Scrum has been around for almost 30 years now yet there are so many misconceptions about what needs to be done and how it can be done effectively. Even today, as I coach and consult many teams I often see that the purpose of events is mostly lost. And people simply go through the motions, probably to get “checkbox” ticked. For me, Sprint Retrospective is an important event which often is completely misunderstood and is often not very effective. In fact, at times I have seen some teams completely skipping the Retrospective. In this article, I am exploring a common set of dysfunctions I have observed and how can those be countered. I hope you will find it useful.

Many Scrum Masters struggle to coach Product Owners beyond the bounds of the Scrum Guide. This guide offers a practical 30-day approach to building core product management context.

In this vlog, PST Joshua Partogi shares an overview on Evidence-Based Management to measure effectiveness in an organisation, regardless of whether they're using Scrum or Kanban.

Ordering a Product Backlog ensures that every step taken, every backlog item worked, is a step towards delivering value, satisfying stakeholders, and making the best use of the team's capabilities.

Management by exception is the idea that we should manage the things that are off track, rather than giving focus to things that are going well. In the context of the Daily Scrum, this could be done by asking open ended questions intended to find out if there are any issues that need to be discussed.

What gets measured gets managed. But setting OKRs isn't enough. The flow and traction of OKRs need to be managed as well - otherwise, you'll find yourself in the OKR swamp. Using an OKR Kanban can help you both see the swamp and improve the flow and traction of OKRs.

How to Align Teams with Stakeholders, and Finally Fix Your Product Backlog.

In diesem Artikel erklärt PST Simon Flossmann, 5 Problem die Scrum Teams langsam machen.

Surfing holds surprising lessons that correlate to leadership in business and all aspects of life. Today's lesson is about learning through intentional practice.

In Cascais last year at our trainer meetup, we asked, "What are the principles of CAO?" Initially, we saw the Guides in the book as potential principles, but the question stayed with me... Now, back in Cascais for some remote work, I’ve distilled those guides into these principles. Here they are:

In Scrum, a valuable Increment delivers meaningful outcomes to users, not just features. Explore how value is subjective, how to understand your users’ needs, and why releasing frequently is key to ensuring your Increment truly moves toward the Product Goal.

Diese Frage höre ich oft, und meine Antwort lautet immer: "Nein und Ja." Warum das so ist, erkläre ich in meinem Blog-Post. Zwar sollte das Scrum Framework laut Scrum Guide eigentlich nicht verändert werden—genau wie man beim Schach die Regeln befolgen muss, um Schach zu spielen. Doch in der Praxis geht es nicht darum, Scrum starr nach Lehrbuch umzusetzen. Viel wichtiger ist es, herauszufinden, was für euer Team am besten funktioniert, selbst wenn das bedeutet, von den Regeln abzuweichen. Aber Vorsicht: Nicht jede Anpassung ist sinnvoll! Erfahrt mehr darüber, wann und wie es sich lohnt, Scrum-Regeln zu hinterfragen, und wie ihr durch gezielte Veränderungen mehr Wert für euer Team schaffen könnt. Neugierig? Jetzt den Blog-Post lesen und euer Scrum-Wissen vertiefen!

In diesem Artikel gibt PST Simon Flossmann angehenden Scrum Mastern Tipps, wie sich sich auf ihre Arbeit vorbereiten können.

Leverage AI tools in your day-to-day work and move to a new level of Scrum Mastery.

The Scrum framework is simple, with just enough - but not too much - structure to enable teams to collaborate around value delivery in complex environments. The problem is that a lot of teams add unnecessary complexity to the Scrum framework itself, which results in a lot of wasted effort. Here are four strategies to help Scrum teams work smarter, not harder.

An increment is a usable, completed piece of a product, built in an iteration or less, that adds potential value and moves the product closer to the goals, ensuring continuous progress and improvement.

Around 2010, a manager asked me something like: “𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘈𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪-𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘙 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬. 𝘚𝘰, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘹 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?” Instead of traditional top-down evaluations, implement: - 𝐏𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Frequent, informal feedback helps individuals and teams grow without the constraints of traditional appraisals. - 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝: Teams must develop new skills to stay competitive in a rapidly changing world. - 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡: Performance must focus on team outcomes, not individual metrics. When orgs follow these ideas, it tends to support adaptable teams, people who embrace change, and a more resilient organization.

