tuesday Archives - Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast

Thorben Pantring: The Team That Learned How To Collaborate, and Avoid the “It’s Not My Job” Anti-Pattern

In a revealing episode, Thorben shares lessons from a team in trouble. The team members worked in isolation, often saying “It’s not my job” and addressing each other by their roles, not by their names. Thorben tried 2 experiments to help the team: a Work in Progress limit of 1 to foster collaboration and a workshop on the “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” Model (inspired by the book by Lencioni) highlighting the need for commitment and accountability. Emphasizing a shared sprint goal, Thorben recommends assessing progress collectively. Eventually, a cultural shift occurred—team members adopted the motto “it’s our job,” fostering collaboration and breaking down role-based barriers.

Featured Book of the Week: “Large Scale Scrum” by Bas Vodde and Craig Larman

Thorben recommends “Large Scale Scrum” by Bas Vodde and Craig Larman as key book for Scrum Masters. Highlighting its practicality, he emphasizes its value in expanding Scrum beyond a single team. The book guides not just development but also incorporates management involvement for successful large-scale Scrum implementation. Thorben praises its emphasis on customer-centric development, making it an essential read for those striving to make agile magic happen.

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About Thorben Pantring

Thorben is an experienced Scrum Master & Team Lead in the eCommerce space, showcasing expertise in leadership, LeSS, Scrum, team management, and engineering. With an insatiable desire for learning and a relentless pursuit of progress, Thorben embodies a fervent passion for leadership, agility, and technology.

You can link with Thorben Pantring on LinkedIn.

Jean Coetzee: From Obsession to Ownership, Avoiding the Deadline Trap in Agile Teams

In this episode, Jean recounts a cautionary tale of a team with an unhealthy obsession with meeting deadlines. The team’s relentless pursuit led to a sense of loss of control and disconnection from the broader reality, paralleling themes from “The Matrix.” Jean emphasizes the importance of reclaiming control over one’s time and lives, and urges listeners to reflect on what makes a high-performing team member. He underscores that meeting deadlines should not be the sole purpose of a team, and that true ownership lies in a more holistic approach to achieving success.

Featured Book of the Week: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink

In this segment, Jean discusses the profound impact of Jocko Willink’s book, “Extreme Ownership,” on his journey as a Scrum Master. He highlights how the concept of ownership is crucial in Agile practices and applies not only to individuals but to the entire team. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding, camaraderie, and trust within a team, ultimately leading to high performance. Jean stresses that roles don’t define ownership; it’s a collective responsibility for achieving success in Agile endeavors, making “Extreme Ownership” a valuable resource for both Scrum Masters and product owners.

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

About Jean Coetzee

Jean is passionate about humans, and how they work together from a psychology and neuroscience perspective.

Jean, credits the early ScrumMaster podcasts for shaping his Agile career. These insightful episodes provided vital guidance during the early days, boosting confidence in serving others effectively. Jean learned to navigate uncertainties and gain confidence in their Scrum Master role, all thanks to this and other podcast contributors.

You can link with Jean Coetzee on LinkedIn.

Annu Paganus: Short-Term Thinking, Long-Term Consequences, How Agile Teams Create Their Own Problems

Annu shares the story of a team that delayed documentation and planning because they expected that the system they were maintaining would eventually be replaced by a new system. However, while she was away on a long leave, the system change did not happen. The team’s mindset of impending change led to neglecting long-term considerations, impeding progress. Annu advises teams to scrutinize the narratives they tell themselves about their work and to understand their origins. She stresses the importance of focusing on the present and evolving their work methods based on the current situation.

Featured Book of the Week: Keskusteluälykkyys by Helena Åhman

Annu shares her passion for personal development and its impact on her professional and personal growth. She recommends the book “Keskusteluälykkyys” by Helena Åhman (link in Finnish) for its valuable lessons on conflict resolution. Annu appreciates how her team’s passionate discussions have been productive. She highlights the significance of overcoming conflict as a Scrum Master. Additionally, she praises “Belong: Find Your People, Create Community, and Live a More Connected Life”for its insights on fostering a sense of belonging. The book emphasizes the role of routines in reinforcing community bonds, a principle applicable to Agile teams. Annu underlines the importance of creating meaningful rituals within the team dynamic.

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

About Annu Paganus

Annu is a passionate software team Scrum Master who wants to help her team to create an environment where different kind of people can find a smooth way to work together and enjoy their work and private life. Also worked as teacher, software developer, chapter lead and Product Owner.

You can link with Annu Paganus on LinkedIn.

Armin Mandara: When Harmony Hinders Progress, Learning to Trigger Difficult Conversations

Armin shares his experience with one of his initial teams, responsible for QA and user acceptance. The team lacked cross-functionality and faced uneven work distribution. Communication about improvements was scarce, leading to stagnant progress. Some stakeholders provided no feedback, and the team maintained a facade of contentment. Armin observed a reluctance to engage in conflict and recognized the team’s collective unawareness of necessary improvements. Even if in one-on-one meetings, individuals were more candid, they did not raise the topics in a wider group. Armin advises addressing issues individually to gauge openness for discussion. The team’s absence of external pressure hindered growth, reflecting the challenge of balancing harmony with performance.

Featured Book of the Week: “Radical Honesty” by Brad Blanton

In this episode, Armin delves into his favorite book, “Radical Honesty” by Brad Blanton. He highlights how the book goes beyond conventional honesty, emphasizing the importance of genuine self-connection. Armin asserts that this radical honesty is a crucial skill for Scrum Masters, enabling them to tap into their emotions effectively. The book prompts a re-evaluation of authenticity, urging individuals to be true to themselves on a deeper level.

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

About Armin Mandara

Armin is the Head of Scrum Masters at IBM iX, a leading digital agency. With a career spanning seven years as a Scrum Master, Armin has partnered with numerous teams to successfully deliver top-notch digital products. His passion lies in enabling agile teams to achieve their goals and unleash their true potential.

You can link with Armin Mandara on LinkedIn.

Aria Omidvar: Friendship or Performance, The Hard Dilemma Scrum Teams Sometimes Face

Aria shares a common team pitfall: sacrificing trust, transparency, and courage for camaraderie. In this case, a team’s cohesion eroded as they prioritized friendliness over addressing performance issues. One underperforming developer strained the team’s efforts, despite trying to help that team member. The team’s hesitancy to confront the issue led to a painful breakdown. Aria emphasizes proactive communication and recommends ‘The Hard Thing about Hard Things’ as a resource. He underscores the importance of clear warnings and transparent discussions to salvage a struggling team.

Featured Book of the Week: Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams by DeMarco and Lister

Aria discusses the profound impact of the book “Peopleware,” which predates the modern Agile movement. He notes its timeless relevance, emphasizing its focus not only on software but also on the crucial element of ‘peopleware.’ Despite lacking current Agile terminology, the book remains remarkably insightful. Aria also references Fred Brooks’ “Mythical Man-Month” in his exploration of timeless books that have influenced the Agile movement.

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

About Aria Omidvar

Aria has 4+ years of experience serving as Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Agile Coach (CSM, A-CSM, CSPO) from single teams to multiple teams and the whole software organization. He’s a Software Engineer turned Software Developer turned Peopleware Developer and Agilist.

You can link with Aria Omidvar on LinkedIn and connect with Aria Omidvar on Twitter.