Skip to main content
Blog Post
| Owen Strombeck

Navigating the Scrum Events - Sprint Planning

November 1, 2023
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.
Blog Post

What’s the Right Length for Tasks on a Scrum Team?

November 1, 2023
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?
Blog Post

Can anyone edit the Product Backlog, or just the Product Owner?

October 31, 2023
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.
Blog Post

Do we Carry over Undone Work or Extend the Sprint?

October 30, 2023
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.
Blog Post

People Drive Solutions, Tools Just Pave the Way!

October 30, 2023
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. 🔄
Blog Post

Usеr Rolе Modеling in Product Backlog Management

October 29, 2023
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.
Blog Post

How can I Keep my Scrum Team Engaged?

October 27, 2023
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.
Blog Post

The Seven Deadly Sins of Agile: Lust

October 27, 2023
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.
Blog Post

How Can Scrum Masters Help Support Organizational Change?

October 25, 2023
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.
Blog Post

Why are the Timeboxes in Scrum important?

October 25, 2023
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.
Blog Post

Can Scrum Work Without Fully-Dedicated Team Members?

October 24, 2023
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.
Blog Post

Can one person fill multiple roles on a Scrum Team?

October 23, 2023
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.
Blog Post

How do you Handle a Lone Wolf that’s on the Scrum Team?

October 20, 2023
How do experts and specialists who are used to working alone fit on a Scrum Team? What should be considered with getting started with a new Scrum Team? In this video, Professional Scrum Trainers Greg Crown and Robb Pieper address these questions about the “lone wolf” developer that may just not want to be on a team.
Blog Post

[VLOG] The Ghosts & Spirits Of Transformations Past...

October 18, 2023
Have you ever joined an organization as a Scrum Master, Coach or Trainer with a smile on your face, good intentions in your mind and love in your heart, only to be received with inexplicable levels of hostility, contempt and aggression? Were you surprised about what was happening to you, why and what you might try next? Interested in a model that might help you make sense of what might be happening as a stepping stone to serve your organization? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this video blog might give you some ideas...
Blog Post

How Do you Apply Scrum Outside of Software Development?

October 17, 2023
While Scrum came out of the field of software development, and is still often used by teams developing software, Scrum is used in lots of other fields: marketing, academia, finance, hardware, and many others. How does Scrum work in these cases? What do you show at a Sprint Review? How can you tell if Scrum is a good fit in these cases? Professional Scrum Trainers Robb Pieper and Greg Crown tackle these ideas in this video.
Blog Post

Scrum: Performance e Risultato

October 17, 2023
Scrum: performance e risultato è una riflessione su quanto sia necessario distinguere la performance e la "casualità" del risultato. Questo articolo è stato pubblicato inizialmente su www.collectivegenius.it. Abbonati al nostro blog per ricevere via mail in anteprima tutti gli articoli (circa uno al mese).
Blog Post

How to Set and Achieve Effective Sprint Goals

October 16, 2023
🚀 Navigating the intricacies of the Sprint Goal in Scrum? 🎯 Discover the essence of crafting a goal that drives real value! 📈 Dive deep into the tactical steps, avoid common pitfalls, and ensure your team is on the right track. 🛤️ Let's demystify the Sprint Goal together! 🤝 #Scrum #Agile #SprintGoal
Blog Post

The Purpose of Estimation in Scrum: Sizing for Sprint Success

October 16, 2023
The purpose of the Sprint is to deliver a done increment of valuable, usable product. In order to get there, it is important that higher ordered Product Backlog items are sized so that they are small enough to be completed within a single Sprint. The purpose of estimation in Scrum is to size higher ordered Product Backlog items so they can be completed within a single Sprint.