Cycle method

»Vision gives visionaries a reason to show up and do what we do, as well as a future to work toward«. In the Cycle method, a recurring period of time forms the foundation of our collaboration. Cycles create a healthy routine that lets us focus on what has to happen next.

The shared compass.

The larger aim always in view. Before we start the first shared Cycle, the overarching aim has to be clear. What is the vision? What do we want to achieve overall? What should the Cycles that follow contribute to? Once defined, this vision serves us as a compass on our shared journey. A future we come a little closer to with every Cycle. If no vision or mission is defined yet, we are happy to help develop it first.

The Cycle rhythm

Routine for visible results. From experience we work best in recurring Cycle rhythms of 4, 6 or 8 weeks. The chosen period varies with the context of the project, but it should be long enough to build something meaningful from start to finish, and short enough not to get lost in micromanagement or too many iterations. At the start of each Cycle we talk through which tasks and aims come onto the agenda in the coming period, set priorities and assign responsibilities. We always take care to keep a healthy dynamic that brings everyone on the project with us.

The Cycle timeline

Maximum agility for your project. Each Cycle follows the same underlying project plan as the next. That way we make sure everyone involved always knows what to do, and that a routine working phase, focused on the actual tasks, can settle in after a very short time. The structure matches a classic Kanban board, like the ones you know from project tools such as Trello or Asana. The Cycle timeline then sits as a project card on the Basecamp board. The following points explain the structure of the Cycle timeline, which always stays the same:

Backlog

You can add new tasks and requests to the Backlog at any time. Unlike a sprint, which works with a roadmap fixed in advance and a clearly defined Scope of Work, this has the advantage that we can respond with maximum agility to insights and changes as the project runs.

Triage

In Triage, we estimate cost and effort for the task cards that have gathered in the backlog. After that we can better judge how many tasks fit into the coming Cycle. Cards that are too large or too complex for the Cycle are either split into smaller tasks or move back into the backlog, to be taken up in the next Cycle.

Working phase

All cards qualified for the coming Cycle period are moved to Work at the start, and we work through them in the planned time. For questions or notes on the cards currently running, you can reach us at any time in the Campfire on your dashboard. You can also leave comments directly in the card, to share your input with our team.

Feedback & handover

At the end of each Cycle there is a planned review. This can take place in person or online. In that meeting we go through all cards in Feedback and decide together which tasks can be closed straight away, finalised with smaller changes, or iterated in the next Cycle. As a result, the remaining cards either move to Done or go back to the Backlog, to be planned from there for the next Cycle.