Welcome to the 4^th video of the series “Tackle RTE Exhaustion: 6 real-life experiences with possible ways out”.  

In the last videos the takeaways where; scale together, delegate, delegate, delegate, and you're not alone in the company. In this video it’s all about “maybe you are not alone with your ART”? 

We have seen that the RTE job is a full-time job and more. This is for sure at the beginning of the ART journey. And it is not only stressful during PI Planning. It’s also stressful during the PI. 

You have to take care that after the PI Planning the PI itself is a success, so a lot of work to do with the ART and the teams on the current PI. Even if you have implemented all the take aways from the last videos. It’s a hard job. You have a long task list.  

And the next PI Planning is coming. When do you start the preparation for that? In the top 5 action items of a PI Planning retrospective you will mostly find the following point: “We should start the preparation of the next PI much earlier.” Deja vue?  

While running the current PI you’re preparing the next -- meaning you’re facilitating many events along the way over the ARTs Kanban. Together with the System Architect and the PMs. 

Sometimes it feels like you have no private life. You are the first in the office and the last in the evening. 

And vacations? After coming back you need extra long working days as the pile of work waiting for you is always huge. 

But who says you have to be alone?  

I can tell you. Job sharing is possible. An ART can have two part time RTEs! And that is the take away of this video. 

In the beginning of this video you have noticed that the RTE is working on two levels and in two time frames. You noticed that in the PI planning a deputy and a helping hand would be nice. Sounds like you can split the job, doesn’t it? 

Still puzzled? 

I can give you an example. Imagine two RTEs working part-time. They start the first PI together. One is in charge of the PI Planning the other has a supporting role. The supporting RTE feels the room better because he/she is not facilitating and can help if something is going off track. And if the RTE in charge is tired to do for instance the Risk ROAMing the backup RTE can jump in and moderate with fresh energy. 

After the PI planning the RTE who was in charge of the PI Planning is in charge of the current PI. The other RTE starts caring for the next PI; and so working closely with Scrum Masters, Team Coaches, Architects and Stakeholders like Business Owners. And with that being in charge of backlog preparation for the next PI Planning. 

The next PI Planning is organized by the RTE who prepared the ARTs Backlog. The other RTE is now the backup and the helping hand. And after the PI Planning they change their role. The RTE responsible for the PI planning cares for the PI while the other cares for preparation of the upcoming PI Planning. 

Cool Job sharing, isn’t it? 

And in case of illness or vacation you have a capable RTE available. 

No mountains of tasks waiting after the end of your vacation! 

Again the Take Away: An ART with 2 part-time RTEs is possible.  

So think about Job Sharing. 

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I’m Niko Kaintantzis, SPCT and Systemic Coach with KEGON Switzerland. piplanning.io and I created this series to help you tackle the verry important topic: “RTE Exhaustion” and more important “ways out”.

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