Join Jeff and Mike as they unravel the complexities of spikes, transitioning from uncertainty to wisdom in Agile, and the essential mindset shift needed for teams to “get things done”.

Many organizations are striving to become more adaptive a means not just to survive, but to thrive.  The success of an adaptive organization hinges significantly on the capabilities of its people, which often raises the question of how to select people for agile teams.

The emphasis in product development should not be simply on correctly following the Scrum process, but rather on delivering a finished, working software; this is the true purpose of Scrum. Scrum provides a framework with established accountabilities, events, and artifacts which all relate to creating a working product. Therefore, using Scrum effectively will improve the delivery process. However, solely mastering Scrum won't guarantee success. The end goal should always be to deliver valuable, functioning software.

Scrum Masters are often skilled facilitators, and use that skill to help their Scrum teams make decisions and conduct discussions an a positive, productive manner. But does that mean all the facilitation belongs to the Scrum Master? Can others step in as facilitators? And if so, how does a Scrum Master balance this? PST's Jason Malmstadt, Robb Pieper, and Gregory Crown have some ideas to share in today’s Scrum Lightning Round.

In this video, Martin tackles the oft-misunderstood concept of Sprint Goals within the Scrum framework. 🎯 With a wealth of experience and a dash of Scottish grit, I guide you through setting Sprint Goals that are not just achievable but also meaningful and aligned with your project's needs.

In this article, PST Stefan Wolpers explores the pitfalls of 'The Illusion of Velocity' in agile contexts, peeling back the layers of traditional metrics as leadership tools and what to do instead.

Wann ist es endlich fertig? Warum du diese Frage in Softwareprojekten nicht pauschal, sondern professionell beantwortest erfährst du in diesem Artikel von Simon Flossmann.

A dependency refers to a situation where one task, Product Backlog item, user story, or feature relies on another for completion or integration. In this article, we will discuss the impacts of high dependencies on value delivery.

Stakeholder collaboration is vital for product success. By identifying stakeholders, analyzing their influence and interest, and employing effective engagement approaches, Scrum teams can build strong relationships, align goals, and maximize value for customers and organizations. Embracing stakeholder collaboration within the Scrum framework enables teams to create products that meet user needs, drive business impact, and foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. Remember, the success of a great product lies in the collective efforts of a dedicated team and engaged stakeholders.

En este artículo te contamos como dejar de ser ese manager controlador a pasar a ser una persona que delegue más autonomía y responsabilidad para sus equipos.

In this episode of take5IRL Podcast, hosts Jeff and Mike explore strategies for effective Product Backlog Management and debunk common misconceptions.

Some organizations don’t understand the difference between a Scrum Master and a Project Manager. In those situations, Scrum Masters can find themselves being asked or even pressured to manage tasks, make decisions, or perform other duties inconsistent with the accountability of a Scrum Master. How can a Scrum Master serve the team and the organization without simply becoming a Project Manager by another name?

In this video, Martin delves into one of the seven deadly sins of agile: pride. 🚫📊 He emphasises the importance of not being blindly prideful and the dangers of making assumptions without measuring outcomes. 📉🤔

Scrum Values make the use of Scrum successful. How can the Developers use these to grow trust within the team even more? Check it out!

In organizations, there is a lot of time and activity spent on teams creating Release Plans. Is it worth it? Or are Release Plans just creating a false sense of security? In this article, I take a hard look at my past practices using Release Plans and how, if I knew what I know now, I would have abandoned that practice and instead used Evidence-Based Management.

In this video, Martin 🧔 discusses the common misconceptions surrounding Scrum. The digital realm is rife with debates about what constitutes "proper" Scrum. Is it about standing meetings? Or perhaps crafting user stories in a specific way? These debates, while spirited, often miss the mark. Scrum, at its heart, is about delivering value through iterative, empirical processes.

