In an ideal #agile world, our #scrum team would arrive at work inspired, motivated and chomping at the bit to create products and services that delighted customers and stakeholders.  

Because #agile and #scrum are such people-centric frameworks for creativity and collaboration, we sometimes imagine that it means we won't be dealing with toxic environments or working with teams where morale is low and frustration is high.  

But, we are working with people and so there are bound to be both times and circumstances where you are working with a team of individuals who are demoralised, actively looking for new jobs, and burnt out from unrealistic expectations.  

These are the areas where a #scrummaster and can make a deep impact on team morale and performance by working with the team and the organisation to create an environment where people are inspired, motivated and collaborative.  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through what motivation is and how a scrum master can help a team of individuals find their feet and build a great team environment where individuals can thrive and excel.  

John has worked on some of the highest performing #scrum teams in the world as both a scrum master and #agilecoach. He has also worked at the coalface of some of the UK and Europe's largest, most complex #agiletransformations which has provided him great insights into how to transition teams from an old management-driven style of working to more #agile and #businessagility oriented teams.  

For more information on John McFadyen, visit https://www.johnmcfadyen.com or connect with John on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcfadyen/  

If you like the idea of becoming a scrum master, visit our Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrummaster/  

If you are already a scrum master and want to upskill, visit our Advanced Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/advanced-certified-scrummaster/  

If you have several years' experience as a scrum master and want to both validate and certify your professional skills, visit our Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrum-professional-scrum-master/  

If you like the idea of mentored and coach-driven skills development, visit our Agile Coach Academy on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/agile-coach/agile-coach-academy/  

If you have identified #coaching as a valuable skill to develop, visit our on-demand Introduction to Coaching course page on https://academy.agilecentre.com/courses/introduction-to-coaching  

#agile #scrum #projectmanagement #agileprojectmanagement #scrummaster #agilecoach #motivation #inspiration #teamwork #johnmcfadyen #agilecentre #coachingteams #scrumcoach

The #scrumframework consists of five (5) scrum events. They are the #sprint, #sprintplanning, #dailyscrum, #sprintreview and #sprintretrospective.  

Each of these events plays a critical role in helping the #scrumteam create an environment where people can thrive and excel. Each of them serves a specific purpose and when leveraged correctly, can really help move the needle on high-performance.  

As a #scrummaster, each of these events are opportunities to create awareness, engagement and conversations that help the team identify opportunities to improve.  

There is always one of these events that tends to be a favourite for a scrum master or #agilecoach, and in this short video, John McFadyen walks us through his favourite scrum event - the sprint retrospective - and why it is such a powerful opportunity to help the team improve.  

John has worked on some of the highest performing #scrum teams in the world as both a scrum master and agile coach. He has also worked at the coalface of some of the UK and Europe's largest, most complex #agiletransformations so he's witnessed some truly great sprint retrospectives.  

For more information on John McFadyen, visit https://www.johnmcfadyen.com or connect with John on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcfadyen/ 

If you like the idea of becoming a scrum master, visit our Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrummaster/ 

If you are already a scrum master and want to upskill, visit our Advanced Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/advanced-certified-scrummaster/ 

If you have several years' experience as a scrum master and want to both validate and certify your professional skills, visit our Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrum-professional-scrum-master/ 

If you like the idea of mentored and coach-driven skills development, visit our Agile Coach Academy on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/agile-coach/agile-coach-academy/ 

If you have identified #coaching as a valuable skill to develop, visit our on-demand Introduction to Coaching course page on https://academy.agilecentre.com/courses/introduction-to-coaching 

#agile #scrum #agileprojectmanagement #projectmanagement #scrummaster #agilecoach #sprintretrospective #scrumevents

In traditional #projectmanagement, a #projectmanager and team will work to define the scope of the #project upfront and then plan a sequence of events or milestones to deliver the project.  

Usually, the plan is cast in stone once approved by senior management and it is up to the #projectmanager to ensure that each step happens within the predetermined deadline and within the predetermined budget.  

Given the complexity of the world that we live in, that is a big ask.  

