Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

Mike Lyons: When Technical Knowledge is an Impediment to Great Product Ownership in Scrum Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: Visionary Product Ownership, Leading with Passion and Purpose In this segment, Mike celebrates a Product Owner who exemplifies vision and passion, bringing humanity and customer focus into the product development process. He also shares how this approach enhances team empathy and product quality, and what lessons can other Product Owners take from this exemplary behavior. The Bad Product Owner: The Pitfalls of Technical Product Ownership In this segment, Mike discusses the challenges and pitfalls when technical expertise overshadows the true role of a Product Owner. What can go wrong when a former developer becomes a Product Owner, and how does disengagement from the role affect team dynamics? Unpack the essential qualities of vision, passion, and advocacy that every Product Owner should embody. [IMAGE HERE] Are you having trouble helping the team work well with their Product Owner? We’ve put together a course to help you work on the collaboration team-product owner. You can find it at bit.ly/coachyourpo. 18 modules, 8+ hours of modules with tools and techniques that you can use to help teams and PO’s collaborate. About Mike Lyons After reading the Agile Manifesto in 2006, Mike focused on making teams and organizations more adaptive and efficient. Despite facing failures and mistakes, these experiences provided him with valuable lessons that enhanced his ability to achieve tangible results with Agile. You can link with Mike Lyons on LinkedIn.

Mike Lyons: Guiding Agile Teams to Independence, Tips For Scrum Masters Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this segment, Mike shares practical tips on measuring and fostering team independence using the five events of Scrum. Key strategies include ensuring teams have seen work before planning, encouraging team-defined goals, limiting the scrum master's role in daily scrums, optimizing sprint lengths for quicker feedback, and focusing on product showcasing and feedback during sprint reviews. Mike challenges teams to push boundaries and continuously improve. Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Commitment-Driven Retrospectives Mike shares his favorite retrospective format—commitment-driven retrospectives. Mike emphasizes the importance of starting retrospectives with the question, "Did we make the improvement we committed to last time?" He argues that without this initial focus, the format of retrospectives becomes irrelevant and could lead to disengagement. Mike discusses creating an environment that empowers team members to bring and own their improvements, highlighting the scrum master's role in modeling effective approaches to continual enhancement. [IMAGE HERE] Retrospectives, planning sessions, vision workshops, we are continuously helping teams learn about how to collaborate in practice! In this Actionable Agile Tools book, Jeff Campbell shares some of the tools he’s learned over a decade of coaching Agile Teams. The pragmatic coaching book you need, right now! Buy Actionable Agile Tools on Amazon, or directly from the author, and supercharge your facilitation toolbox! About Mike Lyons After reading the Agile Manifesto in 2006, Mike focused on making teams and organizations more adaptive and efficient. Despite facing failures and mistakes, these experiences provided him with valuable lessons that enhanced his ability to achieve tangible results with Agile. You can link with Mike Lyons on LinkedIn.

Mike Lyons: Agile Beyond Teams, Leading Organizational Change Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Mike discusses the broader implications of Agile beyond just team dynamics, highlighting the need for coaching and influence at the organizational level. Why does Mike believe that Agile is not just a mindset but a substantial practice that requires change in behaviors before culture can shift? Explore how understanding business language and aligning with organizational outcomes can expand and strengthen the role of Scrum Masters. [IMAGE HERE] As Scrum Master we work with change continuously! Do you have your own change framework that provides the guidance, and queues you need when working with change? The Lean Change Management framework is a fully defined, lean-startup inspired change framework that can be used as the backbone of any change process! You can buy Lean Change Management the book at Amazon. Also available in French, Spanish, German and Portuguese. About Mike Lyons After reading the Agile Manifesto in 2006, Mike focused on making teams and organizations more adaptive and efficient. Despite facing failures and mistakes, these experiences provided him with valuable lessons that enhanced his ability to achieve tangible results with Agile. You can link with Mike Lyons on LinkedIn.

