Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast

Konstantin Ribel: Rebuilding Scrum Team Dynamics To Overcome Remote Work Anti-Patterns Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Konstantin recounts a team's struggle rooted in prioritizing individual tasks over collective effort. Daily meetings centered on status updates fostered a fragmented and siloed work environment. The team working remote made the issue even worse, making it hard to have face-to-face interaction and pair-working. All of these patterns resulted in underperformance. Konstantin advises regular team gatherings, emphasizing the importance of on-site collaboration. He underscores the human element, urging teams to function cohesively as people. Featured Book Of The Week: The Miracle Morning by Hal Erold In this segment, Konstantin delves into how his morning routine, inspired by "The Miracle Morning," by Hal Erold has profoundly influenced his rol

Konstantin Ribel: One Thing Most Agile Teams Miss When Adopting Agile  Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. This story starts when, during an Agile transformation, Konstantin had to terminate engagements with external consultants he had been working with. Even if this was painful, and hard for Konstantin, the big issue was still to come. Over time, after the consultants left, he realized that the teams were not ready to make decisions on their own. In this episode, Konstantin emphasizes that teams often waste time seeking unanimous agreement. Konstantin talks about the need to embrace the concept of "disagree and commit." Konstantin introduces the concept of resistance voting as a means to expedite decisions without excluding any team members’ perspectives. In this episode, we refer to the scaling framework LeSS.    [IMAGE HERE] Recovering from failure, or dif

BONUS: The Perfection Trap, How To Avoid Stifling Your, and Your Team’s Growth, With Thomas Curran   In this episode, Thomas Curran, the author of the book The Perfection Trap, sheds light on the dangerous attempt to be perfect, and how it can lead to burnout and depression. He distinguishes perfectionism from healthy striving, emphasizing how perfectionists grapple with uncertainty and insecurity, constantly questioning their own adequacy. The fear of failure looms large, often causing them to withdraw from situations where evaluation is likely. The emotional toll of this relentless pursuit is substantial, leaving little room for self-compassion. Research Insights: The Psychological Landscape   As an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics, Curran draws upon research to inform his writing. He highlights compelling studies that uncover the roots of perfectionism and its far-reaching impacts. He offers a glimpse into the scientific foundation underpinning the book's message.   Embracin

Aki Salmi: Trust, Transparency, and Vision, A Guide to Effective Product Ownership Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Aki shares insights on what makes a great product owner. He highlights the importance of close collaboration between the team and the product owner to ensure a clear understanding of the "why" behind each backlog item. Aki recounts a positive experience where the team and PM worked together every Monday to define objectives. He emphasizes the value of ensemble work or mob programming for effective communication. Aki advises building trust, maintaining a coherent product vision, and addressing any fears around transparency within the team.   [IMAGE HERE] Are you having trouble helping the team work well with their Product Owner? We’ve put together a course to help you work on the collaboration team-product owner. You can find

Aki Salmi: Indicators of a Thriving Agile Team When Uncertainty Rules Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. 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 Mas

Aki Salmi: Working With BDD To Help Agile Teams Understand And Deliver On Business Needs Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Aki shares two impactful stories of change. Firstly, he recounts a scenario as a scrum master in a team with two-week sprints. Because the team was “ok” with letting a feature slip from one sprint to the other, that feature eventually took four weeks to deliver, after which the team found out that they implementation did not align with the business. Implementing Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) with tools like Specflow facilitated better communication with the business, ensuring subsequent deliveries met business needs. Aki's second story reflects his realization about strong opinions and conflicts. Aki learned the value of active listening and being open to others' perspectives. In this episode, we refer to Chris Argyr

Aki Salmi: Learning Decision-Making without Explicit Leadership, A Key Skill For Scrum Teams Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Aki reflects on a highly effective team, drawing inspiration from Google's Project Aristotle on high-performing teams. He recounts the story of a team that operated without a designated leader, relying on consensus-based decision-making. However, this approach often hindered progress and experimentation. Aki highlights the importance of bringing up such systemic issues in retrospectives. He advises teams to step back and critically evaluate their working methods and their implications. Aki also touches on concepts like "double loop learning" and emphasizes the significance of considering core tasks, emotional climate, and effective structures in the work environment. Featured Book For The Week: Dare to Lead by Brene

