The Scrum framework is not a set of work instructions; instead, the framework is a guide within which teams learn how to work together to deliver value to the organization and discover which complementary practices work best for them.  However, some see Scrum as a rulebook and take the guidelines too far.  Others consider one or more of the complementary practices as “required”.  In this article we will discuss a few of the common missteps that give Scrum a bad name.

Improving Employee Engagement with Professional Scrum (Questions 1-3 of Gallup's Q12 Survey)

Between Agility and Better Business Outcomes is Employee Engagement

Are you in the market for a new Scrum Master or Agile Coach? Do you need any help in preparing questions for the job interviews? Here is a short video with 10 questions I would like you to consider based on what I have learned about the art and craft of Scrum Mastery and Agile Coaching from Scrum.org, the Co-Active Training Institute and the ROI Institute. Word of warning - there might be an unexpected twist towards the end of the video, in case you make it that far :)

Is having specialists on Scrum Teams a good or bad thing? Find out as we discuss the pros and cons of specialized skills on a Scrum Team.

The purpose of this anonymous Scrum Master salary report 2023 is to create a clear, data-backed benchmark that allows everyone in the agile community to understand whether their compensation is adequate.

Viele Unternehmen haben sich für Scrum als Prozess entschieden, um ihre Wertschöpfung zu steuern. Dabei gibt es nur ein Problem: Scrum ist eben kein Prozess. Scrum ist lediglich ein Rahmen, innerhalb dessen Teams einen Wertschöpfungsprozess erstellen und kontinuierlich verbessern können. Die kontinuierliche Verbesserung fußt dabei auf den drei Säulen der empirischen Prozesssteuerung: Transparenz, Überprüfung und Anpassung. Vernachlässigen Teams eine dieser Säulen, dann kommt es zu Dysfunktionen. Diese Dysfunktionen sorgen dafür, dass die Verbesserung der Wertschöpfung ausbleibt. Wenn du mehr über diese Dysfunktionen erfahren willst, dann lies weiter…

Cualquier persona que ejerza bajo las responsabilidades del Product Owner sabe que está muy ocupado y para ser de los mejores product owners debe desarrollar habilidades diversas. La Guía Scrum establece que las responsabilidades del Product Owner recaen en la gestión eficaz del Product Backlog. ¿Sabes cuáles? ¿Sabes que habilidades debe desarrollar un Product Owner?

In this podcast, PST Joshua Partogi share what he often explains to senior executives in the company about whether the company actually need a Scrum Master or an Agile Coach.

The Scrum Master is accountable for facilitating change by creating transparency so that inspection and adaptation can occur. However this is not something that is often seen as the Scrum Masters main responsibility. Often the Scrum Master is urged to facilitate Scrum Events or other sessions. While facilitating sessions is not wrong, the reason why often is.

Im August hat Scrum.org ein neues Assessment zusammen mit einem neuen Kurs veröffentlicht. Das Professional-Scrum-Facilitation-Skills-Assessment (PSFS) hilft dir, dein Facilitation-Wissen zu evaluieren. Ich habe bei der Vorbereitung mitgewirkt und kann deshalb wertvolle Einsichten in Scrum und die Facilitation mit dir teilen. Wenn du vorhast, dich an die Prüfung zu wagen, dann lies weiter.

In seinem Theorieteil verweist der Scrum Guide auf die drei Elemente der Scrum Empirie: Transparenz, Inspektion und Adaption. Ein viertes Element, das die Grundlage für die Empirie bildet, ist jedoch in einem Satz über die Scrum-Werte versteckt.

Within the Scrum community, Open Space Technology is a common practice. This post can be useful to make the most out of it! 

Can you be held accountable for something you cannot control? Yes! A Scrum Master does just that. Explore the challenges of leadership without authority as we look at the Scrum Master accountability.

Given that the Product Owner may represent the needs of many stakeholders, these stakeholders will lobby for their requests.  Unfortunately, some stakeholders often intimidate others as a means to get what they want.  Some will argue publicly, and some will take it offline. Facilitation skills will help you successfully navigate difficult conversations.

Given that the Product Owner may represent the needs of many stakeholders, these stakeholders will lobby for their requests.  Unfortunately, some stakeholders often intimidate others as a means to get what they want.  Some will argue publicly, and some will take it offline.  Facilitation skills will help you navigate potentially difficult conversations.