Mike Lyons: Slipping Back, When Agile Teams Drift Back Toward Waterfall Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Mike shares a story from his time with a team that inadvertently started adopting waterfall practices despite beginning with Agile intentions. How did the introduction of a business analyst role lead to a disconnect between the team and their product owner, and what does this signify about the delicate balance of roles within Agile teams? Learn from Mike's retrospective insights on maintaining Agile principles and the importance of quick feedback cycles. Featured Book of the Week: The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim In this segment, Mike describes why the "The Phoenix Project," a business novel resonates so much with scrum masters and Agile practitioners. Why does Mike find himself returning to this book time and again, and how does it mirror the realities of DevOps and Agile environments? Explore how the narrative's emphasis on improving daily work over performing it can revolutionize your approach to Agile project management. [IMAGE HERE] Do you wish you had decades of experience? Learn from the Best Scrum Masters In The World, Today! The Tips from the Trenches - Scrum Master edition audiobook includes hours of audio interviews with SM’s that have decades of experience: from Mike Cohn to Linda Rising, Christopher Avery, and many more. Super-experienced Scrum Masters share their hard-earned lessons with you. Learn those today, make your teams awesome! About Mike Lyons After reading the Agile Manifesto in 2006, Mike focused on making teams and organizations more adaptive and efficient. Despite facing failures and mistakes, these experiences provided him with valuable lessons that enhanced his ability to achieve tangible results with Agile. You can link with Mike Lyons on LinkedIn.

Mike Lyons: The Humility to Listen, A Sprint Planning Turnaround Story Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. When Mike took on one of his early projects, a seemingly small requirement during sprint planning sparked an epiphany about Agile workflows. Mike's story unfolds as he learns that dictating tasks isn't always the best approach, and he realized the importance of listening and empowering those who do the work. What crucial lessons did Mike learn about intellectual humility and creating space for his team to excel? Discover how these insights transformed his approach to sprint planning and why the Toyota Production System might hold secrets to doing your best work. [IMAGE HERE] Recovering from failure, or difficult moments is a critical skill for Scrum Masters. Not only because of us, but also because the teams, and stakeholders we work with will also face these moments! We need inspiring stories to help them, and ourselves! The Bungsu Story, is an inspiring story by Marcus Hammarberg which shows how a Coach can help organizations recover even from the most disastrous situations! Learn how Marcus helped The Bungsu, a hospital in Indonesia, recover from near-bankruptcy, twice! Using Lean and Agile methods to rebuild an organization and a team! An inspiring story you need to know about! Buy the book on Amazon: The Bungsu Story - How Lean and Kanban Saved a Small Hospital in Indonesia. Twice. and Can Help You Reshape Work in Your Company. About Mike Lyons After reading the Agile Manifesto in 2006, Mike focused on making teams and organizations more adaptive and efficient. Despite facing failures and mistakes, these experiences provided him with valuable lessons that enhanced his ability to achieve tangible results with Agile. You can link with Mike Lyons on LinkedIn.

