezone-aware planning, and collaborative virtual kanban boards to stay aligned. Prioritize culture, trust, and clarity to bridge distances.
✅ 4. Founder-Driven Culture
Many unicorns are deeply influenced by their founders, who may be visionary but resistant to processes.
Why it matters: Agile must resonate with the founder’s vision. Agile isn’t about enforcing processes; it’s about amplifying innovation and customer focus. Leaders and coaches must frame Agile as a catalyst for speed and creativity, or it risks being dismissed as bureaucratic red tape.
✅ 5. Technical Debt Accumulation
Speed often wins in the early days. But fast delivery can leave behind a trail of:
- Technical debt,
- Fragile architectures, and
- Lack of scalability.
Why it matters: Teams must integrate regular refactoring, solid Definition of Done criteria, and other best practices to maintain sustainable velocity. Agile isn't just about just speed; it's about sustaining a good pace and going far.
✅ 6. Constant Change (Teams, Tools, Markets)
High turnover, rapid team scaling, evolving markets, and tool churn can mean:
- Frequent reorganizations,
- Goal pivots, and
- Shifting team dynamics.
Why it matters: Agile frameworks must be resilient to flux. Use modular team structures, continuous backlog refinement, and flexible planning cadences. The goal is stability within change, not avoidance of change.
✅ 7. Metrics and Outcomes Obsession
Unicorns are usually data-obsessed and under constant pressure to demonstrate business impact.
Why it matters: Agile teams should align sprint goals with measurable outcomes—not just story points. Track metrics like:
- Experimentation velocity (e.g., A/B test frequency),
- Conversion uplift (e.g., user sign-up rates),
- Time-to-market (e.g., feature release cycles), and
- Customer retention (e.g., churn rate).
Delivering business value must become a shared goal across all Agile teams.
Conclusion
Agile isn’t just possible in unicorns—it’s essential. But thriving at scale requires a tailored and evolved approach for:
- Scale without rigidity;
- Fast without chaos;
- Vision-aligned, yet customer-driven; and
- Disciplined, but never at the expense of innovation.
Unicorns should be resilient, adaptable, and strong enough to withstand storms while supporting rapid, towering growth. Want to supercharge your unicorn’s agility? Bring in Scott M. Graffius for his “Agile for Unicorns” interactive workshop and unlock:
- Actionable insights to enhance team performance;
- Tailored tools for sustainable, scalable agility; and
- A visionary roadmap to align strategy and innovation with execution.
Complete a speaker engagement request form or email Graffius.
More
Continue reading for:
- Scott M. Graffius has Delivered Talks and Workshops at 84 Conferences and Other Events Across 25 Countries,
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- How to Cite This Article,
- and more.
Scott M. Graffius has Delivered Talks and Workshops at 84 Conferences and Other Events Across 25 Countries
Scott M. Graffius—a globally recognized technology leader, award-winning author, and sought-after international speaker—has inspired audiences at conferences and other events. Including his “Agile for Unicorns” workshop on 16 June 2025, he's delivered 94 sessions across 25 countries.
The 25 countries include: Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.
His 94 sessions are detailed here and summarized next (most recent shown first).
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇱🇹 DevDays Europe 2024 Conference
- 🇦🇪 Private event
- 🇫🇷 Private event
- 🇫🇮 W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference - Helsinki
- 🇬🇧 Conf42 Quantum Computing Conference
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇺🇸 DevOps Institute's SKILup Day
- 🇳🇴 Private event
- 🇦🇺 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇷🇴 Private event
- 🇦🇺 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇨🇭 DevOpsDays Geneva Conference
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Microsoft 365 Virtual Marathon Conference
- 🇨🇦 BSides Vancouver Cybersecurity Conference
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇳🇵 Agile Nepal Conference
- 🇺🇸 D.C. Cybersecurity Professionals
- 🇮🇪 Ireland Chapter of PMI
- 🇬🇷 Greece Chapter of PMI
- 🇺🇸 California Inland Empire Chapter of PMI
- 🇬🇧 Private event
- 🇭🇺 Budapest Chapter of PMI
- 🇦🇺 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇩🇪 Microsoft Teams Community Day
- 🇺🇸 Delaware Valley Chapter of PMI
- 🇦🇪 UAE Chapter of PMI
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇺🇸 DevOps Experience Conference
- 🇦🇲 Frug'Agile Conference Armenia
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇺🇸 IEEE Day
- 🇧🇷 Private event
- 🇬🇧 BSides Newcastle England InfoSec Conference
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇧🇷 Agile Trends Gov Conference
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇭🇰 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Florida Suncoast Chapter of PMI
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Central Virginia Chapter of PMI
- 🇸🇪 Private event
- 🇱🇹 DevOps Pro Europe Conference
- 🇺🇸 Southwest Virginia Chapter of PMI
- 🇬🇧 Private event
- 🇱🇺 Luxembourg Chapter of the Project Management Institute
- 🇬🇧 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Monterey Bay Chapter of PMI
- 🇦🇺 Private event
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand Chapter of PMI
- 🇮🇪 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Southern Nevada Chapter of PMI
- 🇺🇸 California Institute of Advanced Management
- 🇦🇺 Private event
- 🇬🇧 Scottish Summit
- 🇫🇮 Finland Chapter of PMI
- 🇨🇦 ConFoo Developer Conference
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇨🇿 DevConf.CZ Conference