In its theory section, the Scrum Guide refers to the three elements of empiricism: transparency, inspection, and adaptation. However, a fourth element, foundational to enable empiricism, is hidden in a sentence on Scrum Values.

Am 22. August wollte ich einen neuen Kurs launchen. Ich habe die Trainingsunterlagen angefertigt, die Trainingsbeschreibung geschrieben und Blogartikel zur Ankündigung vorbereitet. Sonntagabend war alles im Content-Management-System eingepflegt. Montagmorgen drückte ich den Button „veröffentlichen“. Es passierte nichts. Die Beiträge wurden zwar veröffentlicht, allerdings nicht über die Social-Media-Kanäle ausgespielt. Jetzt gab es einen neuen Kurs, aber niemand erfuhr davon. Diese Erfahrung führte mir wieder vor Augen, was die Voraussetzung für erfolgreiche Produktentwicklung ist:

Esta semana Scrum.org anunció un nuevo curso basado en habilidades que se enfoca en la facilitación. Se llama Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills (PSFS) y proporciona una experiencia de aprendizaje práctica centrada en el desarrollo de habilidades de facilitación y la mentalidad para aplicarlas para liderar personas y equipos. Pero, ¿Facilitación? ¿Eso es para mi? Vamos a analizarlo según el articulo original de Scrum.org

Noch ist es die Norm, dass Scrum-Schulungen an zwei Tagen für jeweils 8 Stunden stattfinden. Wie wird das in der Zukunft aussehen? Hier findest du drei richtungsweisende Trends:

Tips and tricks to make Sprint Planning easier, master the "Groan Zone" and achieve strong outcomes.

Erfahren Sie mehr über die wichtigsten Produkt-Backlog Prinzipien: Von der gemeinschaftlichen Verantwortung des Teams, der Größe und dem Wachstum des Produkt-Backlogs bis hin zur Frage, ob ein Produkt-Backlog überhaupt notwendig ist.

Scrum’s strength is that it makes difficulties visible faster so the team can address them. While the framework helps to resolve many things that might not be working optimally, it doesn’t eliminate every issue. Let’s look at three problems Scrum doesn’t solve. 

Facilitation plays an important part in helping people to understand and achieve their shared goals and objectives. Here are 5 ways to improve your meetings and Scrum events whether you are new to facilitation or developing your skills to help your Scrum Teams thrive in the pursuit of value.

There's a lot of interest in growing one's career and becoming a Scrum Master for a Scrum Team. But what can you make as a Scrum Master and is it worth leaving your current career for a change?

Today, Scrum.org announced a new skills-based course focusing on facilitation. Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills (PSFS). This class provides a practical, hands-on learning experience focused on developing facilitation skills and the mindset to apply them. This class responds to the importance of facilitation in working in teams on complex work and how good facilitation can lead to improved Scrum adoption.

Learn more about good Product Backlog practices, from ‘Do We Need One’ to the Product Owner as a Dictator to its Growth Rate and Size

Hand aufs Herz: Wie lange plant dein Scrum Team einen Sprint? Wenn es so lange dauert, wie bei mir damals, dann wahrscheinlich viel zu lange. 2018 kam ich neu als Scrum Master zu einem Team. Das Team plante seinen Sprint so: Das Team wählte eine User Story aus dem Backlog für diesen Sprint aus. Jeder im Team brach die Story in detaillierte Aufgaben herunter. Im Anschluss ging das Team alle Aufgaben im Detail durch. Diese Schritte wiederholten die Teammitglieder für alle Einträge des Product Backlogs, bis ihre Velocity vollständig verplant war. Wie du dir vorstellen kannst, waren die Schritte 2 und 3 sehr zeitraubend. Lies weiter, dann erfährst du, wie es auch kürzer geht.

Los valores son importantes como principios que nos permiten orientar nuestro comportamiento en función de realizarnos como personas.

Selon le Guide Scrum (version 2020), le Scrum Master a pour objectif de s’assurer que le cadre Scrum est compris et appliqué de manière efficace, par la Scrum Team ainsi que par les parties-prenantes. Cela implique que la facilitation des événements n'est pas la chasse gardée du Scrum Master, bien au contraire !

Dans cet article j'explore les Valeurs Scrum dans la pratique et pourquoi ils sont nécessaires pour créer un environnement de travail propice à Scrum professionnel.