In diesem Artikel gibt PST Simon Flossmann 3 Tipps, wie du als Product-Owner Konflikte mit Stakeholdern löst.

Como Scrum Master te puedes preguntar muchas veces: ¿Cómo puedo mejorar la relevancia, efectividad e impacto en el equipo y en la entrega de valor? ¿En qué me puedo enfocar como Scrum Master para ayudar de mejorar manera al equipo? ¿Y que habilidades, conocimiento y experiencia necesito mejorar?. A continuación, algunas formas de mejorar la efectividad como Scrum Master y que pueden ayudar a mejorar la forma en que se asumen las responsabilidades como líder usando Scrum.

In Scrum, progress isn’t about completing tasks—it’s about delivering usable value incrementally. Learn how each Increment builds on the last, moving your team closer to the Product Goal and ensuring real progress with every Sprint.

What is the relationship between Scrum and Lean Thinking? Please explain how Scrum enables Lean Thinking or how Lean Thinking fosters Scrum? These are my two favorite questions when I typically want to gauge the knowledge of Scrum Masters. And over the many interviews in the past couple of years I have come across maybe 1 or 2 people who were able to answer it satisfactorily. I often ponder why that is. This article elaborates a bit more on it and I also share how I connect Scrum and Lean Thinking. So, if you want to explore it, this might be a good starting point. Disclaimer: Long post alert.

In diesem Artikel gibt PST Simon Flossmann 5 Tipps, wie du deine Onlineschulungen verbessern kannst

Die forensische Produkt-Backlog-Analyse ist eine 60-minütige Teamübung um Ihr Produkt-Backlog in Ordnung zu bringen. Identifizieren Sie, was kaputt ist, finden Sie heraus, warum, und einigen Sie sich auf praktische Lösungen – alles in fünf schnellen Schritten. Ohne Schnickschnack, nur Ergebnisse.

In 2018, after over a decade of working with Scrum Teams, I attempted the PSM III exam, sparking a journey of deep learning and humility. Passing the exam revealed how much there was still to learn about Professional Scrum—characterized by empiricism, high standards, self-management, and the Scrum Values. Pursuing the path to becoming a Professional Scrum Trainer (PST) was challenging, requiring extensive preparation, peer reviews, and overcoming failures like rejected essays and a failed exam retake. Mentorship and collaboration played a crucial role, with peers and trainers offering invaluable feedback. The journey emphasized storytelling, feedback, and balancing empathy with instructional clarity. Key lessons included embracing humility, lifelong learning, and the courage to challenge students to foster meaningful change. The PST experience was transformative, demanding persistence, resilience, and a commitment to continuous growth. Aspiring Scrum Masters are encouraged to embrace failure, seek mentorship, and explore practical training to deepen their Scrum mastery.

Most organizations wait way too long to adopt some portfolio-level agility practices. But What if fixing what’s broken REQUIRES focusing on the upstream that’s shaping the work and context of these teams?  My secret weapon in these common situations is to ignore common advice and to actually start with the Portfolio level.

In vielen Organisationen bleibt echte Zusammenarbeit oft eine Wunschvorstellung. Einzelne Teammitglieder arbeiten isoliert, Missverständnisse häufen sich, und die Synergie bleibt aus. Doch wie schafft man es, dass ein Team wirklich zusammenarbeitet und Verantwortung teilt? Die Antwort beginnt beim Backlog Refinement. Das Backlog Refinement ist mehr als nur eine Schätzrunde—es ist der erste Schritt, in dem das Team ein gemeinsames Verständnis der Anforderungen entwickelt. Wenn alle im Team die Bedürfnisse der Anwender verstehen und gemeinsam nach Lösungen suchen, entstehen durchdachte, kohärente Ergebnisse. Dies verhindert isolierte Insellösungen und fördert eine echte Zusammenarbeit, die sich im Sprint Planning fortsetzt.

With their unique blend of skills and expertise, Scrum Masters can potentially become catalysts for change, fostering an environment where value delivery and product mindset thrive.

Surfing holds surprising lessons that correlate to leadership in business and all aspects of life. Today's lesson is about using our full body intelligence.

