Andrew Mitchell: From Facilitator to Empowerer, The Journey of an Effective Scrum Master

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, Andrew shares that success is achieved when the Scrum Master can gradually step back and allow the team to navigate Agile events independently. This includes team members reminding each other of Agile values, active participation without the Scrum Master's constant input, and the ability to carry out refinement meetings and handle customer interactions without heavy reliance on the Scrum Master. Avoiding unhealthy conflicts and not making decisions on behalf of the team are key aspects. Conducting team happiness surveys is recommended to gauge team dynamics. Overall, a successful Scrum Master empowers the team and fosters autonomous decision-making.

Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Survey the team to create insights ahead of the retrospective and tailor the retrospective for what the team needs

In this segment, Andrew discusses his favorite retrospective format, which is always “the one that works best for the team” at that time. He shares that a colleague started surveying the team by asking a few questions. The survey is conducted two days before the end of the sprint, allowing team members to think about their answers in advance. This approach generates great conversations during the retrospective and helps facilitate meaningful discussions. Andrew emphasizes that this format leads to valuable exchanges and contributes to the overall effectiveness of the retrospective.

 

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About Andrew Mitchell

Andrew prioritizes people when building products, aiming for happy and engaged employees who create great products and serve customers well. He emphasizes trust, psychological safety, servant leadership, and believes Scrum is the best framework to achieve these goals.

He was also a host of the Product Owner Summit 2023, where we collaborated.

You can link with Andrew Mitchell on LinkedIn.