BONUS: The Art of Slicing Work with Anton Skornyakov This episode features Anton Skornyakov, an expert in Agile methodologies and the author of "The Art of Slicing Work: How to Navigate Unpredictable Projects." Let's unpack the concept of slicing work and explore how it can revolutionize productivity and project management. Inspiration Behind The Book "Focusing on 'what's the result we want from this discussion' shifts our mindset towards more practical, outcome-oriented conversations." Anton shares what drove him to write his book. In his coaching practice, he noticed that many organizational discussions were mired in theory rather than focusing on actionable outcomes. By centering the conversation on "the next step" and the desired results for the upcoming two weeks, teams can move from abstract planning to concrete, actionable steps. Understanding Slicing Work "Think of work like a large dinner; slicing it into dishes rather than tasks offers flexibility and maintains the connection between different work elements." In his book, Anton introduces the concept of Slicing Work using the metaphor of preparing a large dinner. He explains that traditional task division (horizontal slicing) often leads to a loss of flexibility and a disconnection between different parts of a project. Instead, he advocates for vertical slicing, where each slice represents a complete unit of value, enhancing coherence and team productivity. Common Barriers to Slicing Work "Old habits and upfront software design practices prevent effective work slicing; adopting Test-Driven Development (TDD) can help overcome these barriers." Anton discusses the habitual and educational barriers that prevent effective slicing of work. Many professionals are trained to focus on their specific expertise and to plan extensively before starting actual development, practices which can impede the flexible and iterative nature of Agile methodologies. In this segment, we refer to Extreme Programming and the pattern of the tracer bullet. The Slicing Work Mindset "Empowering teams to feel they can reshape their work structure is crucial for successful implementation of work slicing techniques." Implementing work slicing techniques can be straightforward technically, but the real challenge often lies in changing the organizational mindset. Anton points out that teams may understand the concept intellectually but often struggle with feeling empowered to change existing processes. Addressing Leadership Skepticism "Instead of promoting slicing, I discuss potential risks with leaders to help them see the value in breaking down projects to manage risks effectively." When faced with leadership skepticism, Anton shifts the conversation from slicing work per se to managing project risks. By identifying what could go wrong and finding ways to address these risks incrementally, leaders can see the practical benefits of adopting slicing work techniques. The Future of Work with Full Adoption "By turning Agile up to 11, micromanagement becomes obsolete, and teams are empowered to focus on transparent, result-driven discussions." Anton envisions a future where complete adoption of slicing work principles leads to a significant transformation in how teams and stakeholders interact. With a focus on frequent, tangible results and pragmatic discussions, organizations can achieve greater transparency and reduce the need for micromanagement. About Anton Skornyakov Anton Skornyakov is the co-founder and managing director of Agile.Coach. He has coached nearly a hundred organizations and thousands of people in the art of slicing work. His insights are distilled in his latest book, "The Art of Slicing Work," which encapsulates a wealth of stories, lessons, and principles from his extensive experience. For more information, visit slicingwork.com. You can link with Anton Skornyakov on LinkedIn.

Mike Richards: Leading with Trust, The Product Owner’s Guide Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: Leading with Trust, The Product Owner’s Guide Discover some of the essential qualities of an effective Product Owner through Mike’s experiences and stories. How does leading with trust transform team dynamics and project outcomes? This episode highlights the benefits of a trusting relationship between the team and the Product Owner, emphasizing the importance of trust in fostering a productive and collaborative environment. The Bad Product Owner: The Dangers of Over-Engagement, And How It Affects Scrum Teams What happens when a Product Owner is too involved in the day-to-day operations of a project? Mike Richards discusses the fine line between engagement and micromanagement. Learn about the anti-patterns of Product Owner behavior that can disrupt team efficiency and how to address them through understanding and empathy. [IMAGE HERE] Are you having trouble helping the team work well with their Product Owner? We’ve put together a course to help you work on the collaboration team-product owner. You can find it at bit.ly/coachyourpo. 18 modules, 8+ hours of modules with tools and techniques that you can use to help teams and PO’s collaborate. About Mike Richards Mike Richards, with over a decade in tech, goes beyond managing projects. He's passionate about transforming organizations, coaching on cloud migration, leading digital shifts, and empowering agile teams. More than a consultant, Mike is a catalyst for growth and change. You can link with Mike Richards on LinkedIn here.

Mike Richards: The Scrum Master Feedback Loop, Measuring What Really Matters For Scrum Masters Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this segment, Mike shares his approach to measuring success through key performance indicators and anonymous feedback. How can scrum masters create a safe space for team feedback and foster a learning environment within their teams? Discover the significance of emotional security and predictability in achieving sprint goals and maintaining effective team dynamics. Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: The Cat Memes Retrospective Explore a unique retrospective format with Mike as he shares how using cat memes can inject humor and openness into team discussions. How does this light-hearted approach help teams express emotions and enhance engagement during retrospectives? Learn tips on varying retrospective formats to maintain team engagement and foster candid discussions about challenges and successes. [IMAGE HERE] Retrospectives, planning sessions, vision workshops, we are continuously helping teams learn about how to collaborate in practice! In this Actionable Agile Tools book, Jeff Campbell shares some of the tools he’s learned over a decade of coaching Agile Teams. The pragmatic coaching book you need, right now! Buy Actionable Agile Tools on Amazon, or directly from the author, and supercharge your facilitation toolbox! About Mike Richards Mike Richards, with over a decade in tech, goes beyond managing projects. He's passionate about transforming organizations, coaching on cloud migration, leading digital shifts, and empowering agile teams. More than a consultant, Mike is a catalyst for growth and change. You can link with Mike Richards on LinkedIn here.

