The Emperor’s New Clothes: a lesson in transparency and honesty

The Emperor’s New Clothes: a lesson in transparency and honesty

Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairytale ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes‘ has always been one of my favourite fairytales. Even now, as a grown-up, it continues to capture my imagination and resonates within my professional life. The most striking scene from the fairytale involves a deceived emperor strutting around in ‘invisible’ clothing, with his subjects nodding and … Read more

Why Product Thinking Matters (Scrum Master edition)

Why Product Thinking Matters (Scrum Master edition)

Have you ever cooked dinner for a date without knowing their culinary preferences? Imagine cooking an exquisite roast… only to find out your date is vegan. Traditional project management frequently feels like this: focused on finishing tasks rather than knowing what actually satisfies the end user. This is where product thinking comes in. It’s like … Read more

Autonomy, coaching and value measurement: my highlights of the third day of the Online Scrum Master Summit 2024

Attending the Online Scrum Master Summit 2024

The third and final day of the Online Scrum Master Summit 2024 built on the momentum of the preceding (day one, day two) days, presenting thought-provoking sessions and insightful discussions. Each workshop provided a deep exploration into the evolving Agile landscape. By attending Thursday’s eight (!) sessions, I gained novel insights on Agile autonomy challenges, … Read more

Mental health, SCARF and AI: my highlights of the second day of the Online Scrum Master Summit 2024

Attending the Online Scrum Master Summit 2024

Building on the success of the first day, the second day of the Online Scrum Master Summit 2024 featured thought-provoking sessions and insights. Attending the day’s eight (!) sessions immersed me in topics ranging from mental health and team dynamics to the use of AI in Agile practices. So join me again as I recount … Read more

Experimentation, hormones and Gen Z: my highlights of the first day of the Online Scrum Master Summit 2024

Attending the Online Scrum Master Summit 2024

While scrolling through LinkedIn, I came across the Online Scrum Master Summit, which instantly piqued my interest. The summit has a broad roster of speakers from across the world, each providing unique views and practical guidance. The large number of interesting subjects and speakers prompted me to cover each day of the summit. This blog post … Read more

My personal takeaways from the Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills™ (PSFS) course and assessment

My personal takeaways from the Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills™ (PSFS) course and assessment

As a Scrum Master, I’ve always been devoted to encouraging teamwork and positive interactions among team members. Over the years it’s become clear to me that mastering facilitation skills is essential for improving team dynamics and problem solving. Personally, I considered my facilitation skills to be “okay-ish.” I’ve often looked up to other professionals and … Read more

Why hostmanship is an integral part of my personal and professional life

Hostmanship

Sometimes it just clicks in your mind. When you read about a specific topic and think, “Hey! That’s me!“. A few days ago, while falling through another late-night Scrum rabbit hole, I came across the term ‘hostmanship’. After reading about it, I realized how much it reminded me of values I hold dear in both … Read more

Agile dystopia: escaping the grip of the Scrum Police

Agile dystopia: escaping the grip of the Scrum Police

The Scrum Master has an pivotal role in the Scrum framework, but their role is frequently misunderstood. Let me be clear: Scrum Masters are no ‘rule enforcers’. They are facilitators and coaches who guide their teams through project complexities with finesse and understanding. The stance of the “Scrum Police” highlights a misunderstanding of the Scrum … Read more

How to improve the self-managing capabilities of your team?

self-management

As a Scrum Master, you might wonder about self-management. Why is it important? It revolves around the simple concept of ownership. When teams take ownership, they feel responsible for the results. This sense of responsibility inspires higher levels of engagement, creativity, and productivity. Furthermore, self-management boosts the team’s morale and builds resilience. It eliminates the … Read more

Let’s have a tough conversation

Let's have a tough conversation

We’ve all been there. Uncomfortable silences, glaring issues that everyone knows about but no one wants to talk about, the proverbial ‘elephant in the room’. As humans, we naturally avoid conflicts. We would rather ignore the issue or get lost behind our screens, coding away, or jump into another meeting. The problem, however, continues to … Read more

Help, my Scrum Teams have become self-managing

Help, my Scrum Teams have become self-managing

As a diligent and incisive Scrum Master, your hard work in fostering self-managing Scrum Teams has finally paid off! These teams, thriving in autonomy, show a high level of engagement which correlates with improved productivity and innovative solutions. They are responsible for their work, make crucial decisions, and resolve challenges independently. However, you may now … Read more

What does servant leadership mean?

Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is an innovative approach that contrasts traditional leadership styles. It emphasizes empathy, listening, and placing others’ needs before one’s own. We see the importance of servant leadership, especially in Agile and the Scrum framework. In this article, I explore how managers can apply servant leadership and why it’s a vital tool in today’s … Read more