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What should a Product Owner not ever be involved in?

January 26, 2024
We’ve already discussed what Product Owners should be involved in, but what should they not be involved in? If Product Owners do get involved in areas they shouldn’t, what may happen?  In this video Professional Scrum Trainers Jason Malmstadt, Robb Pieper, and Greg Crown talk about what Product Owners shouldn’t be involved in and why.
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Can Scrum Work in a Creative or Artistic Environment?

January 25, 2024
Scrum has a history in software development, but can it also work in a creative environment like marketing, painting, poetry, book writing, etc? Professional Scrum Trainers Jason Malmstadt, Robb Pieper, and Greg Crown discuss how Scrum can work in highly creative environments in this Scrum Lightning Round.
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How Does the Scrum Master Help the Product Owner Succeed?

January 24, 2024
Scrum Masters serve the Scrum Team, the Product Owner, and the organization. But in what ways does the Scrum Master serve the Product Owner? How do they help the Product Owner be successful? In this video Professional Scrum Trainers Jason Malmstadt, Robb Pieper, and Greg Crown talk about what Scrum Masters can do to help Product Owners succeed in maximizing the value the Scrum Team can deliver.
Blog Post

How many Product Owners is too many?

January 24, 2024
How many Product Owners make sense? Is it one per Scrum Team? Is it one per organization? Is it one per product? In this video Professional Scrum Trainers Jason Malmstadt, Robb Pieper, and Greg Crown go over some examples of getting this wrong and what might happen.
Blog Post

Is Your Organization Truly Agile or Just Pretending?

January 24, 2024
In this video, Martin explores the intricate world of organizational agility. 🌐 He delves into how agility is more than a buzzword; it's a strategic necessity in today's fast-paced market. 🚀 The discussion starts with the basics of agility and progresses to its deeper implications in business structures and decision-making. 🛠️
Blog Post

It's Still About the Team

January 23, 2024
When using Scrum for a single team, it's important to prioritize Agile principles, business outcomes and team success. The same is true when scaling to include multiple teams. Learn more in this week's podcast!
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Can a Scrum Master have other Roles or Accountabilities?

January 22, 2024
What may happen if the Scrum Master has other jobs or roles within an organization? For example, they’re a people manager but also a team’s Scrum Master. Is this forbidden? In this Scrum Lightning Round, Professional Scrum Trainers Jason Malmstadt, Robb Pieper, and Greg Crown discuss the pros and cons of a Scrum Master who has other jobs or roles in the organization.
Blog Post

Measuring the Wrong Thing is Worse Than Measuring Nothing

January 22, 2024
As organizations strive to quantify the productivity and effectiveness of their agile teams, the adage "you get what you measure" becomes increasingly pertinent. In pursuing metrics, it is crucial to recognize that measuring the wrong things can have detrimental consequences, potentially eroding the principles that make agile successful.
Blog Post

Why Predictability Matters in Scrum

January 22, 2024
Telling an important customer that “we will get there when we get there” could come across as dismissive, sending the message that the customer’s needs are unimportant to the Scrum Team.  All organizations have deadlines and need to navigate shifting priorities.  Agile approaches can help organizations meet tough deadlines and navigate shifting priorities by making teams more predictable rather than less.
Blog Post

5 kinds of Agile bandits. Product Owner Bandits

January 22, 2024
In this video, Martin delves into the complexities of Agile environments, focusing on the role of Product Ownership. 🌐 He shares a compelling narrative about encountering a Product Owner who adhered strictly to detailed plans and Gantt charts, mistaking these for the heart of Agile success. This tale serves as a springboard to discuss the broader implications of such an approach in Agile teams. 📈

Hablemos de agilidad de negocio

January 21, 2024
Esta semana, Guillem Hernandez quiere hablar de agilidad de negocio, un concepto que se refiere a la capacidad de una organización para adaptarse y responder rápidamente a los cambios en su entorno, tanto internos como externos.
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Can Scrum work with Non-Tangible Products or Services?