Mike Richards: Managing Agile Teams Under Tight Deadlines, The Remote Team Edition Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Mike shares his professional journey of facilitating agile transformations and fostering change within diverse teams. How does establishing clear communication and understanding story points contribute to project success, especially under tight deadlines? Gain valuable insights into the use of work agreements and the importance of early and iterative discussions in distributed teams. [IMAGE HERE] As Scrum Master we work with change continuously! Do you have your own change framework that provides the guidance, and queues you need when working with change? The Lean Change Management framework is a fully defined, lean-startup inspired change framework that can be used as the backbone of any change process! You can buy Lean Change Management the book at Amazon. Also available in French, Spanish, German and Portuguese. About Mike Richards Mike Richards, with over a decade in tech, goes beyond managing projects. He's passionate about transforming organizations, coaching on cloud migration, leading digital shifts, and empowering agile teams. More than a consultant, Mike is a catalyst for growth and change. You can link with Mike Richards on LinkedIn here.

Mike Richards: Beyond Lip Service, True Stories of Agile Transformation Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Mike recounts his experiences with a scrum team that struggled to fully embrace the agile mindset. We also talk about the pitfalls of "lip service" to scrum practices, and how teams can genuinely adopt continuous improvement. Discover how data-driven insights and a shift in team culture can catalyze meaningful change and enhance team performance. Featured Book of the Week: Radical Candor by Kim Scott Immerse yourself in the insights Mike got from the book Radical Candor by Kim Scott as Mike explores the transformative power of honest feedback within agile teams. How can fostering a culture of candid feedback impact team dynamics and project success? Learn practical tips for giving and receiving feedback that fosters growth and enhances team collaboration. [IMAGE HERE] Do you wish you had decades of experience? Learn from the Best Scrum Masters In The World, Today! The Tips from the Trenches - Scrum Master edition audiobook includes hours of audio interviews with SM’s that have decades of experience: from Mike Cohn to Linda Rising, Christopher Avery, and many more. Super-experienced Scrum Masters share their hard-earned lessons with you. Learn those today, make your teams awesome! About Mike Richards Mike Richards, with over a decade in tech, goes beyond managing projects. He's passionate about transforming organizations, coaching on cloud migration, leading digital shifts, and empowering agile teams. More than a consultant, Mike is a catalyst for growth and change. You can link with Mike Richards on LinkedIn here.

Mike Richards: Rethinking Project Priorities As a Way to Overcome The Project Iron Triangle Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Mike describes a story of managing a challenging project within the constraints of the iron triangle of project management. How did a shift in focus help his team avoid the pitfalls of gold plating and get back on track? Mike shares practical tips on asking the right questions, presenting data effectively, and the importance of prioritizing mandatory functionality over bells and whistles wishes and features. Discover how to tackle project deadlines with minimum viable solutions and the value of communicating issues promptly to prevent the need for miracles. [IMAGE HERE] Recovering from failure, or difficult moments is a critical skill for Scrum Masters. Not only because of us, but also because the teams, and stakeholders we work with will also face these moments! We need inspiring stories to help them, and ourselves! The Bungsu Story, is an inspiring story by Marcus Hammarberg which shows how a Coach can help organizations recover even from the most disastrous situations! Learn how Marcus helped The Bungsu, a hospital in Indonesia, recover from near-bankruptcy, twice! Using Lean and Agile methods to rebuild an organization and a team! An inspiring story you need to know about! Buy the book on Amazon: The Bungsu Story - How Lean and Kanban Saved a Small Hospital in Indonesia. Twice. and Can Help You Reshape Work in Your Company. About Mike Richards Mike Richards, with over a decade in tech, goes beyond managing projects. He's passionate about transforming organizations, coaching on cloud migration, leading digital shifts, and empowering agile teams. More than a consultant, Mike is a catalyst for growth and change. You can link with Mike Richards on LinkedIn here.

