In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Omar Ahmed, a Scrum Master from the UK, shares his inspiring journey from a mechanical engineering background to becoming a Scrum Master. Starting in a defense company with a waterfall-driven culture, Omar recounts how a pivotal encounter during a continuous improvement course introduced him to Scrum.

Omar dives into the challenges of transitioning to agile practices, emphasizing the critical roles of team empowerment, psychological safety, and staying true to personal values. He reflects on balancing career aspirations with serving his team and offers valuable advice for new Scrum Masters, including the importance of resilience, networking, and leading organizational change.

Omar also discusses his current role in a defense and aerospace organization undergoing a top-down agile transformation, showcasing the impact of strong leadership support. Tune in for insights, lessons, and encouragement for navigating the rewarding path of a Scrum Master.

In this episode of Scrum Master Real Talk, host Dave West chats with Jim Sparks, a Scrum Master from Dayton, Ohio, about his accidental journey into agility. Jim shares how he discovered a passion for servant leadership, the evolution of his role toward delivery accountability, and how he tackles challenges like leading without authority and overcoming resistance to Scrum—especially in government and cybersecurity contexts.

Jim’s advice for Scrum Masters is simple yet profound: never stop learning, build strong networks, and approach the accountability with humility and fun. Tune in to hear Jim’s inspiring story, actionable tips, and insights on balancing servant leadership with delivery focus.

Patricia Kong is back to flip the script and interview Dave about Product Definition, answering remaining questions from his webinar on the topic a few weeks ago. 
Dave covers:

• Challenges in Moving to a Product Organization
• Impact of Digital Products and Organizational Complexity
• Transitioning to a Product Model
• Core vs. Context in Product Portfolio
• Role of AI in Product Development

Tune in for great insights!

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Andreas Whitla, a Scrum Master from Germany, shares his inspiring journey from transforming an economically troubled hospital with Agile principles to working with diverse organizations across the globe.

Andreas reflects on key lessons for Scrum Masters, including:

• Balancing learning with delivery to foster team growth.
• Navigating cultural differences and managing conflicts effectively.
• Leveraging tools from unexpected fields, like couples therapy, to enhance team dynamics.

He also offers actionable advice for new Scrum Masters, emphasizing the importance of self-knowledge, recognizing team strengths, and creating a personal backlog for continuous improvement.

Tune in for an engaging conversation on the creative and impactful aspects of Scrum Mastery!

In der Scrum.org „Ask A Professional Scrum Trainer“-Serie bietet sich die Möglichkeit, unmittelbar in einer Live-Session mit einem Professional Scrum Trainer (PST) in Kontakt zu treten. Dort bekommst du die drängendsten Fragen zu deinen Herausforderungen und Situationen, mit denen dein Scrum Team konfrontiert ist, beantwortet.

Solltest du also dringende Fragen zu Scrum haben, dann ist diese Session für dich!  

Triff PST Gregor Stuhldreier zu einer deutschen Ausgabe von “Ask a PST”. 

In this episode - we kick off a new series - Scrum Master Real Talk, where Dave interviews Scrum Masters in the field sharing what they really do!

In this episode Yannick van der Wende, a Scrum Master from the Netherlands working at Team Rockstars IT, shares his journey from a Microsoft.NET developer to a Scrum Master, highlighting his experiences at various organizations. He discusses the challenges of transitioning to a Scrum Master role, including managing dependencies in data teams at Ascent Energy and fostering psychological safety. 

Yannick emphasizes the importance of understanding team dynamics, leveraging ADHD for quick problem-solving, and creating a neurodiverse environment. He advises new Scrum Masters to build psychological safety, understand team goals, and maintain transparency. Yannick also stressed the need for Scrum Masters to adapt to evolving team needs and leverage diverse perspectives for innovative solutions.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Jay Rahman and Darrell Fernandes join host Dave West to explore the integration of AI—specifically, Large Language Models (LLMs)—within Scrum Teams. Jay cautions against focusing solely on AI technology without factoring in the human element, underscoring the ongoing need for critical roles like Product Owners and Scrum Masters. Darrell highlights AI's potential to disrupt and accelerate but stresses the need for a structured approach that aligns with Agile values. Together, they discuss AI's impact on team dynamics, product ownership, and the holistic approach required—mission, management, and mechanics—to drive successful AI adoption.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Mik Kersten, CTO at Planview, returns to chat with Dave about the movement from project-centric to product-driven models, reflecting on the recent Project to Product event where they both spoke. 

Together, they explore how pragmatic organizations are embracing product operating models, underscoring the need for executive sponsorship, business alignment, and visibility into flow metrics. Kersten shares valuable lessons from Vanguard’s success, the challenges of technical debt, and the importance of infrastructure for sustained transformation. 

Tune in to learn why Mik and Dave are optimistic about the future of product-based models, especially with agile and DevOps practices setting the foundation for success.

In this unique episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Patricia Kong and PSTs Ryan Ripley, Todd Miller and Will Seele discuss the application of the Evidence-Based Management (EBM) framework to career management. They highlight that intentional career management can improve retention rates by 30-50% and that 94% of employees would stay longer at a company investing in their career development. They share personal experiences with using EBM tools like empathy mapping and a career canvas to align career aspirations with organizational goals. They emphasize the importance of co-creation and non-surprising data presentations to foster productive conversations. The conversation also touches on the relevance of EBM for independent consultants and small business owners.

In this Ask a PST session, Agile Director, Executive Coach and Professional Scrum Trainer Jay Rahman answers listener questions and offers advice about their Scrum challenges and obstacles. Jay offers strategies for avoiding and recovering from product delivery failures. Jay emphasized the importance of alignment across leadership, management, and teams, and the need for business and technology to work together. He highlights the critical role of Retrospectives in identifying and addressing issues, and the necessity of senior leadership's accountability. Jay also stresses the importance of Product Owners being fully engaged and available, and the value of using OKRs to foster a culture of accountability. He shares practical examples, such as cross-skilling teams to reduce dependencies and leveraging stakeholder metrics to prioritize requirements. Tune in for a thought provoking session!