scrum master success Archives - Page 2 of 63 - Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast

Michael Schmidt: Sustainable Agile Practice, A Success Factor For Scrum Masters

In this episode, Michael delves into the critical question of what success means for Scrum Masters. He stresses the need for individual reflection as a way to grow in that role. For him, achieving a sustainable pace for everyone involved is paramount. He emphasizes regularly assessing if the team is operating in the “green area” of sustainability. Additionally, Michael offers a valuable tip: clearly define the team’s playground and set explicit rules for both team members and external stakeholders.

Featured Retrospective Format For The Week: Fostering Conversations, The Biergarten Retro Experience

In this episode, Michael introduces the “Biergarten Retro,” a conversation focused agile retrospective. He emphasizes how this format can adapt to different team dynamics and the importance of active participation. Michael encourages using familiar methods while providing guidance through 3-4 key areas. Choosing this type of environment can foster open conversations, allowing team members to address issues they might avoid in a conventional office setting. Stepping out of routine surroundings promotes fresh perspectives and strengthens team cohesion. Ultimately, the Biergarten Retro serves as a powerful tool in nurturing the well-being and dynamics of the team.

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About Michael Schmidt

Michael a Berlin-based Agile Coach for teams, roles and organisations around software based product development. Michael invented “the taskboard” on his own, which ignited his working agile by conviction some 13 years ago.

You can link with Michael Schmidt on LinkedIn and connect with Michael Schmidt on Twitter.

Konstantin Ribel: The Three Tiers of Scrum Master Success, Team, Multi-team, and Product

Konstantin outlines three tiers of success for Scrum Masters. Level 1 centers on fostering teamwork and trust within a single team. Level 2 emphasizes collaboration between multiple teams, avoiding silos, and ensuring equitable workloads. Level 3 delves into product-focused success, considering customer-driven value, delivery efficiency, and feedback loops. Konstantin advises bringing teams together through multi-team events and facilitating progress sharing among teams to enhance overall success in the Scrum Master role.

Featured Retrospective Format For The Week: Tailoring Retrospectives, Konstantin’s Recipe For Scrum Master Adaptability To Team Needs

Konstantin advocates for adaptability in retrospectives, noting the importance of ditching a pre-planned format if it doesn’t suit the team dynamics at the time of the retrospective. He emphasizes the need to prepare each retrospective, as it helps us to be secure if there’s a need to improvise. Konstantin shares the example of a team that received news of an impending change just before the retro, and that prompted Konstantin to focus on the team’s need for a conversation around closure, rather than future improvement. This highlights the value of addressing real-time team needs over rigid adherence to a set format.

How can I, as a Scrum Master, supercharge my facilitation?

About Konstantin Ribel

Konstantin drives organizational success through innovative thinking, simplifying processes, and building high-performing teams. With a strong track record in change management and process optimization, he leads agile transformations and applies systems thinking for adaptable, thriving businesses in dynamic industries.

You can link with Konstantin Ribel on LinkedIn.

Aki Salmi: Indicators of a Thriving Agile Team When Uncertainty Rules

In this episode, Aki emphasizes the importance of growth within a team, regardless of whether the path forward is uncertain. He provides insightful tips, such as tracking the effectiveness of retrospectives and monitoring the nature of discussions. Aki prompts reflection on whether the team is delving into systemic issues or getting stuck in “but” statements. He encourages listeners to observe where the team’s focus lies and whether they exhibit curiosity towards their work, asking exploratory “what if” questions.

Featured Retrospective Format For The Week: The Empty Table Retrospective

In this segment, Aki shares his preferred retrospective format inspired by “Agile Retrospectives” by Larsen and Derby. He gives the tip that it’s a lot easier for Scrum Masters when we don’t run retrospectives for our own teams. Aki introduces the “Empty Table” retro, emphasizing the significance of a thorough check-in. Participants imagine an empty table to gather insights and events. He used to employ dot-voting extensively, but later decided there were better methods to select the topics for discussion. He suggests a different approach for topic selection to promote shared leadership. He stresses the importance of active listening and embraces silence as a valid contribution.

How can I, as a Scrum Master, supercharge my facilitation?

About Aki Salmi

Aki is a software crafter and shares the joy of coding and the value of empathy at work. That is, Aki works on ones and zeros (code) and everything else (humans).

You can link with Aki Salmi on LinkedIn.

Lorraine Chambers: How To Design Your Coaching Plan, And Progress Towards Successful Scrum Mastery

In this episode, we explore what success means for Scrum Masters and Lorraine’s perspective. Lorraine suggests that success starts when both the team and customers are genuinely content and motivated. Key indicators include the team independently addressing anti-patterns, initiating discussions about their work, and requiring less assistance with basic tasks. Lorraine emphasizes the importance of a defined coaching plan (see the Agile Coaching Growth Wheel) and personal accountability. Conducting quarterly team health surveys provides concrete feedback for self-improvement, enabling Lorraine to track progress and address areas for growth effectively.

Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: From Lean Coffee To The Simple DAKI Framework, Retrospectives For All Teams

When it comes to retrospective formats, for mature teams, Lorraine favors the Lean Coffee approach, providing an informal setting where participants shape the agenda in real-time. This allows for open discussions on chosen topics within time constraints. Lorraine highlights how Lean Coffee often uncovers diverse team concerns. For less mature teams, she leans towards the Drop/Add/Keep/Improve framework (DAKI retrospective), emphasizing continuous improvement. She suggests that we use the “Improve” to inspire improvements that we keep an eye on during the Sprint. With remote teams, she utilizes MURAL’s private mode for collaborative sticky-note sessions.

How can I, as a Scrum Master, supercharge my facilitation?

About Lorraine Chambers

Lorraine’s vision of excellence is summed up in the words of philosopher, Lao Tzu — “A leader is best when people barely know he exists … ” She’s held several roles in the Fintech industry, including Product Owner and Quality Assurance. She’s a native New Yorker that loves travel, music and museums.

You can link with Lorraine Chambers on LinkedIn and connect with Lorraine Chambers on Instagram.

Tom Siebeneicher: Are The Scrum Team Members Honest And Critical When Needed? A Scrum Master Success reflection

In this episode, we explore Tom’s thoughts on the factors for Scrum Master success. He emphasizes the importance of team members feeling safe to share impediments and the prompt resolution of such issues. Tom encourages actions that promote collaboration and the consistent identification of impediments. He advises a perpetual drive for improvement and stresses the necessity of measuring progress. Tom underlines the need for a space where honesty and constructive criticism can be part of the team dynamics to ensure continuous growth and success in the Scrum Master role.

Featured Retrospective Format For The Week: Creating Connection Through A People Focused Agile Retrospective Format

Tom shares his preferred Agile retrospective format, emphasizing the increased impact of being physically together in one room. He advocates for a simple start/stop/continue approach, focusing not only on the retro itself but also on the moments leading up to it. Tom underscores the importance of observing non-verbal cues to gauge team dynamics and potential pressure points. For remote retrospectives, he advises a thorough check-in with each participant. He stresses the significance of verbally setting the scene, considering it a critical aspect of a successful retrospective.

How can I, as a Scrum Master, supercharge my facilitation?

About Tom Siebeneicher

Tom is an engaging speaker, who has delivered presentations at conferences like the Atos DREAM Conference, the Agile Leadership Day, and TED XKE by Xebia. Their enthusiasm for discussing Agile is evident in those talks.

You can link with Tom Siebeneicher on LinkedIn.