Paul Jarvis: The Enthusiastic Product Owner, and How it Affects Agile Team Performance Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: The Enthusiastic Product Owner, and How it Affects Agile Team Performance Celebrating a Product Owner who embodies enthusiasm for the product and excellent team collaboration, Paul outlines the essential qualities of an outstanding PO. This episode provides insights into building mutual trust between the team and the PO, emphasizing the PO's role as a part of the team and the importance of collective effort in refining and executing product vision. The Bad Product Owner: The Isolated Product Owner Anti-pattern Paul shares a cautionary tale of a Product Owner who, despite being good at their job, fell into the trap of working in isolation from the team. This episode explores the detrimental effects of isolation on the Agile process and offers tips on how Product Owners can foster collaboration and harness the collective power of their teams to unlock Agile's full potential. [IMAGE HERE] Are you having trouble helping the team work well with their Product Owner? We’ve put together a course to help you work on the collaboration team-product owner. You can find it at bit.ly/coachyourpo. 18 modules, 8+ hours of modules with tools and techniques that you can use to help teams and PO’s collaborate. About Paul Jarvis Paul is a seasoned Enterprise Lean Agile Coach, Trainer, RTE, and Scrum Master with a decade of experience in the FinTech sector, focusing on banking, payments, and e-commerce. Recently, he completed a 3.5-year tenure at a key player in investment banking. You can link with Paul Jarvis on LinkedIn and connect with Paul Jarvis on Twitter.

Paul Jarvis: Key Indicators of Success for Agile Teams and Their Scrum Masters That You Can Reflect On Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Investigate Paul's perspective on what defines success for Scrum Masters, from the smooth running of refinement sessions to the collaborative maintenance of the Product Backlog. This episode provides practical tips for Scrum Masters to assess their impact, emphasizing the importance of team collaboration, effective backlog management, and the ease of sprint planning. Discover how to assess success in the Agile world through a blend of team dynamics, process efficiency, and shared responsibility. Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: The Sailboat Retrospective and Other Formats Paul emphasizes the critical role of retrospectives in enabling relentless improvement, highlighting formats like the Sailboat retrospective, Celebration Grid, and the high-performance tree to encourage experimentation and self-assessment within teams. These retrospective formats are not just reflective exercises but strategic tools that prompt teams to align their values with their Agile practices, ensuring continuous growth and alignment with business goals. [IMAGE HERE] Retrospectives, planning sessions, vision workshops, we are continuously helping teams learn about how to collaborate in practice! In this Actionable Agile Tools book, Jeff Campbell shares some of the tools he’s learned over a decade of coaching Agile Teams. The pragmatic coaching book you need, right now! Buy Actionable Agile Tools on Amazon, or directly from the author, and supercharge your facilitation toolbox! About Paul Jarvis Paul is a seasoned Enterprise Lean Agile Coach, Trainer, RTE, and Scrum Master with a decade of experience in the FinTech sector, focusing on banking, payments, and e-commerce. Recently, he completed a 3.5-year tenure at a key player in investment banking. You can link with Paul Jarvis on LinkedIn and connect with Paul Jarvis on Twitter.