The concepts of iterative and incremental development are central to Scrum. What do they mean, and why are they important?

Gaining knowledge for your future requires intentional effort. With current technology there is little excuse to not level up every week and lock new information in. Discover what works for you and make a routine of it because as Louis Pasteur said, "Chance favors the prepared mind"

Was halten Sie von der Retrospektive: Eine Routineübung am Ende eines Sprints, unterstützt durch Standardarbeitsanweisungen? Oder ein wichtiger Teil der Bemühungen eines Scrum-Teams um kontinuierliche Verbesserung?

A Developer on a Scrum Team. What does that actually mean? What do they do? Explore some common myths, and discover what’s expected from Developers on a Scrum Team.

The Scrum Team consists of three accountabilities: Developers, Product Owner, and Scrum Master. Yet Scrum Team accountabilities and responsibilities can be confusing, misunderstood, and lack shared understanding between its members and the organization. This exercise makes transparent the accountabilities of each team member by driving conversations about what team members agree on and where there are gaps. Use this exercise when new teams are formed, or when you see misunderstandings and knowledge gaps around Scrum Team accountabilities and expectations.

What is your take on the Retrospective: A routine exercise at the end of a Sprint, supported by standard operating procedures? Or a critical part of a Scrum team’s journey of continuous improvement?

A do-it-yourself workshop that uses Appreciative Interviews to share success stories from the past, Ecocycle Planning to create transparency about the present, and 15% Solutions to identify improvements for the nearby future.

The values set out in the Scrum framework are essential because they help us to navigate complex work environments as a team. At first glance, they appear straightforward but living the Scrum Values each day is challenging whether this is your first or fiftieth Sprint together. If you’re a Scrum Master struggling with this issue, you are definitely not alone. In this discussion, I’ll outline why the Scrum values matter, how to determine if they are at risk on your team, why this happens, and how to get things back on track.

El coaching, como trabajo a tiempo completo y forma de vida, es más complicado de lo que parece. Sin embargo, cuando se hace de manera efectiva, da un valor enorme. El coaching solo es un pata de las competencias del Agile Coach y ahora lo vamos a analizar.

Die folgenden 14 Grundprinzipien beschreiben in groben Zügen die Grundlage für einen erfolgreichen Ansatz zum Refinement des Produkt-Backlogs.

Use the Liberating Structure "Social Network Webbing" to find people in your organization who are facing similar impediments and work together to remove them.

The Scrum Master is basically a Project Manager right? Nope. Think beyond running Scrum events and taking notes. There is a lot more to being a master of Scrum. Discover what a Scrum Master is AND isn’t and learn the importance of self-management.

The best Scrum teams that I have worked with were supported by management leaders focused on removing impediments, providing resources, and promoting an agile mindset and culture that supports the Scrum values. It’s not an easy job. Making it more challenging are the agile leadership myths out there that can get in the way of being effective. In this article, we’ll look at three common agile leadership myths and how to move past them.

Agile for Humans has launched a new YouTube series called SUCCESSFUL FACILITATION. Episode 4 explores a facilitation technique: Training From the Back of the Room.

An approach for categorization of the Agile Principles to help see themes.

Garbage in, garbage out: Learn about 14 first principles to help your team succeed with an actionable Product Backlog.

Zwischen keinem Begriff herrscht so viel Verwirrung wie zwischen der Definition of Done und Akzeptanzkriterien. In diesem Beitrag teile ich mit dir eine Frage. Mit ihr kannst du entscheiden, ob etwas Bestandteil der Definition of Done oder ein Akzeptanzkriterium ist. Viel Spaß beim Lesen!

Muchas veces me preguntan lo siguiente: ¿Qué es un equipo multifuncional? ¿Qué es un equipo multidisciplinar? La respuesta es que un equipo multifuncional es un grupo de personas con una variedad de conocimientos que se unen para lograr un objetivo común. Por lo general, los empleados de todos los niveles de una organización hacen que esa organización sea multifuncional. ¿Tiene tu organización equipos multifuncionales? ¿Cómo de disfuncionales son?

Great facilitation makes it easier for everyone to participate, collaborate, and find shared understanding to reach the desired objective. Facilitate effective Scrum events and other meetings by starting with a well-thought-out facilitator guide.