Aki Salmi: Agile Problem-Solving in Action, Helping Developers Take Ownership Of Their Decisions Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode with Aki Salmi, he emphasizes the importance of involving the most knowledgeable team members in design discussions. Aki recounts a pivotal moment when the Scrum Master introduced a coin toss method to answer design questions asked by the developers. This gave the developers a clear sign that they had the power to decide for themselves! This episode highlights a scenario where the business set ambitious targets, leading to a massive estimation process. Despite initial setbacks, open communication with the business led to surpassing the 500 user story-point goal management had arbitrarily set. This story also emphasizes the need for Agile practices to extend beyond the team and serve the broader organizational objecti

Lorraine Chambers: When Product Owners Are Spread Thin, And How To Overcome The Absent PO Anti-pattern Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: The Growth-Oriented PO This Product Owner (PO) ensured every team member had a voice, fostering an environment for experimentation and ideation. They facilitated developer participation in hackathons and effectively communicated the vision and roadmap. The backlog was consistently well-organized and prioritized. The PO actively shared feedback, motivating the team. They sought opportunities for recognition and took pride in sprint reviews. This PO's commitment extended to continuous learning and self-improvement through training, events, and meetups, reflecting a growth-oriented mindset nurtured through Lorraine's coaching. The Bad Product Owner: When Product Owners Are Spread Thin, And How To Overco

Lorraine Chambers: How To Design Your Coaching Plan, And Progress Towards Successful Scrum Mastery Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. 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

Lorraine Chambers: Using Experiments To Drive Agile Change, Lessons from a Test Automation Initiative Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. This story starts with an agile transformation featuring a shift-left initiative. The team faced challenges in implementing test automation due to unclear policies and time allocation. Recognizing the challenges faced by the teams, Lorraine engaged with managers and leaders, advocating to give teams the support they needed. Through that, it was possible to help the teams with guidance on Test-Driven Development and support in using an internal testing tool. When it comes to helping teams adopt new practices, Lorraine advises identifying policy and decision-makers, gathering relevant data, and proposing time-limited experiments for major changes, culminating in retrospective evaluations.   [IMAGE HERE] As Scrum Master we work

Lorraine Chambers: Dismantling Silos, A Critical Aspect Of Helping Scrum Teams Succeed Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Lorraine explores the story of a midsized team within a larger organization. Operating in silos, the team members juggled disconnected tasks, leading to significant carryover between sprints, and an inability to fulfill sprint commitments. The silos led to limited collaboration which, in time, further hindered progress. Lorraine addressed concerns with the Product Owner and manager, but changes were deemed unfeasible at the time. This situation impeded the team's ability to self-organize. As reflection for Scrum Masters, Lorraine advises reflecting on the organizational team model and strategizing how to foster collective participation in sprint planning, shared goals, and self-organization within the team. Featured Book of t

Lorraine Chambers: Designing A Workshop To Help Agile Teams Overcome Conflict, And Learn To Communicate Effectively Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Lorraine reflects on a pivotal early experience as a Scrum Master. Faced with communication breakdowns in her new team, exacerbated by disrespectful responses to a junior member, she initially hoped for resolution without intervention. However, tensions escalated. Seeking guidance from an agile coach, they conducted communication-focused sessions, delving into communication styles and sharing some active listening practices. Progress seemed slow, prompting Lorraine to shift her coaching approach. She designed a workshop on navigating disagreements, using role-playing exercises. Additionally, she emphasized creating a collaborative working agreement and proactive identification of anti-patterns. Ul