Paul Jarvis: Embracing the Stretch Zone, Tools for Personal and Agile Team Growth Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Paul introduces the "comfort - stretch - panic model" by Karl Ronker. This episode explores the necessity of stepping out of comfort to achieve personal and professional growth, emphasizing the role of the Stretch zone in challenging and expanding our capabilities. Through practical tips and insights, including the significance of a growth mindset. Paul refers to Managing for Happiness, Jurgen Appelo. Regarding change processes, Paul guides listeners on how to use experiments, spikes, and the Cynefin model to navigate and embrace change effectively. What does it truly mean to stretch beyond our comfort zones, and how can we apply these principles to foster a culture of continuous improvement and happiness? Discover tools, tips, and techniques that catalyze growth and change. [IMAGE HERE] As Scrum Master we work with change continuously! Do you have your own change framework that provides the guidance, and queues you need when working with change? The Lean Change Management framework is a fully defined, lean-startup inspired change framework that can be used as the backbone of any change process! You can buy Lean Change Management the book at Amazon. Also available in French, Spanish, German and Portuguese. About Paul Jarvis Paul is a seasoned Enterprise Lean Agile Coach, Trainer, RTE, and Scrum Master with a decade of experience in the FinTech sector, focusing on banking, payments, and e-commerce. Recently, he completed a 3.5-year tenure at a key player in investment banking. You can link with Paul Jarvis on LinkedIn and connect with Paul Jarvis on Twitter.

Paul Jarvis: Unlocking Scrum Team Potential, The High-performance Tree Tool Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, we explore the dynamics of two high-performing teams hindered by a single member's reluctance to seek help. This episode explores the critical lesson, such as leveraging the "power of the team", and introduces the high-performance tree metaphor, illustrating the foundational values and desired behaviors in effective Scrum teams. How does one individual's challenge affect team performance, and what strategies can encourage collective problem-solving and support? Paul discusses his approach and insights, and refers to a video from Lyssa Adkins about the high-performance tree. Featured Book of the Week: Management 3.0 by Jurgen Appelo Paul recommends the book "Management 3.0" by Jurgen Appelo. He shares the book's profound impact on understanding Agile. Paul also shares other key references for Scrum Masters such as "Coaching Agile Teams" by Lyssa Adkins, "Radical Candor" by Kim Scott, "Nonviolent Communication" by Marshal Rosenberg, "Think Again" by Adam Grant, and Patrick Lencioni's contributions. Each book offers a unique perspective on Agile principles, from fostering constructive disagreements and navigating conflicts to reevaluating our knowledge and embracing humility. Find out about Paul's lightbulb moments and the collective wisdom these authors bring to the Agile table. [IMAGE HERE] Do you wish you had decades of experience? Learn from the Best Scrum Masters In The World, Today! The Tips from the Trenches - Scrum Master edition audiobook includes hours of audio interviews with SM’s that have decades of experience: from Mike Cohn to Linda Rising, Christopher Avery, and many more. Super-experienced Scrum Masters share their hard-earned lessons with you. Learn those today, make your teams awesome! About Paul Jarvis Paul is a seasoned Enterprise Lean Agile Coach, Trainer, RTE, and Scrum Master with a decade of experience in the FinTech sector, focusing on banking, payments, and e-commerce. Recently, he completed a 3.5-year tenure at a key player in investment banking. You can link with Paul Jarvis on LinkedIn and connect with Paul Jarvis on Twitter.

Paul Jarvis: Agile is a Framework for Collaboration, Here’s How Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. "Agile is a framework for collaboration" In this episode, Paul shares a story from his early days as a Scrum Master in digital agencies, focusing on website projects for real estate agents. Despite the prevalence of the waterfall methodology, Paul ventured into the world of Agile, aiming to transform his and supplier teams' approach to project management. His journey wasn't without its challenges, especially in conveying the benefits of Agile over traditional methods. Through a mix of daily phone calls and strategic persuasion, he learned valuable lessons about teamwork, the essence of Agile as a framework for collaboration, and the importance of explaining new processes to those involved. How can the shift from waterfall to Agile catalyze better teamwork and project outcomes? Listen to Paul's story of perseverance, learn about the tools like MURAL that supported his journey, and the insights he gained on fostering collaboration within teams. [IMAGE HERE] Recovering from failure, or difficult moments is a critical skill for Scrum Masters. Not only because of us, but also because the teams, and stakeholders we work with will also face these moments! We need inspiring stories to help them, and ourselves! The Bungsu Story, is an inspiring story by Marcus Hammarberg which shows how a Coach can help organizations recover even from the most disastrous situations! Learn how Marcus helped The Bungsu, a hospital in Indonesia, recover from near-bankruptcy, twice! Using Lean and Agile methods to rebuild an organization and a team! An inspiring story you need to know about! Buy the book on Amazon: The Bungsu Story - How Lean and Kanban Saved a Small Hospital in Indonesia. Twice. and Can Help You Reshape Work in Your Company. About Paul Jarvis Paul is a seasoned Enterprise Lean Agile Coach, Trainer, RTE, and Scrum Master with a decade of experience in the FinTech sector, focusing on banking, payments, and e-commerce. Recently, he completed a 3.5-year tenure at a key player in investment banking. You can link with Paul Jarvis on LinkedIn and connect with Paul Jarvis on Twitter.