In theory, once the project is approved by senior management, the project manager and those who are assigned work have a responsibility to deliver on that work, regardless of whether circumstances change or not.  

They could be halfway through a 5-year project and be aware that what they are building is becoming obsolete before it is even completed. They could be aware that what they are building will not actually solve the problem it was intended to solve, but that won't matter.  

Delivering against the project plan is all that matters.  In #agile, things work very differently.  

In the #agilemanifesto, the 2nd principle of #agile is 'welcome changing requirements, even late in the project' and intends to embed the importance of delivering products and services that truly delight customers.  

It embraces the concept of welcoming feedback and making sure that the #scrumteam are always building the most valuable product, in the right way, at the right time.  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through the 2nd principle in the #agilemanifesto and explains why it is so important for a #scrum team to welcome changes late in the day.  

John has worked with some of the highest performing scrum teams in the world as both a #scrummaster and an #agilecoach. He has also worked at the coalface of some of the UK and Europe's largest, most complex #agiletransformations so he's learned a thing or two about adaptive and responsive team environments.  

For more about John McFadyen, visit https://www.johnmcfadyen.com or connect with John on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcfadyen/ 

If you like the idea of becoming a scrum master, visit our Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrummaster/ 

If you are already a scrum master and want to upskill, visit our Advanced Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/advanced-certified-scrummaster/ 

If you have several years' experience as a scrum master and want to both validate and certify your professional skills, visit our Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrum-professional-scrum-master/ 

If you like the idea of mentored and coach-driven skills development, visit our Agile Coach Academy on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/agile-coach/agile-coach-academy/ 

If you have identified #coaching as a valuable skill to develop, visit our on-demand Introduction to Coaching course page on https://academy.agilecentre.com/courses/introduction-to-coaching 

#agile #scrum #projectmanagement #projectmanager #scrummaster #agilecoach #agileprinciple #agilemanifesto #johnmcfadyen #agilecentre

In the ideal #agile world, people come together under a shared purpose and inspired vision to form creative, collaborative and high-performance teams that create products and services that truly delight customers.  

From a #scrum perspective, we work continuously to create environments where people can excel, and have #scrummasters to act as the #agilecoach, #coach and #facilitator that helps form strong teams.  

But things don't always go according to plan.  

Sometimes, you find yourself in a toxic environment where there is plenty of backstabbing, blame and narcissistic behaviour. Sometimes, a team may not embrace #scrum values and principles but rather feel that they are being forced to work in a way that they don't agree with.  

How do you deal with that as a scrum master?  

How do you embrace #agile values and principles in an environment where people aren't working together, don't respect each other, and don't behave in a professional manner?  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks you through what you can do to heal a toxic environment, regardless of whether you are a scrum master or not.  

Whilst it isn't the scrum master's responsibility to fix toxic environments, it definitely could use their people skills, coaching skills and facilitation skills to start the process of rehabilitation.  

John has worked on some of the highest performing #scrumteams in the world as both a scrum master and #agilecoach. 

He has also worked at the coalface of some of the UK and Europe's largest, most complex #agiletransformations so he's worked in some pretty tough environments.  

If you like the idea of becoming a scrum master, visit our Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrummaster/ 

If you are already a scrum master and want to upskill, visit our Advanced Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/advanced-certified-scrummaster/ 

If you have several years' experience as a scrum master and want to both validate and certify your professional skills, visit our Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrum-professional-scrum-master/ 

If you like the idea of mentored and coach-driven skills development, visit our Agile Coach Academy on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/agile-coach/agile-coach-academy/ 

If you have identified #coaching as a valuable skill to develop, visit our on-demand Introduction to Coaching course page on https://academy.agilecentre.com/courses/introduction-to-coaching 

For more information on John McFadyen, visit https://www.johnmcfadyen.com or connect with John on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcfadyen/ 

#agile #scrum #projectmanagement #agileprojectmanagement #scrummaster #team #agilecoach

This is kind of a tricky question because assessing skills capabilities and actively pursuing a skills development path for the #developmentteam or #productowner is not part of the core responsibilities of a #scrummaster.  

