Global Agile Summit Preview: Mastering Your Own Career Success as a Scrum Master with Fred Deichler

In this BONUS Global Agile Summit preview episode, we explore the journey of Fred Deichler, a technology leader and the host of the product track at the Global Agile Summit (GAS). Fred shares his insights on what makes Scrum Masters successful in their roles and as individuals. Through his personal story and practical advice, Fred offers valuable lessons on continuous learning, community involvement, and self-reflection—three key elements that have contributed to his remarkable career journey.

The Journey to Mastering Your Own Success

"I didn't think I was different from anyone else. For me it was a long process, but for others it looked like too fast."

Fred's journey of self-discovery began when someone asked him a simple yet profound question: "How did you achieve so much so fast?" This question prompted him to reflect on his career path and the factors that contributed to his success. Fred shares how this moment of introspection led him to identify the key elements that have shaped his career trajectory and personal growth, offering valuable insights for Scrum Masters looking to master their own success.

The Power of Continued Education

"Early in my career, I thought that my manager was there to tell me what to learn. As a manager I can inspire people, but I can't tell you what to learn."

Fred emphasizes the importance of taking ownership of your learning journey. He discusses how his perception of education evolved throughout his career, moving from a passive approach to an active pursuit of knowledge. Fred highlights the significance of understanding your learning style, referencing the VARK learning model, and embraces the idea that it's okay to be different from others in how you absorb and process information. This section provides Scrum Masters with valuable insights on how to approach continuous education for personal and professional growth.

Leveraging Community Involvement

"Take those ideas that you learned and flesh them out with other people."

Community involvement emerges as a crucial element in Fred's success formula. He shares how engaging with others helped him refine his ideas and gain new perspectives. Fred encourages Scrum Masters to:

• Take action and discuss ideas with others

• Participate in conferences as valuable learning opportunities

• Develop strong opinions that are loosely held

• Use community interactions to develop and refine ideas

Through these practices, Fred illustrates how community engagement can accelerate growth and provide a supportive environment for professional development.

The Value of Self-Reflection

"End of the week: how do I know if I did a great job?"

Self-reflection stands as the third pillar in Fred's success framework. He emphasizes the importance of regular introspection to evaluate progress and identify areas for improvement. Fred shares practical approaches to reflection:

• Questioning if conversations went as expected

• Establishing a regular reflection practice

• Finding a mentor or friend to reflect with

• Participating in lean coffee meetups for structured discussions

These reflection practices have enabled Fred to continuously assess his performance and make adjustments to improve his effectiveness as a professional and as a person.

From Aspiration to Achievement: The 6-in-30 Story

"I was listening to the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast, and I decided ‘I'm going to be on that show one day!’"

Fred shares his inspiring "6 in 30" story—a powerful testament to setting goals and working toward them. He recounts how, six years ago, while sitting in his car between jobs, he made a commitment to himself that would shape his future. Fast forward 30 months, and Fred applied to speak at the Agile Online Summit, transforming his aspiration into achievement. This personal anecdote illustrates the power of setting clear intentions and taking deliberate steps toward realizing them.

In this segment, we refer to the different learning styles: VARK, Visual, Auditive, Reading/writing, Kinesthetic.

Building Your Professional Network

When asked about essential resources for Scrum Masters, Fred immediately points to LinkedIn as a valuable platform for professional networking and knowledge sharing. He emphasizes how building and leveraging professional connections can open doors to opportunities and provide access to a wealth of insights from industry experts.

About Fred Deichler

For over two decades, Fred has been a technology leader, who has been intuitively following the Scrum values and Agile principles even before discovering them. He has successfully led multiple teams on their Agile journeys, emphasizing the importance of a harmonious balance between people, processes, and tools, and continuously striving for improvement. For Fred, personal growth is as crucial as professional development.

You can link with Fred Deichler on LinkedIn.