In this BONUS episode, we delve into the merging of Scrum and Kanban with Todd Little, Chairman at Kanban University, and Joey Spooner, Vice President of Product Management at Kanban University. Join us as we uncover the journey and strategies behind integrating Scrum and Kanban to replace project management and enhance team productivity. The Genesis of Agile and Kanban Integration "Finding the right balance between Scrum and Kanban came from a need to handle uncertainty in tech projects better," explains Todd. Both leaders discuss their initial encounters with agile methodologies and how challenges in their projects led them to innovate and blend Scrum with Kanban to improve flexibility and responsiveness. Understanding Scrum and Kanban "There's a historical divide between the Scrum and Kanban communities, but bridging them can significantly enhance how teams operate." Notes Joey. They break down the fundamental aspects of Scrum and Kanban, explaining how each contributes uniquely to managing projects and how combining them can mitigate the limitations of using one over the other. Real-World Benefits of a Hybrid Approach Todd shares a case study from Vanguard, highlighting their "Scrum stall" and how integrating Kanban principles like mapping work flows and setting WIP limits dramatically improved cycle times and overall efficiency. Joey adds, "Visualizing work and adjusting processes to reduce bottlenecks, especially in QA, transformed our team dynamics and output." Challenges and Insights in Combining Methodologies "Start where you are, and evolve incrementally," advises Todd Todd and Joey emphasize the importance of recognizing current practices and gradually introducing Kanban elements to enhance Scrum frameworks. Joey reflects on early challenges in adoption, suggesting a cautious approach to avoid overwhelming teams and to foster more sustainable improvements. Navigating Change and Resistance The discussion touches on managing resistance to change. Todd and Joey highlight strategies like using historical data for forecasting and focusing on evolutionary change to gain buy-in from stakeholders and team members, ensuring a smoother integration of practices. What Does Agile Look Like, When We Push it to 11? Looking ahead, Todd envisions a focus on refining product discovery processes to make workplaces more dynamic and fulfilling. Both speakers emphasize the importance of continuous improvement and pushing the boundaries of current agile practices to maximize their impact. Learn More and Connect To explore more about integrating Scrum with Kanban and to connect with Todd and Joey, visit the Kanban University website or find them on LinkedIn (see links below). Also, don't miss the upcoming Product Owner Summit for more insights from industry leaders. About Todd Little Todd Little is the Chairman of Kanban University, a seasoned executive, and a pioneer in lean and agile methodologies. His extensive experience in leading technology developments and his contributions as an author and speaker have positioned him as a key figure in global project management circles. You can link with Todd Little on LinkedIn and connect with Todd Little on Twitter. About Joey Spooner Joey Spooner is the Vice President of Product Management at Kanban University, with a rich background in managing complex projects across various industries. He holds a degree from the University of Florida and is known for his innovative approaches to community development and product management. You can link with Joey Spooner on LinkedIn.

