Derek Davidson

All teams have leaders. They're re accountable, amongst other things, for their team’s effectiveness. Perhaps the best way to enable this effectiveness is to empower the team. But how to empower the team? This article covers three easy tips to do just that. Empower Your Teams - Advice for Leaders As regular readers will know, I teach Scrum. You may wonder therefore, whether this is a post about Scrum and leadership within Scrum. It isn't. This is a post about leadership. In my varied past, I've been an RAF Police Special Investigator, RAF Officer, Software leader, Scrum Master and Agile Coach, to name just a few roles. The three steps I am about to share with you would work successfully in all these areas. Let's get started. Step 1 : Trust Your Team and Get Out of Their Way A vital element of empowerment is trust. You have to trust your team. Offer up a goal, invite their discussion and agreement, and then let them decide how to meet that goal. Yes, initially they'll make mistakes. But they'll also learn and they will improve. If you find this step difficult ask yourself this question: "Is my mind superior to the collective minds of the team?" If your answer is 'yes' I suggest you have things to consider other than leading a team. Trusting the team means letting them organize their work. It means letting them choose their techniques. It means letting them manage themselves. We're there to offer help, when asked. I call it 'leadership by consent'. If the team ask me for help, my options include coaching, teaching, mentoring or facilitating. Because these are leadership styles that go well with empowerment. Step 2 : Remove Impediments to Progress All teams will face blockers as their work progresses. As a leader, it's our job to watch out for these and work to remove them. If we work well, the team won't even be aware of these impediments because we've removed them before they impeded the team's progress. To be effective at removing impediments requires a particular approach. First, we have to identify them. To do this, we need to be 'invisibly present' as our teams work, and constantly listening for evidence of impediments. By making use of osmotic communication, we'll become aware of impediments early. Second, having identified an impediment, classify it and mitigate it. Impediments can be classified as either internal or external. Internal impediments are ones that the team can resolve for themselves. External impediments are ones that the team cannot resolve and we must do it for them. For internal impediments, our job is to bring the team's attention to the impediment and invite them to address it. An example might be Bob going on holiday next week and only Bob can work on a vital part of the product which we were looking to do next week. This is one that the team can resolve for themselves and they should. Our role is to make sure the team are aware and are addressing it. For external impediments, our job is to address them on behalf of the team. An example might be that our team needs a testing environment in a months time. They have submitted a purchase request internally but the infrastructure team are dragging their heels. It's up to us to make sure the testing environment is available. Either by working closely with the infrastructure team or, where necessary, finding alternate ways to procure the infrastructure. Step 3 : Remember - It's Not About You I've deliberately left the hardest step to the end. I've already used the phrase 'invisibly present' but it's worth repeating. Being a good leader is not about you getting attention. It's all about your team and their performance. Some of the best leaders I ever met were quiet, unassuming, and laid back. Yet their teams achieved high performance. The contrary is also true. I've met leaders that were very visible. In the midst of crises, they could be seen barking instructions left and right. They were in their element but often, their teams were demoralised, disengaged and disempowered. It takes courage to let your team own the solution and outcomes. But if you want them to be empowered and own the problem, its a necessary pre-cursor. When your team earns recognition for their hard work, push them forward to receive it. Take pride in their achievements. Their results are your reward. Conclusion It's easy to empower teams. The hard part is applying the simple steps: Trust your team and get out of their way Remove impediments to progress Remember - It's Not About You

A Scrum Event is a meeting. So why don't we just call it that? Why create a new word? Given the poor reputation that meetings have, maybe it's not a surprise. Rather than replicate the name and pain of meetings, the Scrum Events are designed to replace them and be all that you need. The power of the Scrum Events is in the way they're time-boxed and in their purpose. Let's take a closer look.

The term 'Scrum Master' seems to have been around as long as Scrum. But has it? In this article I talk about where the term came from and why it was initially used.

Why hire a professional Scrum Master? They cost extra and you can always get one of the developers to do the work, part-time. Big saving, right? Not so much. Here's why.

The Scrum Guide has a lot to say about the Product Backlog, and rightly so. It's pivotal to everything a Scrum Team does. But one thing the Scrum Guide doesn't tell you, is how you create a Product Backlog. So, here's one way you can do exactly that.

In June 2012, I wrote the world's first ever article that advised readers on how to pass the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) assessment from Scrum.org. It was hugely popular and I'm flattered that it's been copied so many times. In the meantime, the world has changed, Scrum has evolved and the PSM I assessment has been changed. I reasoned that it was about time to update my first article. So, here it is. the updated guide to help you earn your PSM I certificate. From the original author of 'How to pass your PSM I assessment'. One of the great things about the Professional Scrum Master I assessment is that it simply assesses your knowledge. You are not required to attend an official training course beforehand. (though it is recommended). It costs $150 to sit the assessment so thorough preparation is recommended. You could follow the advice given by Scrum.org in the Scrum Master Learning Path. While I think there is value in doing that if you're interested in Scrum Mastery, it is probably overkill in terms of preparing for the assessment. Here is the advice that I offer to students that attend my PSM I classes: Study Tips to pass the PSM I assessment Before the assessment: Read the Scrum Guide, once a day, every day, for seven days, prior to taking the assessment. Reason: This will cement your understanding of Scrum. You'll also discover something new on every read. Take the Scrum open assessment at Scrum.org repeatedly until you score 100% every time. Reason: Some of the Scrum open assessment questions appear in the real assessment so it's effectively 'answers for free'. Also, the Scrum open assessment is in the same format as the real assessment and you'll have a chance to get used to the format. Remember my definition of a burndown chart: 'A burndown chart shows the amount of work remaining at a given point in time'. Reason: If you get any questions on a burndown chart, the definition will help you. During the assessment 4. RTFQ! Read the full question (and answers)! Reason: Some of the questions (and answers) are long. Don't throw away points by neglecting to read the full text. Some of the questions require you select multiple answers. Make sure you select them all. After the assessment 5. Even with the best preparation, it is still possible that you might fail the assessment. If that happens, give yourself time to reflect. Take at least one day, preferably three days. Then, review, revise and re-sit. Reason: Rushing at another attempt at the assessment means you're likely to repeat the same errors. By reflecting, you will find areas that require extra study. You'll get a better understanding, and improve your chances at a pass. Want to Improve Your Chances of Passing the PSM I assessment? You have other options available if you'd like to earn your PSM I certificate: Join one of our public Professional Scrum Master training courses. You will receive world-class training from Europe's first dual-licenced Scrum Trainer. You'll also get TWO attempts at the PSM I assessment (worth $300) as well as a discount on the PSM II course. Watch the 'Introduction to Professional Scrum' video series at Pluralsight. This is a Scrum.org endorsed learning series created by our Scrum Trainer, Derek Davidson.

Many Scrum Teams make use of Velocity. In the right hands, it's an incredibly useful measure. In the wrong hands, it can become a tool of obfuscation and even oppression.

In this blog post, Derek Davidson shares advice on launching a career in Scrum.

This article explains what Sprint zero is and how it is used in Scrum.

Velocity is an excellent measure and a terrible target. Once a measure becomes a target (ie: for performance measurement), it loses the ability to provide meaningful, trustworthy, transparent data.