It is, however, something which the #scrummaster can address through conversations, #sprintreviews and #sprintretrospectives if it becomes obvious that there is a skills gap in the team and the team are not consistently achieving their #sprintgoal as a result.  

The scrum master and/or #agilecoach can facilitate the conversation or initiate a discussion about skills but it is up to the development team to decide which skills are needed and how to go about acquiring those skills.  

As a scrum master, it is your responsibility to create an environment where others can thrive and excel. That does include helping to identify opportunities for growth and facilitating conversations with the necessary people around capturing those opportunities so the scrum master does straddle a line when it comes to addressing skills in the team.  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through his thoughts on how a scrum master can help identify what skills are needed in the #scrum team and how to facilitate the conversation around that opportunity.  

John has worked on some of the highest performing #scrumteams in the world as both a scrum master and #agilecoach. He has also worked at the coalface of some of the UK and Europe's largest, most complex #agiletransformations so he knows a thing or two about cultivating and nurturing high-performance skills and capabilities in team environments.  

If you like the idea of becoming a scrum master, visit our Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrummaster/ 

If you are already a scrum master and want to upskill, visit our Advanced Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/advanced-certified-scrummaster/ 

If you have several years' experience as a scrum master and want to both validate and certify your professional skills, visit our Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrum-professional-scrum-master/ 

If you like the idea of mentored and coach-driven skills development, visit our Agile Coach Academy on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/agile-coach/agile-coach-academy/ 

If you have identified #coaching as a valuable skill to develop, visit our on-demand Introduction to Coaching course on https://academy.agilecentre.com/courses/introduction-to-coaching 

For more information on John McFadyen, visit https://www.johnmcfadyen.com or connect with John on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcfadyen/ 

#agile #scrum #projectmanagement #agileprojectmanagement #scrummaster #agilecoach #skillsdevelopment #scrumteam #sprint

In the #agile world, we focus on customers and interactions over processes and tools, which has led some people to believe that #scrum doesn't value processes or metrics.  

That isn't true. Scrum is built on #empiricism and the 3 pillars of transparency, inspection and adaptation.  

Empiricism means that we work with evidence rather than guesswork. We learn as we move forward and based on what we have learned and observed to be true, we inform our decisions and actions based on what is true.  

So, metrics and measurements matter a great deal in #agile environments.  

The entire #sprintretrospective in the #scrumframework focuses exclusively on process and how the team can get better. It is the last event in the #sprint and brings the team together to assess what we anticipated would happen, what did happen, and why there was a difference between the two.  

So, process matters a great deal too. We simply value customer interactions and feedback to inform progression OVER the necessity of having tools and processes.  So, what is an increment and how do you measure its success?  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through what #scrum refers to when they use the term 'increment' and how #scrumteams measure their success in each sprint.  

John has worked with some of the highest performing scrum teams in the world as both a #scrummaster and an #agilecoach. He has also worked at the coalface of some of the UK and Europe's largest #agiletransformations so he knows a great deal about delivering products and services that truly delight customers.  

If you like the idea of becoming a scrum master, visit our Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrummaster/ 

If you are already a scrum master and want to upskill, visit our Advanced Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/advanced-certified-scrummaster/ 

If you have several years' experience as a scrum master and want to both validate and certify your professional skills, visit our Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrum-professional-scrum-master/ 

If you like the idea of mentored and coach-driven skills development, visit our Agile Coach Academy on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/agile-coach/agile-coach-academy/ 

If you have identified #coaching as a valuable skill to develop, visit our on-demand Introduction to Coaching course page on https://academy.agilecentre.com/courses/introduction-to-coaching 

For more information on John McFadyen, visit https://www.johnmcfadyen.com or connect with John on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcfadyen/ 

#agile #scrum #projectmanagement #agileprojectmanagement #sprint #sprintretrospective #increment #scrumteam #scrumframework #agilecoach #scrummaster #advancedscrummaster #certifiedscrumprofessional

In a #scrum environment, the #scrummaster works closely with the #productowner to ensure that the #developmentteam have everything they need to create products, features and services that truly delight customers.  