In diesem Artikel befassen wir uns mit häufigen Anti-Mustern auf der Ebene des Scrum-Teams: von der Planung und dem Zusammenbruch von Prozessen über Konfliktvermeidung und Fehlkommunikation bis hin zu mangelnder Aufmerksamkeit für Qualität und fehlendem Engagement.

Refinement is an important activity for the Scrum team. So, why isn't Refinement considered a formal Scrum event?

In this video, Professional Scrum Trainers Andreanna and Scott discuss how to bounce back from a layoff. Scott shares his personal experience being laid off and how he rebuilt his career. 

If you or your team are new to Scrum, you can use this as a starting point to answer, “what should we be doing and why?” for each Scrum Event. If your team is more experienced but you feel like you’re drifting away from healthy behaviors and patterns and you’re not sure how to course correct - you can use this series as a baseline to reset and start re-aligning your team. This is NOT the end-all-be-all perfect way to operate for all scenarios - but a straight-to-the-point tactical list of steps to help you get to the basic outcomes you need at the end of the event.

Scrum Teams often take the items of their Product Backlog and divide them into smaller tasks to help them better understand and keep track of their work. But how long should those tasks be? A few hours? A day? A few days? Are week-long tasks ok? What’s the rule of thumb when it comes to tasks for the Scrum Team?

As Evidence-Based Management (EBM) grows in popularity, I am often asked how to get started with it. With that, I have created a few questions that you should consider as you begin using EBM.

In this video, Martin delves into the intriguing dynamics that differentiate the average developer from the top echelons of agile developers. 🎥🔍 Drawing from personal experiences and insightful references, he unpacks the essence of what it takes to ascend to greatness in the realm of agile development.

The Product Backlog should be transparent and visible to the Scrum Team, Stakeholders, and the Organization. But what about Edit rights? Should the Product Owner be the only person allowed edit the Product Backlog, or can others be granted this level of access as well? PST's Robert Pieper, Gregory Crown, and Jason Malmstadt discuss the accountability of managing the Product Backlog in today’s Scrum Lightning Round.

In this video, Martin discusses the transformative journey of Microsoft's product development, highlighting the significant contributions of two individuals: Brian Harry and Aaron Bjork. 🎥🔍

When you come to the end of a Sprint, the Scrum team typically hopes to finish all the work on the Sprint Backlog. But what if they don’t? Some would say the undone work is carried over into the next Sprint. Others would try to extend the Sprint to get it all done. Which is the right move? Or is there a third way? PST's Jason Malmstadt, Robert Pieper, and Gregory Crown share their thoughts on what to do with undone work in this Scrum Lightning Round Video.

Leverage KPIs for faster delivery times and improved customer satisfaction. Gain insights for using Flow Metrics to optimize your product delivery process.

Nach traditionellem Führungsverständnis ist diese Aussage ein Widerspruch: Scrum Master ist eine Führungsrolle, aber das Team entscheidet. Aber dieser Widerspruch macht die Rolle des Scrum Masters so zukunftsweisend, wie Simon Flossmann in diesem Artikel ausführt.

In this video, Martin delves into the often misunderstood realm of DevOps. 🧐 He clarifies that despite common misconceptions, DevOps transcends mere tools and processes; it's fundamentally an idea. 🛠️➡️💡 He articulates how DevOps, originating in software engineering, is pivotal in enhancing our engineering systems and shortening feedback loops, not through tools alone, but through a shift in perspective. 🔄

By applying User Role Modeling, you can manage your Product Backlog to address the unique needs of each user segment effectively. This ensures that the features you develop are in line with the specific requirements and preferences of these user roles, ultimately leading to a more user-centric and successful product. By brainstorming initial users, consolidating them into segments, and refining their roles, you can create a more streamlined and outcome oriented Product Backlog. Ultimately, understanding your users and shaping your backlog accordingly is the key to delivering successful, user-focused products. User Role Modeling is not just a concept; it's your roadmap to user satisfaction and product success.

In this article, we delve into common anti-patterns at the Scrum Team level: from planning and process breakdown to conflict avoidance and miscommunication to inattention to quality and commitment.