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇺🇸 California Inland Empire Chapter of PMI
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇩🇪 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Alaska Chapter of the PMI
- 🇺🇸 North Alabama Chapter of PMI
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands Chapter of PMI
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇮🇳 Microsoft M365 Saturday Coimbatore Conference
- 🇬🇷 IT Pro Dev Connections Conference
- 🇮🇳 Microsoft Azure Community Conference
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇫🇷 Private event
- 🇺🇸 Los Angeles Chapter of PMI
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇬🇧 Private event
- 🇬🇧 Private event
- 🇨🇦 Project World / Business Analyst World
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇺🇸 California Inland Empire Chapter of PMI
- 🇺🇸 Techstars Startup Week Conference
- 🇺🇸 California Central Valley Chapter of PMI
- 🇺🇸 Private event
- 🇺🇸 California Inland Empire Chapter of PMI
- 🇺🇸 California Central Coast Chapter of PMI
- 🇺🇸 Los Angeles Chapter of PMI
- 🇬🇧 Private event
Graffius uses everyday language and vibrant custom content to make complex topics clear and understandable, and he provides audiences with practical information they can use. His sessions are highly rated by attendees and organizers alike.
Committed to giving back, Graffius delivers a set amount of work pro bono (no charge) to non-profits and charities.
Visit https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html for details, including a listing of prior and upcoming engagements, testimonials, his rate card, booking information, and more.
Booking inquiries: Complete a speaker engagement request form or email Graffius.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 94 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, June 16). Agile for Unicorns: 7 Keys to Thrive; Scott M. Graffius’ Workshop. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/agile-for-unicorns---7-keys-to-thrive---scott-m-graffius-workshop.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
"Agile for Unicorns" is ™️ and © Scott M. Graffius.
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.
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Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
Scott M. Graffius’ “Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions” Featured in Prestigious National Academies of Sciences Publication
14 June 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Scott M. Graffius’ book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, is quoted and cited in a publication of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine—specifically in ACRP Research Report 223: Performance Measures for State Aviation Agencies.
An excerpt with the cover page of the publication follows.
This recognition carries significant weight. The National Academies are among the most respected institutions in the United States for providing independent, objective analysis and guidance to government, industry, and the public. Their research directly informs strategy and policy across a wide range of disciplines.
The respective publication is part of the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), which is sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB). The publication is a practical guide for state aviation agencies, offering methodologies and best practices for performance measurement.
Graffius’ book is directly quoted in a section on balancing the scope and focus of performance metrics:
An excerpt showing the quote follows.
In addition to being quoted, the book is cited in the references section. Inclusion illustrates the relevance of Agile frameworks beyond the technology sector, extending into domains such as transportation, public administration, and infrastructure planning.
An excerpt showing the citation follows.
Being featured by a National Academies of Sciences publication is significant. Here’s why:
About Agile Scrum
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive. There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.
With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps readers:
Agile Scrum is for those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management. It's for those who have not yet used Scrum. It's also for people already using Scrum, in roles such as Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Development Team members (business analysts, solution and system architects, designers, developers, testers, etc.), customers, end users, agile coaches, executives, managers, and other stakeholders. For those already using Scrum, this guide can serve as a reference on practices for consideration and potential adaptation.
Reactions to Agile Scrum have been fantastic:
Additionally, Agile Scrum has received 17 first place awards.
Credit to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on the book.
Agile Scrum is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Harvard Book Store, and other sellers around the globe. Order your copy today!
About Performance Measures for State Aviation Agencies
Across the country, state transportation agencies of various modes have been required to incorporate performance measures into their core business functions. With this trend developing nationwide, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Airport Cooperative Research Program's ACRP Research Report 223: Performance Measures for State Aviation Agencies developed PMs for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) membership and their respective state aviation agencies.
The full report is publicly available via the National Academies at: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25975.