From a great #productbacklog to #userstories that capture how the end-user will derive value from the problem that is being solved or the product feature that is being created.  

A #scrummaster is incredibly active during the #sprint and works closely with the #scrumteam as well as other members of the organisation to help remove impediments or solve problems that the team aren't able to solve on their own.  

They also invest a great deal of time #facilitating events and #coaching individuals in the organisation to create an environment where the team can excel.  

Many people have asked what the #scrummaster actively does during the sprint and in this short video, John McFadyen explains what a scrum master will be busy with as the team work through the #sprint.  

John McFadyen has worked on some of the highest performing #scrum teams in the world as both a scrum master and #agilecoach. He has also worked at the coalface of some of the UK and Europe's largest, most complex #agiletransformations so he's got some great insights into how a scrum master operates in an #agile environment.  

If you like the idea of becoming a scrum master, visit our Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrummaster/ 

If you are already a scrum master and want to upskill, visit our Advanced Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/advanced-certified-scrummaster/ 

If you have several years' experience as a scrum master and want to both validate and certify your professional skills, visit our Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrum-professional-scrum-master/ 

If you like the idea of mentored and coach-driven skills development, visit our Agile Coach Academy on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/agile-coach/agile-coach-academy/ 

If you have identified #coaching as a valuable skill to develop, visit our on-demand Introduction to Coaching course page on https://academy.agilecentre.com/courses/introduction-to-coaching 

For more information on John McFadyen, visit https://www.johnmcfadyen.com or connect with John on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcfadyen/ 

#agile #scrum #projectmanagement #agileprojectmanagement #scrummaster #advancedscrummaster #sprint #scrumsprint #agilecoach #scrumcoach #scrumframework

Part 2 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers some of the most common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews.  

This question is designed to test whether you have experience working with teams who aren't achieving their #sprint goals on a consistent basis and whether you know how to correct that.  

Some interviewers will understand that organizational impediments stand in the way of a #scrumteam achieving their goals and are testing how you would respond to that, whilst other interviewers may genuinely be curious as to what causes to teams to underperform based on your experience.  

There are a lot of ways to answer this question and each of those answers will differ based on your own unique experience as a scrum master or agile coach.  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through the most common reasons why a #scrum team may fail to meet their commitments and why that is.  

If you are interested in becoming an agile coach and value mentored, coach-driven skills development in your journey to mastery, visit our Growing Agile Coaches page on https://www.johnmcfadyen.com/growing-agile-coaches/.  

If you like the idea of becoming a scrum master and want to achieve internationally recognised and certified accreditation as a scrum master, visit our Certified Scrum Master (CSM) course page on https://www.johnmcfadyen.com/training/certified-scrummaster/.   

If you are already a scrum master and want to upskill to a more advanced level of knowledge and agile coaching capability, visit our Advanced Certified Scrum Master (A-CSM) course page on https://www.johnmcfadyen.com/training/advanced-certified-scrummaster/.   

If you have several years’ experience as a scrum master and want to validate and certify your professional skills, visit our Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master (CSP-SM) course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrum-professional-scrum-master/.  

For more information on John McFadyen, visit https://www.johnmcfadyen.com or connect with John on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcfadyen/.   

#agile #agilecoach #agilecoaching #agileprojectmanagement #agileproductdevelopment #agility #businessagility #scrum #scrummaster #scrumtraining #scrumcertification #scrumalliance #agilecentre #johnmcfadyen #coach #coaching #certifiedscrummaster

Over the past one hundred years, organisations have mostly followed the management and leadership style of early pioneers like Frederick Winslow Taylor.  

The philosophy was that managers are smart and valuable to the organisation whilst workers simply needed to follow instructions and were easily replaceable.  

In this style of working, a senior manager made all the decisions, assigned work to designated workers, and then placed supervisors above those workers to ensure compliance, diligence, and obedience.  

Waterfall style project management follows this same pattern. A #projectdirector or #projectmanager does all the thinking and research around a project, defines a scope, assigns a budget and deadline, and then assigns work to various people.  

