Bernard Agrest: Creating Conditions for Healthy Conflict and Continuous Improvement in Agile Teams

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.

Bernard believes successful Scrum Masters focus on creating conditions where tension and healthy conflict can emerge naturally, rather than maintaining artificial harmony. Too many organizations remain stuck in fear-based cultures where people avoid raising important issues. For Bernard, success means ensuring people regularly surface problems and engage meaningfully with each other—it's not enough to simply monitor green dashboards. He emphasizes that real leadership involves focusing on creating conditions for teams to discuss what truly matters, moving beyond surface-level metrics to foster genuine dialogue and continuous improvement.

Self-reflection Question: Are the people on your teams regularly raising issues, or are you relying too heavily on dashboard metrics to gauge team health?

Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: 4L's

The 4L's retrospective format is simple yet powerful, examining what the team Liked, Learned, Lacked, and Longed for. Bernard particularly values the "Longed for" category because it asks people to connect the dots between how they felt and how they performed. In one memorable session, using 4L's helped his team understand what they were missing in their regular sync work, leading them to change how they conducted meetings to better support upcoming deliveries. This retrospective format had long-term organizational impact, helping teams realize gaps in their collaborative processes and make meaningful improvements to their working relationships.

[The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn’t just about innovation—it’s about coaching!🔥

Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she’s caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn’t just about the product—it’s about the people.

🚨 Will Angela’s coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue.

Buy Now on Amazon

[The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

About Bernard Agrest

Bernard currently leads a major software implementation at University of Wisconsin—Madison Medical School, serving over 10,000 employees. Previously, he built a PMO and led Data and Learning at Teach For America. His journey began redesigning operations for a Veteran Service Organization, where he co-led national initiatives and launched a new alumni program.

You can link with Bernard Agrest on LinkedIn.