Have you wondered what it takes to become an excellent technology professional? Is it the smartest developer / tester / (insert specialization here)? The one who can find the solution to the trickiest problem faster than anyone else? Or are there other factors that come into play? In this video blog, I share how my thoughts on this topic have evolved over my 25 year career in the technology industry, as I played different roles - from a developer, manager, director, Scrum coach to founder and CEO of a startup.

Just because you are stuck using Jira doesn't mean you shouldn't take responsibility for using it in a professional manner. How you organize the swimlanes on your board can have a huge impact on how your team communicates and ultimately how they work together. This 1-minute YouTube short covers 3 ways to organize your Sprint Backlog swimlanes.

In this video, Martin 🧭 discusses the often misunderstood concept of Sprint estimation within Scrum teams. He embarks on a journey to clarify how teams can approach this daunting task, striking a balance between prediction and adaptability. 🔄

We all have a lot of meetings to attend. Some are useful and some are a complete waste of time. With that in mind, are all the Scrum Events (aka ‘Ceremonies’) mandatory? Can some of them be skipped? Professional Scrum Trainers Jason Malmstadt, Robb Pieper, and Greg Crown have some ideas to share about the consequences of skipping Scrum events in this Scrum Lightning Round.

Just because you are stuck using Jira doesn't mean you shouldn't take responsibility for using it in a professional manner. One way to make Jira less transparent is not updating the resolution field when items are closed. This 1-minute Youtube Short will show you how to fix that.

This article explores the art of Agile leadership, delving into the challenges of finding the right equilibrium between allowing teams to self-organize and providing enough guidance and structure for seamless Agile execution.

Discipline is the prequel to success. Nothing happens without it. It has 3 parts. You need to develop your discipline with practice and set it as part of your Professional Attitude to experience a new level of being as a Scrum Practitioner.

During the 54th Hands-on Agile meetup, David Pereira shared tried and tested Product Backlog management practices to avoid the feature factory fate.

En este artículo Guillem Hernandez Sola te cuenta cómo le hubiera gustado que alguien le hubiera dicho estas 10 verdades incómodas sobre Agile cuando empezaba su carrera.

The reality is that most developers and agile practitioners do not get much say in which tool they use to manage their Scrum artifacts. And yet, we still need them to enable our individuals to have positive interactions. I recommend taking RESPONSIBILITY for using your tools in a professional manner.

In this vlog, PST Joshua Partogi shares 5 common myths around the product backlog that he sees quite often amongst Scrum practitioners.

Scrum Values make the use of Scrum successful. How can the Scrum Master use these to grow trust within the team even more? Check it out!

The term Minimum Viable Product means different things to different people.  Is your company using it to define the first of a series of fixed scope, fixed date projects?  If so, you're probably not using it right.

🏛️ Drawing inspiration from ancient Greek wisdom, Martin embarks on a journey through the modern agile landscape, unearthing the seven cardinal sins that teams often grapple with. 🔄 From the pitfalls of envy to the dangers of wrath, join us as we delve deep into these age-old vices, now manifesting in our agile practices. 🚀 Ready to navigate the treacherous waters of software development with a seasoned guide? Let's dive in! 🌊👩‍💻👨‍💻

In questo articolo Fabio Panzavolta condivide i 7 ostacoli a Scrum più comuni nelle aziende che ha aiutato a evolvere verso più business agility. Questo aiuterà a capire come un approccio empirico aiuta prima di tutto a rivelare i bloccaggi che devono essere rimossi per diventare più agili. Buona lettura!

In this video, Martin shares his insights on optimising team dynamics for smarter delivery. 🎯 He unpacks the complexities of Scrum, the role of a Product Owner, and the vital significance of effective team collaboration. 🤝 Dive into a practical discussion filled with expert guidance on navigating the challenges of agile environments.

In diesem Artikel beschreibt PST Stefan Wolpers die Auswirkungen ungeeigneter Praktiken auf die Agilität von Organisationen und was dagegen unternommen werden kann.

In this video, Martin discusses the profound journey of Agile transformations, pondering if we are truly ascending the slope of enlightenment or if we remain entrenched in the trough of disillusionment. 🧐📈🕳️ He eloquently dispels common misconceptions about Agile's capabilities and underlines the necessity of perseverance and genuine commitment to the Agile voyage.