January 19, 2024
How do we handle non-tangible product or services using Scrum. Does it work? Can it work?Professional Scrum Trainers Jason Malmstadt, Robb Pieper, and Greg Crown go over ways you can maximize value and minimize risk using Scrum even in a non-tangible product environment in this Scrum Lightning Round.
Blog Post

5 kinds of Agile bandits. Planning Bandits

January 19, 2024
In this video, Martin delves into the common misconceptions surrounding burndown charts in Agile Sprint Planning. 📊🔍 He illuminates how these charts, often seen as a cornerstone of tracking progress, can actually mislead teams into false security and inflexible planning. 🚫💡 His insightful discourse is not only a revelation but also a call to action for teams to embrace a more adaptive and value-driven approach. 🌟🔄
Blog Post

How to Explain Definition of Done

January 18, 2024
Definition of Done is one of the most misunderstood concepts for people attending our Scrum training classes. It’s probably also understood by people in your organization. In this episode, we share how two Scrum trainers explain it in their classes.
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完成の定義(DoD)を使い始めるには

January 17, 2024
スクラムの目的を要約すると、「各スプリントで “完成”のインクリメントを作成する」ということになります。それを実行しようとする場合、まず必要なのは「完成(Done)」を定義することです。「完成の定義(Definition of Done・DoD)」が寛容すぎると、後で高いコストをかけて対処しなければならないリスクが蓄積することになります。しかし、ウオーターフォールモデルしか知らない組織がアジャイル開発を始めようとした時に、スキル、ツール、テスト自動化、コラボレーションなどの面で制約が沢山あるため、とりあえず現実的なDoDを考える必要があります。 この記事では、私の仲間のプロフェッショナルスクラムトレーナーであるマーティン・ヒンシェルウッド氏が、スクラムチームがどのように「完成の定義」を始めて作ることができるのか、また、学習や継続的な改善に合わせてどのように「完成の定義」を更新していくべきなのかを説明しています。
Blog Post

Stakeholder Management for Product Owners

January 16, 2024
Not all stakeholders are the same. To be a great Product Owner, you must understand their needs and segment them accordingly. Tune in to this episode as Jeff and Mike share strategies in ways Product Owners can manage and build relationships with their stakeholders, delivering more value with less friction.
Blog Post

How to Manage Large Requirements Documents in Scrum

January 15, 2024
A common question from new Scrum teams is how to handle the large requirements documents they already have from their waterfall projects after they switch to using Scrum? Can you be agile with such a prescriptive end state described by the specification? In this video, Professional Scrum Trainers Robert Pieper, Greg Crown, and Jason Malmstadt share ideas on how you can work with large requirements documents and still be agile.
Blog Post

5 Kinds of Agile bandits: Say/Do Metrics Bandits

January 15, 2024
In this video, Martin Hinshelwood dives into the often misunderstood realm of say-do metrics in agile environments. 🌐📏 He exposes how these metrics, although intended to track progress and performance, can sometimes lead to a false sense of accuracy and reliability. Martin's insight sheds light on the dark corners of agile banditry, where numbers do not always tell the whole story. 🚀📊
Blog Post

5 kinds of Agile Bandits: Special Sprints Bandits

January 13, 2024
In this video, Martin delves into the intricate world of Agile, specifically focusing on the concept of special sprints like Sprint zeros, refactoring sprints, and bugfix sprints. 🔄 He challenges the notion that these sprints enhance Agile practices, calling them 'Agile banditry'. Join us as we explore the impact of these practices on product delivery. 🚀
Blog Post

False Dichotomy

January 12, 2024
An unusual article featured in the latest edition of the Harvard Business Review titled "Case Study: Should I Pitch a New Project-Management System?" raised several concerns and demonstrated misconceptions about Scrum. The piece created a false dilemma between "Scrum" and a hypothetical "Flow" process, essentially referring to Kanban.