Sónia Won: From Guide to Coach, How to Nurture Team Autonomy as a 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, Sónia discusses success as a Scrum Master, emphasizing the goal of becoming unnecessary for the team. Similar to parenting, the Scrum Master's role evolves over the team's life cycle. Initially, the Scrum Master guides the team, but over time, the stance changes to that of a mentor and coach. Sónia looks for signs of team autonomy, such as not depending on the Scrum Master for daily activities or resolving impediments. Adapting to the team's growth is crucial for the Scrum Master's effectiveness. The ultimate measure of success is when the team can function independently and no longer relies heavily on the Scrum Master's interventions.

Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: The 4 L’s retrospective

Sónia's favorite retrospective format is the 4 L's: Learned, Lacked, Liked, and Longed for. This format helps teams consider four important aspects often overlooked in retrospectives, especially the "learned" part. It encourages a more nuanced understanding of positive outcomes and avoids binary thinking. By reflecting on what they learned, lacked, liked, and longed for, the team gains valuable insights and can set mid-term development goals for continuous improvement.

 

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About Sónia Won

Sónia is an experienced professional with 17 years in Software Engineering. She has held roles as a Software Engineer, Scrum Master, and Agile Coach for a decade. Currently, as a Product Owner, she values teamwork and recognizes the significance of prioritizing people in any endeavor.

The big lesson she's learned so far: no matter how complex a subject can be, the most important thing is to take care of people. Because teams, companies, and communities are made of those!

You can link with Sónia Won on LinkedIn and connect with Sónia Won on Twitter.