Adoptar Scrum requiere un trabajo duro y disciplinado para cambiar de mentalidad experimentando y aprendiendo en el proceso. Las siguientes claves te pueden ayudar en la adopción de un Scrum Profesional.

In this video, Martin delves into the intricate concept of organisational wrath within agile teams and its implications on accountability. 📊🚀

En este artículo hablamos del Mapa de Disfunciones o Dysfunction Mapping de Michael Lloyd ha emergido como una herramienta revolucionaria para los Agile Coaches

How can you help increase engagement in your team — or can you? Is engagement something you can support, influence, or force? PST's Gregory Crown, Jason Malmstadt, and Robert Pieper tackle this frequently-asked question in today’s Scrum Lightning Round.

In this video, Martin delves into one of the seven deadly sins of agile: lust. 🚀 Organisations, realising the seismic shifts in markets, are now clamouring for agile transformations. Yet, many are seeking shortcuts, hoping to purchase a solution rather than investing genuine effort.

Scrum Values make the use of Scrum successful. How can the Product Owner use these to grow trust within the team even more? Check it out!

Leverage KPIs for faster delivery times and improved customer satisfaction. Gain insights for using Flow Metrics to optimize your product delivery process.

In this video, Martin delves into the recurring question of why many agile transformations fail, highlighting the disconnect between decision-makers and implementers. 🤔🔄

PST Stefan Wolpers diskutiert Strategien zur Herstellung eines harmonischen Gleichgewichts zwischen der Verfolgung von Produktzielen und der Aufrechterhaltung professioneller Beziehungen zu Stakeholdern.

Whether it’s questioning assumptions, coaching in agility, or helping to resolve impediments, effective Scrum Masters drive change. But far too often, Scrum Masters are so focused on change at the team level, that the broader changes required at the organization level go unsupported. How can a Scrum Master help drive the necessary changes across the organization to increase the level of agility and deliver more value? PST's Jason Malmstadt, Robert Pieper, and Gregory Crown will provide you with some ideas.

Meet Sara, a driven product director who’s always up for a challenge. But with ambitious targets to attract 10,000 new clients, increase customer satisfaction by 35%, and keep top talents on board, she’s starting to worry if her organization is up for the task.

When facing challenges in team composition or skills, the answer is not always to upskill or improve cross-functionality. Sometimes the answer is to reteam. But what if the Scrum Team doesn't see those options themselves yet?

In Scrum, each of the events within a Sprint have a timebox, a maximum amount of time for that event. This time constraint can seem arbitrary, and often garners resistance. Are the timeboxes in the Scrum really important? Why are they such a big deal? PST's Greg Crown, Robb Pieper, and Jason Malmstadt explore the value and purpose behind these enabling constraints in their latest Scrum Lightning Round.

The Scrum.org Professional Scrum Product Backlog Management Skills (PSPBM Skills) assessment is a 30-minute timeboxed assessment. You need to score over 85% to pass and gain the PSPBM Skills certification. The assessment contains 20 questions in English of multiple choice type.

Scrum Teams work best when all the team members can devote 100% of their time to the work of the team. But what about when organizational constraints prevent us from having fully-dedicated team members? Can Scrum still work? What are the challenges of this less-than-ideal scenario? PST's Jason, Greg, and Robb provide some thoughts to this very real-world situation in this video.

What does Professional Attitude mean for Scrum Masters? Watch this video.

Scrum is a framework to reduce risk, increase predictability, and deliver value to your stakeholders sooner. But what when is something actually valuable?

In this video, Martin delves deep into the challenges of working with a new Scrum Team, emphasising the importance of understanding the core principles over mere mechanics. 🛠️🔄

A Scrum Team needs a Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developers. But what if we don’t have enough people? Can one person play more than one role or accountability on a Scrum Team? If so, what are the pros and cons of doing so? In this video, PST's Greg and Robb discuss the controversial topic of playing multiple roles in Scrum.