Tom Baldwin: Agile Team Champion, The Product Owner Who Gave the Stage Away Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: Agile Team Champion, The PO Who Gave the Stage Away This segment spotlights an exemplary Product Owner who, through openness and experimentation, fosters a strong bond between stakeholders, developers, and the Scrum team. Tom emphasizes the importance of backlog management, team involvement in decision-making, and the PO's non-technical, yet impactful, leadership style, illustrating how an effective PO can be a linchpin for team success and stakeholder satisfaction. The Bad Product Owner: The Proxy PO As A Strategy To Overcome PO Anti-Patterns Tom shares some critical anti-patterns often seen in the role of the Product Owner, like distance, dictatorship, and the toxicity surrounding the PO role. By proposing solutions such as empowering subject matter experts and adopting the Proxy PO pattern, Tom provides a blueprint for transforming the PO role into a catalyst for effective Scrum practices, ensuring a balanced and productive team dynamic. [IMAGE HERE] Are you having trouble helping the team work well with their Product Owner? We’ve put together a course to help you work on the collaboration team-product owner. You can find it at bit.ly/coachyourpo. 18 modules, 8+ hours of modules with tools and techniques that you can use to help teams and PO’s collaborate. About Tom Baldwin Tom is a Lean-Agile Coach & Scrum Master, who is trying to solve the problem that it has been more than 20 years since the Agile Manifesto, but Business Agility is still not the norm. Tom is currently writing “Production line for the mind: The Practicing Principle”, with the idea of making agility simple to understand & to implement – and not just for software. You can link with Tom Baldwin on LinkedIn.

Tom Baldwin: Beyond The Process Ceremonies, The Necessary Evolution Of Scrum Master Success Over Time Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Tom talks about how we need to, over time, evolve our signs and metrics of success for Scrum Masters, from mastering ceremonies to measuring lead times and value delivery. Emphasizing the importance of team engagement with users and customers, Tom offers insights into fostering a culture of responsiveness and continuous improvement, ensuring that the team's journey towards autonomy and efficiency is both measurable and meaningful. Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: 5 Why's Tom explores the essence of effective Agile retrospectives, focusing on the 5 Why's technique to address root causes of team challenges. He advocates for personalized approaches, ensuring the right stakeholders are present, and fostering an environment where the team can own the process and outcomes. Through strategic documentation and visualization, Tom illustrates how to guide teams towards self-improvement and a focus on collaboration. [IMAGE HERE] Retrospectives, planning sessions, vision workshops, we are continuously helping teams learn about how to collaborate in practice! In this Actionable Agile Tools book, Jeff Campbell shares some of the tools he’s learned over a decade of coaching Agile Teams. The pragmatic coaching book you need, right now! Buy Actionable Agile Tools on Amazon, or directly from the author, and supercharge your facilitation toolbox! About Tom Baldwin Tom is a Lean-Agile Coach & Scrum Master, who is trying to solve the problem that it has been more than 20 years since the Agile Manifesto, but Business Agility is still not the norm. Tom is currently writing “Production line for the mind: The Practicing Principle”, with the idea of making agility simple to understand & to implement – and not just for software. You can link with Tom Baldwin on LinkedIn.

Tom Baldwin: Agile Under Pressure, Strategies for Effective Organizational Change Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Tom shares a story about leading organizational change under a tight deadline, leveraging Agile principles to dismantle complexity and align teams with corporate goals. Through collaboration with an organizational design consultant, Tom emphasizes practical steps like optimizing team structures, engaging support functions, and applying throughput accounting to facilitate a transformation focused on simplicity, efficiency, and problem-solving, inspired by insights from Taiichi Ohno on eliminating waste. [IMAGE HERE] As Scrum Master we work with change continuously! Do you have your own change framework that provides the guidance, and queues you need when working with change? The Lean Change Management framework is a fully defined, lean-startup inspired change framework that can be used as the backbone of any change process! You can buy Lean Change Management the book at Amazon. Also available in French, Spanish, German and Portuguese. About Tom Baldwin Tom is a Lean-Agile Coach & Scrum Master, who is trying to solve the problem that it has been more than 20 years since the Agile Manifesto, but Business Agility is still not the norm. Tom is currently writing “Production line for the mind: The Practicing Principle”, with the idea of making agility simple to understand & to implement – and not just for software. You can link with Tom Baldwin on LinkedIn.