In this video, Professional Scrum Trainers Andreanna and Scott discuss challenges we faced as a Scrum Master and how to overcome them. As a Scrum Master, you face a lot of challenges every day. From managing projects to maintaining team morale, it's important to have strategies for dealing with these challenges..

When we uncover the truth, we arm ourselves with valuable insights, and that's truly empowering. In this article, we will dispel 3 Scrum myths.

Join Jeff and Mike as they unravel the complexities of spikes, transitioning from uncertainty to wisdom in Agile, and the essential mindset shift needed for teams to “get things done”.

Many organizations are striving to become more adaptive a means not just to survive, but to thrive.  The success of an adaptive organization hinges significantly on the capabilities of its people, which often raises the question of how to select people for agile teams.

The emphasis in product development should not be simply on correctly following the Scrum process, but rather on delivering a finished, working software; this is the true purpose of Scrum. Scrum provides a framework with established accountabilities, events, and artifacts which all relate to creating a working product. Therefore, using Scrum effectively will improve the delivery process. However, solely mastering Scrum won't guarantee success. The end goal should always be to deliver valuable, functioning software.

Scrum Masters are often skilled facilitators, and use that skill to help their Scrum teams make decisions and conduct discussions an a positive, productive manner. But does that mean all the facilitation belongs to the Scrum Master? Can others step in as facilitators? And if so, how does a Scrum Master balance this? PST's Jason Malmstadt, Robb Pieper, and Gregory Crown have some ideas to share in today’s Scrum Lightning Round.

In this video, Martin tackles the oft-misunderstood concept of Sprint Goals within the Scrum framework. 🎯 With a wealth of experience and a dash of Scottish grit, I guide you through setting Sprint Goals that are not just achievable but also meaningful and aligned with your project's needs.

In this article, PST Stefan Wolpers explores the pitfalls of 'The Illusion of Velocity' in agile contexts, peeling back the layers of traditional metrics as leadership tools and what to do instead.

Wann ist es endlich fertig? Warum du diese Frage in Softwareprojekten nicht pauschal, sondern professionell beantwortest erfährst du in diesem Artikel von Simon Flossmann.

A dependency refers to a situation where one task, Product Backlog item, user story, or feature relies on another for completion or integration. In this article, we will discuss the impacts of high dependencies on value delivery.

Stakeholder collaboration is vital for product success. By identifying stakeholders, analyzing their influence and interest, and employing effective engagement approaches, Scrum teams can build strong relationships, align goals, and maximize value for customers and organizations. Embracing stakeholder collaboration within the Scrum framework enables teams to create products that meet user needs, drive business impact, and foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. Remember, the success of a great product lies in the collective efforts of a dedicated team and engaged stakeholders.

En este artículo te contamos como dejar de ser ese manager controlador a pasar a ser una persona que delegue más autonomía y responsabilidad para sus equipos.

In this episode of take5IRL Podcast, hosts Jeff and Mike explore strategies for effective Product Backlog Management and debunk common misconceptions.

Some organizations don’t understand the difference between a Scrum Master and a Project Manager. In those situations, Scrum Masters can find themselves being asked or even pressured to manage tasks, make decisions, or perform other duties inconsistent with the accountability of a Scrum Master. How can a Scrum Master serve the team and the organization without simply becoming a Project Manager by another name?

In this video, Martin delves into one of the seven deadly sins of agile: pride. 🚫📊 He emphasises the importance of not being blindly prideful and the dangers of making assumptions without measuring outcomes. 📉🤔

Scrum Values make the use of Scrum successful. How can the Developers use these to grow trust within the team even more? Check it out!

In organizations, there is a lot of time and activity spent on teams creating Release Plans. Is it worth it? Or are Release Plans just creating a false sense of security? In this article, I take a hard look at my past practices using Release Plans and how, if I knew what I know now, I would have abandoned that practice and instead used Evidence-Based Management.