A 60-minute team exercise to fix your Backlog. Identify what’s broken, find out why, and agree on practical fixes—all in five quick steps. There is no fluff, just results.

There are claims in the market that Scrum Masters may be replaced by AI. But at what level is it correct?!!!

In diesem Artikel erklärt PST Simon Flossmann die 10 Aufgaben eines Scrum Masters.

Scrum Masters are human. And sometimes - even when they are trying to help - they can unintentionally overstep their authority. In this article, we will discuss the most common ways that Scrum Masters overstep themselves, and why.

Selecting work in Scrum isn’t just about picking items from the backlog—it’s a collaborative effort by the entire Scrum Team. Explore how value, risk, effort, and shared understanding guide the selection process, ensuring each Increment brings the team closer to the Product Goal.

The Scrum framework offers clear rules, guidelines, and constraints. Teams can use these as boundaries to self-manage and self-organize their work, minimize risk, and deliver value to their stakeholders. When teams are relatively new to Scrum, strictly following the rules and constraints makes sense. But what if a team wants to change the rules of Scrum? In this blog post, I share my thoughts.

What we measure is what we get? If there is no focus on defining what we want to achieve and articulate how we can measure it then often we end measuring wrong stuff and that impacts our ability to create value, to be successful.

In diesem Artikel erklärt PST Simon Flossmann, die 3 Versprechen, die Agile Transformationen einlösen müssen.

This article outlines seven key development directions for Project Management Offices to effectively support modern product-oriented organizations. Transitioning from a project to a product-oriented operating model requires organisational change in culture, processes, and management. This will result in transforming current PMO services to become more Agile and product-oriented .

La servant leadership emerge come paradigma fondamentale nella risoluzione di sfide complesse. Lo Scrum Master, incarnando questo approccio, trasforma il modo tradizionale di guidare i team verso risultati sostenibili e significativi.

2024 ended with my vision becoming reality: A small group of people gathered in Costa Rica to experience a unique approach to leadership development - learning to ride the waves instead of trying to control the ocean - at the Agile Leadership Surf Camp. Learn 5 key insights that emerged from this experience.

In Scrum, the Definition of Done (DoD) is a shared understanding of what it means for a Product Backlog item to be considered complete. For example, for a Scrum team that is developing software, a Definition of Done might include things such as 'Complete code review' or 'all standard Regression scripts have passed' or even 'performance testing complete' or 'page loads in under .1 seconds'.

In this article, Natasha Hampshire and David Spinks discuss common perceptions of product development research and what it means for agility.

In his latest blog post, PST Mehdi Hoseini summary of the DORA report 2024 including the most important insights of the report especially the impact of AI on the software development field.

In this episode of the Take5IRL podcast, PST Jeff Lee is joined by Peter Borsella, co-founder of Big Orange Square, and a leading expert in Agile for hardware. Together, they uncover the fascinating story of a company struggling to keep up in a competitive market.

Personal retrospectives can help you improve your life. This approach, similar to team retrospectives, encourages self-reflection. By assessing different areas of your life and identifying areas for protection and improvement, you can focus on a few small, actionable steps to achieve your goals and improve your overall well-being.

In diesem Artikel stellt PST Simon Flossmann vor, wie du mit Liberating Structures das Sprint Planning gestallten kannst.

Start-up Agility describes the mental disposition within which leaders can learn to swim through uncertainty, build their teams in ebbs and flows, and deliver value at every growth point. By fostering connections, empowering teams, and remaining flexible, agile leaders set up the engagement for sustainable success. Let’s discuss how Agile leadership can revolutionise your Start-up. Leave a comment on your thoughts, or contact us for more stimulation!

Wenn Du in all dem noch neu bist, fragst Du Dich vielleicht: Worum geht es bei Agilität überhaupt? Wie können Organisationen oder Teams davon profitieren, agiler zu werden? ​

This is my work to welcome 2025—Scrum Tour: A quality informative gift to my audience. Enjoy the tour and I wish you all the best in the new year.

The term ‘backlog’ in Scrum refers to more than a list of features—it’s a tool for transparency, collaboration, and delivering value. Learn why shorter, focused backlogs empower teams and how expanding backlog items to include hypotheses, outcomes, and problems can drive innovation.

Adopt one of these New Year's resolutions at your next Sprint Retrospective!