Growing Scrum Masters

As a #scrummaster or #agilecoach, a great deal of your work requires you to actively #coach both individuals and teams.  

You're looking to help the team, as well as the individual, achieve clarity around what good looks like, what needs doing, and how they can best go about achieving their goals.  

Sometimes you're facilitating conversations at the team level and at other times, it is a one-on-one discussion with the individual.  

Your goal is to help create an environment where the #scrumteam can excel, but how do you do prioritise individual coaching versus team coaching?  

How do you know where your time and effort investment is going to deliver the highest returns on investment for both you and the team you serve?  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through his thinking around how an #agilecoach prioritises #agilecoaching the individual versus the team.  

John McFadyen 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 knows about #coaching teams and individuals to achieve high performance.  

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 #agilecoach #agilecoaching #scrummaster #agileprojectmanagement #agileproductdevelopment #scrumcoach #teamcoaching #individualcoaching

As a #scrummaster, you act as an #agilecoach for the team by facilitating conversations and events, and actively #coaching the #scrumteam through #scrum.  

You are helping the team create an environment where each person can excel, technically, professionally and personally. It is your role to help people clarify their thinking and identify how best they can contribute to the team and the creation of a product or service that delights customers.  

You aren't personally involved in the product delivery at all, it is more a case of being behind the scenes and working with the team, as well as with key stakeholders in the organisation, to create an environment for the team to thrive.  

There are many ways that you can trip and fall, and many hard lessons that need to be learned and earned along the way.  

In this short video, we asked John what the toughest lesson he learned as an  agile coach was and his answer is pretty surprising.  

John McFadyen has worked on some of the highest performing scrum teams in the world as both a #scrummaster 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 learned a lesson or two along the way.  

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 #agilecoach #scrummaster

In an ideal #agile world, people understand the value of teamwork and actively work together to ensure that both individuals and teams are getting better through a solid commitment to continuous improvement.  

The #agilemanifesto outlines a set of values and principles, as does the #scrum guide, to help people get the most out of the #scrumframework or whatever #agileframework they are using.  

#agile is built on the foundation of people doing great work for other people, in environments that empower individuals to thrive and contribute.  

But, it doesn't always work that way.  

Because we are working with people, things are a lot more complex. The 'state of Agile' report surveys thousands of people around the world to ascertain where they are on the engagement and satisfaction scale.  

Consistently, 13% to 15% are 'actively disengaged'. This means that they aren't simply dissatisfied, they are actively working against the team and the organisation. You could go as far as to say that they are actively sabotaging efforts and team initiatives because they are so unhappy.  

Think about that.  

Disengaged means that they aren't contributing nor do they feel like their time, effort and contribution matter. They aren't giving their best but they aren't getting in the way either.  

You can deal with that.  But how do you deal with an individual that is actively sabotaging your efforts and the team's efforts? How do you, as a #scrummaster or #agilecoach work with someone that is working against you?  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through how you can deal with sabotage from an individual in the #scrumteam.  

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 worked with people that have dug their heels in and resisted any kind of transformation or progression.  

For more 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 #productdevelopment #scrumteam #scrumcoach #agilecoach #scrummaster #teamwork #agileprinciples #agilevalues

#agile values and principles are built on the concept that people are incredibly value. More valuable than processes and tools. Be it a customer, a developer or people in the organisation outside of the #scrumteam, the emphasis is always on creating environments where people can excel and unleash their full potential.  

As a #scrummaster, your role is incredibly people-centric. From designing and facilitating #scrumevents like #sprintretrospectives and #sprintreviews to #coaching the team, you're going to be focused on helping your team in every area of their personal and professional development.  

Communication plays a vital role in getting your message across and helping others to communicate their vision, wants, needs, and ambitions. You simply need to be a great communicator to succeed as a scrum master or #agilecoach.  

We could spend years discussing communication and all of the elements that are necessary to improve your communication, but we decided to focus on just one tip for this video.  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through one of the most valuable communication tips for a scrum master and why it is so important.  

John has worked on some of the most high performing #scrum teams in the world as both a scrum master and #agilecoach. He has also worked on some of the UK and Europe's largest, most complex #agiletransformations so he's learned a thing or two about effective communication.  

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 #scrummaster #agilecoach #projectmanagement #agileprojectmanagement #communication #teamcommunication #coaching

As a #scrummaster, you are often working with people outside of the #scrumteam to create an environment where your team can excel.  

Sometimes, that's Human Resources to develop policies and contracts that help your team and at other times, you're working with senior leaders to help remove impediments that are blocking your team.  

As with any organisation, you often must create a report or proposal that outlines your idea or position, and actively pitches what the new solution might look and feel like.  

