conflict management Archives - Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast

Chrissy Fleming: The Impact of Unaddressed Conflict on Agile Team Health

Chrissy shares a compelling story about a newly formed team working on retention that struggled with toxic behavior. The presence of a hostile team member created an environment where healthy conflict became impossible, leading to either unhealthy confrontations or complete avoidance. Despite attempts to address the situation, the lack of trust prevented team members from addressing the destructive behavior, ultimately resulting in the team’s dissolution.

Self-reflection Question: How do you currently handle toxic behavior in your team, and what steps could you take to build the psychological safety needed for addressing conflicts openly?

Featured Book of the Week: How Toddlers Thrive by Tove Klein

How Toddlers Thrive by Tove Klein explores brain function and human behavior, drawing surprising parallels between toddler development and adult interactions. Chrissy recommends it for its valuable insights into emotional intelligence and human nature, reminding us that in Agile environments, we’re fundamentally dealing with human beings and their emotions.

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About Chrissy Fleming

Chrissy came to Scrum-Mastering via Product Management and a deep love of seeing teams work together. She spent 15 years in the New York tech scene and is currently an Associate Principal in Business Agility with Turnberry Solutions. She also has her own company where she coaches and helps businesses and technologists with their development.

You can link with Chrissy Fleming on LinkedIn.

Tom Baldwin: When the Stand-Up Turns Into Chaos, Conflict, Care, and Change for Agile Teams

In a gripping episode with Tom, we talk about the chaos of a stand-up gone wrong, spotlighting how personal tensions can reflect deeper process issues. Tom recounts a fiery disagreement between developers, stemming from a pressured environment, and how it led to a transformative shift in team dynamics and location. We talk about how Scrum Masters can navigate through conflicts, focusing on psychological insights and team unity. Key takeaways include the importance of 1-on-1 chats, understanding triggers, and collective decision-making, all while referencing seminal works like Deming’s 14 principles for management and Lencioni’s “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.”

The inspiring story of how a failing hospital turned things around with Agile and Lean

Recovering from failure, or difficult moments is a critical skill for Scrum Masters. Not only because of us, but also because the teams, and stakeholders we work with will also face these moments! We need inspiring stories to help them, and ourselves! The Bungsu Story, is an inspiring story by Marcus Hammarberg which shows how a Coach can help organizations recover even from the most disastrous situations! Learn how Marcus helped The Bungsu, a hospital in Indonesia, recover from near-bankruptcy, twice! Using Lean and Agile methods to rebuild an organization and a team! An inspiring story you need to know about! Buy the book on Amazon: The Bungsu Story – How Lean and Kanban Saved a Small Hospital in Indonesia. Twice. and Can Help You Reshape Work in Your Company.

About Tom Baldwin

Tom is a Lean-Agile Coach & Scrum Master, who is trying to solve the problem that it has been more than 20 years since the Agile Manifesto, but Business Agility is still not the norm. Tom is currently writing “Production line for the mind: The Practicing Principle”, with the idea of making agility simple to understand & to implement – and not just for software.

You can link with Tom Baldwin on LinkedIn.

Chris Garvey: When Agile Alone Can’t Save the Day, Avoiding The Temptation To “Save” A Scrum Team

In this episode, Chris recounts a challenging experience as a Scrum Master in emergency services product development. Faced with exploding software development and delayed deliveries, the team turned to Agile for a solution. The immense pressure led Chris to take the role too seriously, causing a detrimental shift in focus. To top it all, three team members were experiencing burnout. Chris emphasizes the importance of coaching by invitation and avoiding the temptation to micromanage the team. Ultimately, this episode raises questions about leadership’s openness to change in such high-pressure situations.

In this episode, we refer to the book Shift From Product To People, a book that explores the need to focus on working with people first, before being able to work with the product.

The inspiring story of how a failing hospital turned things around with Agile and Lean

About Chris Garvey

Chris is passionate about people, and creating empowering spaces where people can thrive. He is a coach at heart having been a Life Coach before becoming an Agile Coach. For close to 10 years he has been working in the agile space as a Scrum Master, then Agile Coach, then trainer, and now as an Enterprise Agile Coach.

You can link with Chris Garvey on LinkedIn.

Anna Mbengam: Strategies for Navigating Difficult Conversations, Solving Conflicts, And Coaching Scrum Teams

In this episode, Anna shares a scenario where a team grappled with a fear of conflict. She emphasizes the need to step back and listen attentively, advising against cornering teams during discussions on sensitive topics. Anna highlights how team members confided in her privately, often about cultural disparities. She offers practical tips, such as gauging comfort levels for public discussions and maintaining confidentiality. Anna advocates for transparency, suggesting collaboration with the Product Owner to demonstrate openness and acknowledge mistakes. Additional advice includes fostering trust, utilizing icebreakers to bridge diverse perspectives, and encouraging active leadership within the team.

Featured Book For The Week: Coaching for Success: Integrating ‘The Five Dysfunctions’ and ‘Agile Coaching’

In this episode, Anna delves into the influential book ‘The Five Dysfunctions of a Team’, emphasizing its role in recognizing and mitigating detrimental behavioral patterns within teams. She highlights the fear of conflict as a particularly crucial aspect. Anna stresses the importance of active listening and avoiding cornering teams during discussions on challenging topics. Additionally, she introduces ‘Agile Coaching’ by Rachel Davies as another valuable resource for enhancing team dynamics and performance in agile environments.

Transform Your Agile Teams with Hard-Earned Lessons from Super-Experienced Scrum Masters

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About Anna Mbengam

Anna, an accomplished Scrum Master and SAFe Coach since 2018, thrives in diverse industries like Personal Investments, Healthcare, Food & beverage, and Banking. She’s authored 5 self-published guides aiding aspiring Scrum Masters, and her mentoring has transformed 200+ professionals into highly effective individuals for any organization.

You can link with Anna Mbengam on LinkedIn and read Anna’s books.

Zach Stone: Stakeholder Turbulence in Agile And Their Impact On Team Morale

In this episode, Zach reflects on his impatience and passion for the change process in Agile. He discusses a challenging scenario involving two conflicting stakeholders with differing product ideas. The stakeholders’ heated conflicts escalated, impacting team morale. Zach initially focused on the team rather than addressing the stakeholder conflict directly. He suggests bringing stakeholders together to discuss the situation, emphasizing the importance of early conflict resolution. Zach also highlights the significance of observing and validating team dynamics, as well as addressing conflict promptly to prevent further disruptions. He acknowledges an anti-pattern of fear and emphasizes proactively engaging with stakeholders for better outcomes.

The inspiring story of how a failing hospital turned things around with Agile and Lean

About Zach Stone

Zach has worked as a process facilitator for over 17 years, as a specialist in behavioral science. He co-founded a firm that uses techniques to rebuild war zones for organizational dynamics. He has been an agilist for the past 7 years and was recently a speaker at the Global Scrum Conference. He lives in Santa Fe with his Wife and spends his time exploring canyons and trails.

You can link with Zach Stone on LinkedIn.