The project manager then 'drives' the #project and frequently 'pushes' those who have been assigned work to complete their tasks within the specific period allocated and within the budget specified.  

This process rinses and repeats throughout the project phases until the project is 'completed' and everyone has done the work they were assigned to do.  

If the project is a success, the project manager gets a pat on the back. If the project fails, the project manager takes a bullet.  As you can imagine, the stakes are super high and project managers operate under great pressure and stress.  

So why is Scrum different? Why don't #agile environments require a single person to head up the product development process and assign work, tell people how to do the work, and then 'drive' them, daily, to do the work?  

In complex environments where we are creating a product, feature or service for the first time or solving a problem that has never been solved before, things work a lot differently.  

In this short video, John McFadyen discusses why there is no project manager in #scrum and touches on how #projectmanagement is different to #agile and #scrum #productdevelopment.  

John has worked on some of the highest performing #scrumteams in the world as both a #scrummaster and #agilecoach. He has also worked at the coalface of some of the UK and Europe's largest, most complex #agiletransformations so he's worked with both project directors and #agileleaders in high stakes environments.  

If you like the idea of becoming a scrum master, visit our Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrummaster/  

If you are already a scrum master and want to upskill, visit our Advanced Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/advanced-certified-scrummaster/  

If you have several years' experience as a scrum master and want to both validate and certify your professional skills, visit our Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrum-professional-scrum-master/  

If you like the idea of mentored and coach-driven skills development, visit our Agile Coach Academy on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/agile-coach/agile-coach-academy/  

If you have identified #coaching as a valuable skill to develop, visit our on-demand Introduction to coaching course page on https://academy.agilecentre.com/courses/introduction-to-coaching  

For more information on John McFadyen, visit https://www.johnmcfadyen.com or connect with John on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcfadyen/  

#agile #scrum #projectmanagement #projectmanager #scrummaster #agilecoach #scrumframework #certifiedscrummaster #csm #acsm #advancedcertifiedscrummaster #projects #productdevelopment

#agile and #scrum values and principles primarily focus on how to create environments where people can thrive and excel.  

The philosophy and style of work is incredibly people centric, from the customer through to the #productowner and #developmentteam. As a #scrummaster, you are working with people all day, every day.  

You aren't just working with people, a scrum master and #agilecoach is focused on how to create high-performing teams that create products and services that truly delight customers.  

Helping individuals on #scrumteams develop better and deeper relationships that enable #psychologicalsafety and empower the team to have the kind of conversations that lead to meritocracy.  

In other words, an environment where the best ideas, concepts and recommendations are decided based on the merit of those elements.  

So, how do you pull this off as a scrum master? What soft skills do you need to succeed in the role?  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through some of the most important soft skills a scrum master needs to be effective in a scrum and team environment.  

John has worked on some of the highest-performing scrum teams in the world as both a scrum master and #agilecoach. He has also worked at the coalface of some of the UK and Europe's largest, most complex #agiletransformations so he knows a thing or two about working with a wide and diverse group of people.  

If you like the idea of becoming a scrum master, visit our Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrummaster/ 

If you are already a scrum master and want to upskill, visit our Advanced Certified Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/advanced-certified-scrummaster/ 

If you have several years' experience as a scrum master and want to both validate and certify your professional skills, visit our Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master course page on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/scrum-master/certified-scrum-professional-scrum-master/ 

If you like the idea of mentored and coach-driven skills development, visit our Agile Coach Academy on https://www.agilecentre.com/courses/agile-coach/agile-coach-academy/ 

If you have identified coaching as a valuable skill to develop, visit our on-demand Introduction to Coaching course page on https://academy.agilecentre.com/courses/introduction-to-coaching 

For more information on John McFadyen, visit https://www.johnmcfadyen.com or connect with John on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcfadyen/ 

#agile #scrum #projectmanagement #agileprojectmanagement #productdevelopment #scrummaster #softskills #advancedscrummaster #scrumprofessional #team #scrumteam #agilecoach #coach