Citation information:
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Performance Measures for State Aviation Agencies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25975.
About the Transportation Research Board
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is one of seven major programs of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the TRB is to provide leadership in transportation improvements and innovation through trusted, timely, impartial, and evidence-based information exchange, research, and advice regarding all modes of transportation. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. Learn more at: https://www.TRB.org.
About The National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, non-governmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation.
The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues.
The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.
Learn more at: https://www.nationalacademies.org.
More
Continue reading for:
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 93 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
Scott M. Graffius’ book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, is quoted and cited in a publication of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine—specifically in ACRP Research Report 223: Performance Measures for State Aviation Agencies.
An excerpt with the cover page of the publication follows.
This recognition carries significant weight. The National Academies are among the most respected institutions in the United States for providing independent, objective analysis and guidance to government, industry, and the public. Their research directly informs strategy and policy across a wide range of disciplines.
The respective publication is part of the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), which is sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB). The publication is a practical guide for state aviation agencies, offering methodologies and best practices for performance measurement.
Graffius’ book is directly quoted in a section on balancing the scope and focus of performance metrics:
“If you don’t collect any metrics, you’re flying blind. If you collect and focus on too many, they may be obstructing your field of view.” — Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (Graffius, 2016)
An excerpt showing the quote follows.
In addition to being quoted, the book is cited in the references section. Inclusion illustrates the relevance of Agile frameworks beyond the technology sector, extending into domains such as transportation, public administration, and infrastructure planning.
An excerpt showing the citation follows.
Being featured by a National Academies of Sciences publication is significant. Here’s why:
- National-Level Credibility: Being featured in a National Academies work reflects a high level of trust, academic rigor, and relevance. The publication process involves expert panels and peer review.
- Cross-Disciplinary Reach: While Agile and Scrum are typically associated with software development, Graffius’ work demonstrates value across sectors, reinforcing Agile’s adaptability and growing impact in government/public-sector environments.
- Enduring Educational Use: The report is published by the National Academies, ensuring long-term visibility among policymakers, researchers, consultants, and educators.
About Agile Scrum
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive. There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.
With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps readers:
- Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum
- Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement
- Support innovation and drive competitive advantage
Agile Scrum is for those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management. It's for those who have not yet used Scrum. It's also for people already using Scrum, in roles such as Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Development Team members (business analysts, solution and system architects, designers, developers, testers, etc.), customers, end users, agile coaches, executives, managers, and other stakeholders. For those already using Scrum, this guide can serve as a reference on practices for consideration and potential adaptation.
Reactions to Agile Scrum have been fantastic:
- "One of the best Scrum books of all time" ― BookAuthority
- "The book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully" ― Literary Titan
- "A superbly written and presented guide to team-based project management that is applicable across a broad range of businesses from consumer products to high-tech" ― IndieBRAG
- "The book is excellent" ― Readers' Favorite
- "An all-inclusive instruction guide that is impressively 'user-friendly' in tone, content, clarity, organization, and presentation" ― Midwest Book Review
- "A must-have" ― PM World Journal
Additionally, Agile Scrum has received 17 first place awards.
Credit to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on the book.
Agile Scrum is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Harvard Book Store, and other sellers around the globe. Order your copy today!
About Performance Measures for State Aviation Agencies
Across the country, state transportation agencies of various modes have been required to incorporate performance measures into their core business functions. With this trend developing nationwide, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Airport Cooperative Research Program's ACRP Research Report 223: Performance Measures for State Aviation Agencies developed PMs for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) membership and their respective state aviation agencies.
The full report is publicly available via the National Academies at: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25975.
Citation information:
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Performance Measures for State Aviation Agencies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25975.
About the Transportation Research Board
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is one of seven major programs of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the TRB is to provide leadership in transportation improvements and innovation through trusted, timely, impartial, and evidence-based information exchange, research, and advice regarding all modes of transportation. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. Learn more at: https://www.TRB.org.
About The National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, non-governmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation.
The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues.
The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.
Learn more at: https://www.nationalacademies.org.
More
Continue reading for:
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- How to Cite This Article,
- and more.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 93 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, June 14). Scott M. Graffius’ "Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions" Featured in Prestigious National Academies of Sciences Publication. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/content-from-agile-scrum-by-scott-m-graffius-featured-in-publication-of-national-academies-of-sciences.html.
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Content Acknowledgements
Performance Measures for State Aviation Agencies is a publication of the National Academy of Sciences.
This article includes brief excerpts from Performance Measures for State Aviation Agencies, attributed and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.
National Academy of Sciences name, mark, and content are the property of the National Academy of Sciences.
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
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