Video #7 of the Agile for Humans FREE Evidence-Based Management (EBM) course.
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7: Evidence-Based Management - Strategic Goals

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The video is part of a series in which hosts Todd Miller, and Ryan Ripley discuss common myths or facts about Scrum, encouraging viewers to participate by commenting on their opinions before watching the response.


Scrum Myth or Fact #1 - The Scrum Master is responsible for the personal growth of the developers

Lavaneesh Gautam, a professional scrum trainer, shares his journey to becoming a Scrum Master on the "Becoming a Scrum Master" podcast with host Ryan Ripley.

Gautam first encountered Scrum while working as a developer/business analyst in a fintech company in 2011. He appreciated its transparency and visual management, which motivated him to become a Scrum Master in 2014.

His interest in Scrum was sparked by the limitations he observed in the waterfall method, particularly its command-and-control culture, which diminished job satisfaction.

Gautam highlights a pivotal experience in an automotive company where a project failure due to a lack of agile methodology made him realize the importance of iterative and incremental work and understanding the underlying needs behind requirements.

He advises aspiring Scrum Masters to continually learn and explore beyond formal training, emphasizing the importance of mindset, experimentation, and understanding broader aspects of product management and team dynamics.



Lavaneesh Gautam's Journey to Scrum Mastery | Expert Insights & Tips

Ryan and Todd look back at a 2006 post by Ken Schwaber, which covers 15 ways Scrum is both hard and disruptive.

The thirteenth statement from Ken:

"Self-managing teams are extremely productive. When they work closely with the customer to derive the best solution to a need, they and the customer are even more productive."

Self-Managing Teams' Productivity: The episode emphasizes that self-managing teams are highly productive, especially when they work closely with customers to find the best solutions. This collaboration enhances productivity for both the team and the customer.

Autonomy and Team Ownership: The discussion highlights the benefits of autonomy in team settings. Teams that own their work without constant oversight tend to produce higher-quality results. This autonomy is linked to increased productivity and satisfaction.

Resistance to Coercion in Workplaces: Current trends show resistance to coercive work environments, where employees are forced into specific work arrangements. Organizations enforcing strict mandates often face challenges like talent loss, emphasizing the need for trusting professional teams to self-organize and manage their work.

Customer Inclusion and Empathy: It is vital to include customers in the development process. Direct interaction between teams and customers fosters empathy and a deeper understanding of real customer needs, leading to more effective solutions.

Skill Development for Teamwork: The episode underscores the importance of developing teamwork skills. Teams need to learn how to self-manage effectively. While this isn't an inherent skill for everyone, with the right coaching and environment, teams can achieve high levels of productivity and impact.



Scrum is Hard and Disruptive 13 - Self-Managing Teams Rock

Coming from a development background, John Riley first encountered scrum around 2004, initially attracted to it due to its focus on agility and better project outcomes. Despite an early failure in an agile transformation attempt due to limited understanding and lack of support, he remained interested in Scrum.

Shift to Scrum Master Role: Riley's profound engagement with Scrum began in 2010 while working on a banking application. Impressed by the effectiveness of a scrum environment and inspired by the scrum master of his team, he decided to pursue the scrum master role himself, taking over after the departure of the original scrum master.

Eureka Moment and Evolution in Approach: Riley's approach to scrum evolved significantly after a candid conversation with team members who felt he was too rigid in his methods. This led to his realization that scrum is a flexible framework rather than a strict set of rules, prompting him to adopt a more observational and indirect coaching style.

Advice for Aspiring Scrum Masters: He emphasizes the importance of finding a mentor for guidance and challenges, advocating for a mindset open to learning and adapting. Riley also suggests pairing up with someone experienced to better understand the agile and scrum mindsets.

Book Recommendation and Conclusion: Riley recommends "Drive" by Daniel Pink as a crucial read for scrum masters, highlighting its insights into leadership and motivation. He underscores the importance of intrinsic motivation in the scrum master role.
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John Riley's Journey to Scrum Mastery | Expert Insights & Tips

Todd Miller, Will Seele, and Ryan Ripley discuss Agile's internal (organizational) focus and the gap left by not addressing the Value component of Product Management and delivery.

In this Episode:

Internal Focus of Agile: The discussion, led by Todd Miller and Ryan Ripley, challenges the common perception of Agile as customer-centric and value-oriented, proposing instead that Agile is predominantly focused on internal processes and organizational matters rather than directly benefiting customers.

Agile Manifesto Analysis: The Agile Manifesto and its principles, when examined, emphasize team interactions, working software, and adapting to change but lack explicit directives that prioritize customer value or tangible benefits for the customer.

Evolution and Additions to Agile: Over time, various frameworks like Scrum, XP, Kanban, and others have evolved under the umbrella of Agile, incorporating aspects like customer centricity and iterative development. However, these are seen as additions to the core Agile philosophy, which remains internally focused.

Evidence-Based Management Connection: The conversation transitions to evidence-based management and its potential integration with Agile. This approach aims to complement Agile by introducing a more outward, value-driven focus, assessing Agile’s impact on customers and market performance.

Insufficiency of Agile Alone: The presenters conclude that while Agile methodologies are crucial, they are insufficient to ensure organizational success. They stress the need to balance Agile's internal process focus and external value delivery, advocating for a continuous evaluation of Agile's effectiveness and alignment with strategic goals.

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7: Evidence-Based Management - Strategic Goals

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