The Scrum Master is accountable for facilitating change by creating transparency so that inspection and adaptation can occur. However this is not something that is often seen as the Scrum Masters main responsibility. Often the Scrum Master is urged to facilitate Scrum Events or other sessions. While facilitating sessions is not wrong, the reason why often is.

There is often confusion in what happens in a Sprint with regards to the Increment and releasing. Short summary of this article: during a Sprint, one or more increments are produced. This happens when a Product Backlog Item meets the definition of "Done". At least once every Sprint, but it can happen more often. When a Product Backlog Item meets the definition of "Done" (and therefor becomes an increment), it can be released. Releasing can be done at any moment in time! 

There is a new a new Scrum Guide out - version 2020. What has changed for Scrum teams practicing Kanban?

Four PST's (Andy Hiles, Steve Trapps, Sjoerd Kranendonk and Jasper Alblas) discuss the changes in the 2020 version of the Scrum Guide. You can watch the video above.

Scrum Framework poster (2020 update) by Scrum Facilitators #ScrumGuide2020 #Scrum

In this blog series I would like to address topics that relate to professional team coaching as well as Professional Scrum. In the course of becoming a Professional Team Coach, I noticed a lot of interesting topics for Scrum Masters who want to improve their coaching stance.

First of all, I'd like to note that models and terms I am using and discuss are not mine. They come from training and coaching sessions belonging to Vroemen from Teamchange. The connection I make to Scrum is my interpretation. 

The Scrum Team consists of accountabilities devides over three roles. The only three roles needed in Scrum. But all needed! And all equally important to be successful. If we would practice Scrum within our companies the way described in this way we can all be successful in delivering incremental value to our customers each Sprint.

Scrum is easy to understand, yet difficult to master. The Scrum Guide says so and it's true. If you have worked with Scrum in your organization you probably recognize it also. It's not difficult to start with Scrum.

This article on Product Backlog refinement shows that Refinement is more than just a meeting where the whole Scrum Team is having a discussion. It requires and involves everyone with shared and special responsibilities.

You want to know IF and HOW you can "UP your Scrum" as a Scrum Master? Read this post by Professional Scrum Trainer Jasper Alblas.

Often I hear people say that Scrum does not take care of risk: there is no risk log, risk is not on the agenda of the Sprint Review or Retrospective as a standard agenda-item. The Developers need to be accountable for the quality of the product and how it's made. And ultimately each role in Scrum has accountabilities that effect risk. But ... if there is not one person accountable for quality, being on time, within budget, building the right thing... How is risk managed in Scrum?

I need to get something off my chest. It's a personal thing, so don't mind me. But maybe it will get you thinking also. It's been on my mind for quite some time. Troublesome sometimes.... Here it goes.

In the "Scrum from the trenches" blog post series I like to address topics that I encounter in practicing Scrum in the real world, with real Scrum Teams. Sharing where theory comes into practice, what challenges teams encounter along the way and ways to help Scrum practitioners use the power of empiricism to overcome these challenges.