In this video, Martin 🧔 discusses the common misconceptions surrounding Scrum. The digital realm is rife with debates about what constitutes "proper" Scrum. Is it about standing meetings? Or perhaps crafting user stories in a specific way? These debates, while spirited, often miss the mark. Scrum, at its heart, is about delivering value through iterative, empirical processes.

In diesem Artikel befassen wir uns mit häufigen Anti-Mustern auf der Ebene des Scrum-Teams: von der Planung und dem Zusammenbruch von Prozessen über Konfliktvermeidung und Fehlkommunikation bis hin zu mangelnder Aufmerksamkeit für Qualität und fehlendem Engagement.

Refinement is an important activity for the Scrum team. So, why isn't Refinement considered a formal Scrum event?

In this video, Professional Scrum Trainers Andreanna and Scott discuss how to bounce back from a layoff. Scott shares his personal experience being laid off and how he rebuilt his career. 

If you or your team are new to Scrum, you can use this as a starting point to answer, “what should we be doing and why?” for each Scrum Event. If your team is more experienced but you feel like you’re drifting away from healthy behaviors and patterns and you’re not sure how to course correct - you can use this series as a baseline to reset and start re-aligning your team. This is NOT the end-all-be-all perfect way to operate for all scenarios - but a straight-to-the-point tactical list of steps to help you get to the basic outcomes you need at the end of the event.

Scrum Teams often take the items of their Product Backlog and divide them into smaller tasks to help them better understand and keep track of their work. But how long should those tasks be? A few hours? A day? A few days? Are week-long tasks ok? What’s the rule of thumb when it comes to tasks for the Scrum Team?

As Evidence-Based Management (EBM) grows in popularity, I am often asked how to get started with it. With that, I have created a few questions that you should consider as you begin using EBM.

In this video, Martin delves into the intriguing dynamics that differentiate the average developer from the top echelons of agile developers. 🎥🔍 Drawing from personal experiences and insightful references, he unpacks the essence of what it takes to ascend to greatness in the realm of agile development.

The Product Backlog should be transparent and visible to the Scrum Team, Stakeholders, and the Organization. But what about Edit rights? Should the Product Owner be the only person allowed edit the Product Backlog, or can others be granted this level of access as well? PST's Robert Pieper, Gregory Crown, and Jason Malmstadt discuss the accountability of managing the Product Backlog in today’s Scrum Lightning Round.

In this video, Martin discusses the transformative journey of Microsoft's product development, highlighting the significant contributions of two individuals: Brian Harry and Aaron Bjork. 🎥🔍

When you come to the end of a Sprint, the Scrum team typically hopes to finish all the work on the Sprint Backlog. But what if they don’t? Some would say the undone work is carried over into the next Sprint. Others would try to extend the Sprint to get it all done. Which is the right move? Or is there a third way? PST's Jason Malmstadt, Robert Pieper, and Gregory Crown share their thoughts on what to do with undone work in this Scrum Lightning Round Video.

Leverage KPIs for faster delivery times and improved customer satisfaction. Gain insights for using Flow Metrics to optimize your product delivery process.

Nach traditionellem Führungsverständnis ist diese Aussage ein Widerspruch: Scrum Master ist eine Führungsrolle, aber das Team entscheidet. Aber dieser Widerspruch macht die Rolle des Scrum Masters so zukunftsweisend, wie Simon Flossmann in diesem Artikel ausführt.

In this video, Martin delves into the often misunderstood realm of DevOps. 🧐 He clarifies that despite common misconceptions, DevOps transcends mere tools and processes; it's fundamentally an idea. 🛠️➡️💡 He articulates how DevOps, originating in software engineering, is pivotal in enhancing our engineering systems and shortening feedback loops, not through tools alone, but through a shift in perspective. 🔄

By applying User Role Modeling, you can manage your Product Backlog to address the unique needs of each user segment effectively. This ensures that the features you develop are in line with the specific requirements and preferences of these user roles, ultimately leading to a more user-centric and successful product. By brainstorming initial users, consolidating them into segments, and refining their roles, you can create a more streamlined and outcome oriented Product Backlog. Ultimately, understanding your users and shaping your backlog accordingly is the key to delivering successful, user-focused products. User Role Modeling is not just a concept; it's your roadmap to user satisfaction and product success.