So, what do you do if senior leadership are not buying into your proposals? What do you do if you can't seem to get your ideas and proposals to land with the people who have the most power and authority to make those ideas a reality?  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through what you, as a #scrummaster or #agilecoach, can do if you are finding that your proposals are not being received or acted upon.  

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 #agiletransformation so he knows all about pitching senior leadership teams and helping his team move through organisational impediments.  

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 #productdevelopment #scrummaster #agilecoach #pitchingideas #scrumteam

Congratulations, you've been given the green light to run a pilot project with #scrum to test how the adoption of #agile frameworks can improve your product development.  

There's a lot at stake with these kinds of initiatives and as a #scrummaster, you have a lot invested in making the trial a success.  

So, what do you do? How do you ensure that the #scrum adoption is a success and opens the door for #scaling scrum across the organisation?  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through why you need to think about what your control for this adoption is going to be and why it is important that you run the trial project correctly.  

Neglecting to ensure that the pilot project overcomes obstacles organically and sets the tone for future adoptions is setting future projects up to fail and can backfire on your best intentions.  

John McFadyen has worked on 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 most progressive, complex #agiletransformations in the UK and Europe so he's learned a thing or two about adopting #scrum in complex environments.  

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 on https://academy.agilecentre.com/courses/introduction-to-coaching 

#agile #scrum #agileprojectmanagement #projectmanagement #productdevelopment #scrummaster #scrumpilot #scrumproject #agilecoach #coach

Part 18 in our #agilecoach #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of a #scrummaster or #agilecoach in an interview.  

What is a spike?  

The concept comes from the restaurant industry where food orders are placed on a spike for review and assessment at the end of the shift. It tells the chef and restaurant owners which orders were delivered throughout the shift and provides insight into the kitchen's performance for the evening.  

In the world of #softwaredevelopment this concept of a spike with items attached to it has been amended to fit the challenges of #productdevelopment.  In this short video, John McFadyen explains what a 'spike' is in #agile environments, how it came about, and how it is relevant to #softwareengineer and #softwaredeveloper teams.  

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

Part 17 in our #agilecoach #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen provides answers to common questions asked of an #agilecoach or #scrummaster in an interview.  

#scrum is an #agileframework that is intentionally open-ended and flexible to allow for experimentation, evolution and progression.  

It provides a framework for #productdevelopment and solving complex problems but doesn't tell you exactly what to do and when to do it, like waterfall-style #projectmanagement frameworks.  

It gives teams a great starting point and contains the bare minimum necessary for a team to get going and make improvements with each #iteration. Slowly, over time, the #scrumteam learn what works for them, what needs work and what they can do to become more effective.  

Sometimes, weird elements creep into the mix and although it isn't a part of the #scrumframework, people will conjure up new ideas and concepts to help the team move forward. Some are effective, some aren't. Sprint 0 is a prime example of something that isn't effective nor worth investing in.  

In this short video, John McFadyen explains what Sprint 0 means and why he isn't a fan of the concept.  

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

Part 16 in our #agilecoach #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of a #scrummaster or #agilecoach in an interview.  

#scrum is a flexible framework for #productdevelopment that consists of three (3) roles. A #scrummaster, a #productowner and #developers.  

The #agile framework consists of artefacts and events that are designed to help a #scrumteam navigate the complexity of product development and to solve complex problems.  

For some teams, that works great, for other teams, they may find that they want to experiment to find the style of working and framework that best works for their unique application.  

#kanban is a popular option for people because it is provides a great way of visualising work. It also allows people to see exactly where the team are, at any given moment, and know what items are prioritised for the team to tackle next.  

Kanban is an incredibly powerful and popular methodology for approaching complex product development and has many people who swear by it's effectiveness. As such, teams may want to experiment and will alternate between #scrum and #kanban until they find the right balance.  

For some teams, that falls somewhere in the middle of scrum and kanban, hence the name #scrumban, and provides the team with a great way to move forward, especially if they have been stuck in quicksand for a while.  

In this short video, John McFadyen explains what Scrumban is and why it is a popular option for teams.  

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

Part 14 in our #agilecoach #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common interview questions for a #scrummaster and #agilecoach.  

This is a great interview question because it gives you an opportunity to discuss how you would approach each of these 2 key elements. There is a fairly significant difference between #coaching and #mentoring people and your answer provides insight into how you would decide which of these two options is appropriate and why.  

As an #agile coach or scrum master, you will alternate between teaching, facilitating, coaching and mentoring a great deal. You will be working with people within the #scrumteam but also people within the organisation who aren't familiar with #scrum or #agile at all.  

Both groups require coaching, mentoring and teaching.  

In this short video, John McFadyen walks you through the difference between coaching and mentoring, and provides insights into why and how they are different.  

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