1. How do you introduce Kanban to a non-Agile team?

Start by visualizing the current workflow, then gradually introduce WIP (Work In Progress) limits and encourage small, continuous improvements to build trust and buy-in.

2. What’s the difference between Kanban and Scrum?

Scrum works in fixed-length Sprints with defined roles and ceremonies, while Kanban is a continuous-flow system that focuses on limiting WIP and optimizing flow.

3. What does limiting WIP achieve?

It reduces multitasking, improves team focus, and makes bottlenecks and inefficiencies visible, allowing for better flow and faster delivery.

4. What’s the difference between Lead Time and Cycle Time?

Lead Time measures from the moment a request is made to when it’s delivered. Cycle Time starts when the work begins and ends at delivery.

5. How do you promote ownership in Kanban teams?

Encourage transparency, self-management, and team participation in defining board policies and making pull decisions based on workflow signals.

6. How do you facilitate a Daily Kanban meeting?

Walk the board from right to left, focusing on work that’s closest to completion, blockers, and opportunities to pull new tasks.

7. How do you track progress in Kanban?

Use metrics like Cycle Time, Throughput, and visual tools like the Cumulative Flow Diagram to monitor flow and detect bottlenecks.

8. How do you prioritize work in Kanban?

Use backlog order, classes of service (e.g. Expedite, Fixed Date), and policies such as urgent lanes to manage priority dynamically.

9. What policies do you define for each column?

Each column should have entry/exit criteria, WIP limits, and clear rules for handling blocked or unplanned work.

10. What are the core principles of Kanban?

Kanban is based on visualizing work, limiting WIP, managing flow, making policies explicit, implementing feedback loops, and improving collaboratively.

11. Describe a time you successfully implemented Kanban.

I helped a support team adopt Kanban, which improved ticket resolution time by 40% by visualizing bottlenecks and limiting WIP.

12. How do you adapt Kanban for remote teams?

Use digital boards (e.g., Jira, Trello, Azure), maintain visibility through daily virtual stand-ups, and document workflow policies clearly to keep alignment across locations.

13. Can you give an example of a simple Kanban board?

A basic board has three columns: To Do, In Progress, and Done. It’s an easy way to start visualizing and managing workflow.