BONUS: Mastering the Art of Forecasting, Prioritization Paradigms and Flow Metrics with Troy Lightfoot Agile Planning Insights From The Gambler's Ruin Thought Experiment Troy, in this Agile Uprising podcast episode, delves into his intriguing journey in the realm of forecasting and estimation for software development. Inspired by that episode, we discuss the concept of Gambler's Ruin, a mathematical problem turned into a game. Troy shares the main insights from Gambler’s Ruin and mentions Prateek Singh of ProKanban.org who has used this concept to demonstrate that even a slight skill advantage can lead to success when focusing product development on what Troy calls “Small Bets”  Small bets and impact on prioritization Small bets relate to the implications of spending money on a product idea. It's not just an expense; it's an investment with an anticipated return on investment (ROI). The crucial question arises: how do we strategically place these bets in product development? Here, Troy exposes the

Tom Siebeneicher: The Agile Product Owner, The Necessary Adaptation of PO to a New Team Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: The Software Designer PO Anti-pattern In this episode, Tom highlights anti-patterns like a lack of trust in the team's judgment and over-explanation of implementation details. Tom offers a valuable tip of using stories to illustrate the distinction between "how" and "why" for effective communication. He underscores the importance of clearly defining Acceptance Criteria (ACs) while avoiding dictating the solution's appearance. Tom also emphasizes the need for coaching efforts directed towards the team's understanding and collaboration, demonstrating the reciprocal nature of the Product Owner role. The Bad Product Owner: The Art of Adaptation, The Necessary Adaptation of PO to a New Team Tom delves into the nuances

Tom Siebeneicher: Are The Scrum Team Members Honest And Critical When Needed? A Scrum Master Success reflection Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. 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 re

Tom Siebeneicher: From Resistance to Adoption, Change Management in Agile Transformation Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Tom explores the process of change management when adopting Scrum. He shares some of the lessons he’s learned over the years, emphasizing the importance of understanding the "why" behind the change and garnering leadership support. Tom advocates for open communication through town hall meetings and QA sessions, fostering knowledge acquisition. He highlights the significance of individual empowerment and addresses the limitations of change capacity for teams and organizations. Tom offers a valuable tip to assess if teams are adopting change willingly or being pressured, underscoring the need to gauge the optimal pace of change adoption. In this episode, we refer to the Lean Change Management framework for effective implementation, which is d

Tom Siebeneicher: A Deep Dive into Agile Dysfunction, And The Journey Back To Healthy Scrum Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Tom shares the story of a team that slowly drifted away from Scrum, and it’s values, but without noticing it themselves! The team followed the rituals, but their retrospectives pushed them aways from Agile and Scrum principles. The team inadvertently, and over time, adopted a waterfall approach. To avoid this in your teams, Tom advocates for digging into root causes instead of symptom-fixing. Eventually, Tom helped the team do a “scrum reset” which realigned the team, prompting a valuable tip: conduct resets every six months. Tom emphasizes double-loop learning, urging a focus on long-term improvement amidst day-to-day challenges. Featured Book of the Week: The Lean Startup, by Eric Ries Tom delves into the transformative impact of Er

Tom Siebeneicher: The Art of Facilitating Agile Teams Through Conflict, A Coaching Journey Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Tom reflects on his experience as an Agile coach overseeing multiple Scrum teams. Initially observing signs of stress, he attempted a collective retrospective to address concerns. However, when it faltered, he realized that the team was struggling with deeper issues. Notably, key team members struggled to collaborate, leading to discomfort and communication blockers. Tom's hesitation to engage directly with these team members impacted the team's cohesion. He emphasizes the importance of fostering a safe environment for open dialogue and encourages connecting with the people in the team to enhance coaching effectiveness. Tom also shares some of the pivotal moments that influenced his coaching journey.   [IMAGE HERE] Recov

Toby Rao: The Part-Time Product Owner Anti-Pattern, And Its Consequences Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: The Part-Time PO Anti-Pattern In this segment, Toby discusses common anti-patterns associated with Product Owners (POs), particularly the issue of them treating their role as a part-time role. Many organizations assign PO responsibilities as a secondary task, causing problems like absenteeism during critical team interactions. This particular PO, who had a full-time job outside of their role, lacked both Agile and software development experience, along with emotional intelligence. The key takeaway was the importance of PO presence and engagement with the team, with a suggestion to have them spend a full day working alongside the team to improve collaboration. The Bad Product Owner: User-Centric Leadership, a Critical Skill For PO