The (mis)adventures of a Scrum Master
This article is a review of “Thanks for the Feedback” by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen. Consider the following scenario: a manager is providing performance feedback to an employee. The employee is doing their best, but they are feeling defensive and dejected as the boss cites all of their areas for improvement. The manager, on … Read more
The Scrum Master has two important roles: to remove impediments that are blocking the team’s progress, and to coach the team in becoming self-managing. While these roles may seem contradictory, they are actually complementary and interconnected. As a Scrum Master, you’re kind of like a parent to your Scrum Team. Your primary job is to … Read more
This month I finished the Scaled Professional Scrum™ (SPS) course and assessment, another great milestone in my professional journey! Just a few months ago, in December 2022, I had pursued the Professional Agile Leadership™ (PAL-E) training and the subsequent PAL I assessment. Despite the valuable insights gained, I found myself grappling with some unresolved questions … Read more
Did you know I actually have a long history in UX design, dating back to when the term “User Experience” first became famous. Back in 2006, while I was studying for my Bachelor’s degree (gasp!), mobile applications were still a novelty, and heuristic assessment was one of the ways we used to verify product usability. … Read more
Now that we have explored four different scaling frameworks, each with their own characteristics and merits, how does one choose a framework? What are the similarities? What are the key distinctions? Is it feasible to mix frameworks? This is the final installment in my series of articles about Scrum scaling. Similarities and differences The Scrum … Read more
No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; – John Donne I want to open up about a topic that means a lot to me. For over a year now, I’ve been reflecting on the phrase “no man is an island”. This … Read more
Scrum@Scale (S@S) is a framework that allows Scrum to be scaled to handle large-scale projects. It is intended to solve the difficulties associated with coordinating the activities of various Scrum teams, and it includes advice on how to structure Scrum teams, manage product backlogs, and implement continuous delivery. Scrum@Scale is a collection of standards and … Read more
Today marks the one-year anniversary of my blogging adventure. I found my interest for Scrum a few years ago, and one year ago I decided that starting a blog would be a wonderful opportunity to share my knowledge. Despite the fact that I only received two (!) comments on my blog entries, I am appreciative … Read more
Nexus is a Scrum scaling framework that was created to assist organizations in coordinating the work of multiple Scrum teams working on a single product or project. Nexus is a collection of guidelines, practices, and tools for scaling Scrum while adhering to its core principles of transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Nexus is a Scrum framework … Read more
Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a framework for scaling Agile to large enterprises with multiple teams working on complex projects. SAFe is a set of principles, practices, and guidelines for implementing Agile across multiple teams and departments while aligning the organization’s goals with the overall business strategy. Dean Leffingwell, regarded as one of the forefathers … Read more
My employer announced my promotion to the company’s middle management at the beginning of this year. So, as a member of middle management, does a Scrum Master ‘manage’ others? Gunther Verheyen explains in this 2014 article that the Scrum Master role is not a management role, but rather a facilitation role. The Scrum Master is … Read more
Large-Scale Scrum, or LeSS, is a framework for scaling Scrum to multiple teams working on a single product. LeSS is based on Scrum principles and values, emphasizing customer focus, continuous improvement, and self-organizing teams. LeSS is a set of rules, roles, and events that assist organizations in scaling Scrum while adhering to its core principles. … Read more
This article is a review of “Coaching Agile Teams” by Lyssa Adkins. I have based this review on a Dutch translation of the book. “Coaching Agile Teams” by Lyssa Adkins is a well-regarded book on the subject of coaching agile teams and is recommended reading for those interested in the topic. The book provides practical … Read more
Scrum scaling necessitates a shift in the mindset of the Scrum Team as well as a few key stakeholders within the organization. This article discusses the various roles and stakeholders, as well as the general challenges they face when implementing Scrum in their organization. Product Owner Scaling Scrum to larger organizations poses new challenges for … Read more
Sprint Planning is an important Scrum event in which the Developers decide what work they will do during the upcoming Sprint. The Scrum Master is critical in facilitating a great Sprint Planning event by ensuring that the event is well-organized and the team is properly prepared. One of the Scrum Master’s primary responsibilities is to … Read more