Transparency is a core pillar of Scrum—but what happens when the environment punishes openness? In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Professional Scrum Trainer David Spinks joins host Dave West to explore the complexities of transparency in unhealthy organizational cultures. David shares why pushing for full transparency too quickly can backfire, and offers a pragmatic, context-driven approach to building trust and psychological safety over time.

Listeners will walk away with strategies for adapting transparency to different environments, balancing openness with privacy, and becoming an effective change agent—especially in teams that aren’t quite ready for radical transparency.

This discussion is inspired by a recent blog by David Spinks. Read it here. 

In this "Value Delivered" episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, host Dave West and PST Jay Rahman, Founder of Fractal Systems discuss how agile principles helped a large investment bank turn a struggling multi-million dollar project into a success. By applying Scrum at multiple levels, the organization improved leadership alignment, enhanced collaboration, and reduced risks tremendously—ultimately accelerating delivery and achieving better outcomes. Listen in to discover how Scrum can create transparency, alignment, and value at scale.

In this Ask a PST episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, guest host Lindsay Velecina is joined by Professional Scrum Trainer Dominik Maximini to answer listener questions about forecasting and release planning. Dominik shares practical insights on estimation, using burn-down charts, managing dependencies with joint roadmaps, and aligning with stakeholder expectations. He explains why normalizing velocity across teams can be counterproductive and stresses the importance of a clear Definition of Done when planning releases. Tune in for actionable advice rooted in experience, pragmatism, and common sense.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, host Dave West and Brendan Mcsheffrey, Managing Partner at Kendall AI explore the Kendall Framework—a method for training AI using principles from lean, agile, and design thinking. They discuss how clear problem definition and context blocks like roles, capabilities, and processes dramatically improve AI accuracy. Learn how Scrum Teams can get better results from AI and make this powerful technology more accessible to everyone.

In this "Value Delivered" episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Dave West speaks with Andre Bohn of ambarics and Professional Scrum Trainer Alex Hardt about how combining Professional Scrum and Kanban helped ambarics streamline ERP software support. Learn how greater transparency, limiting work in progress, and visualizing work item age enabled the team to better manage unplanned work, reduce escalations, and increase customer satisfaction.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Patricia Kong talks with Professional Scrum Trainer Joanna Plaskonka about why psychological safety is critical for effective Scrum Teams. Joanna explains how it fuels openness, innovation, and accountability—while its absence leads to poor collaboration, low morale, and missed opportunities. Through real-world examples, she dispels common myths and shares how leaders can foster a culture where teams feel safe to take risks, challenge ideas, and grow. This conversation highlights that psychological safety isn’t a “nice-to-have”—it’s essential for delivering real value.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast – Value Delivered Series, host Dave West is joined by Carmit Ophir, Senior Director at StoreDot, and Professional Scrum Trainer Michal Epstein to explore how StoreDot leveraged Professional Scrum to tackle the complex challenges of developing ultra-fast-charging batteries for electric vehicles.

Faced with low collaboration and siloed teams of chemists, engineers, and system experts, StoreDot turned to Scrum to foster transparency, cross-functional teamwork, and faster feedback loops. The results? Accelerated innovation, milestones delivered ahead of schedule, and a cultural shift driven by leadership support and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Whether you’re navigating R&D in a highly technical space or looking to drive transformation in your organization, this conversation is full of insights and practical advice.

 Key Takeaways:

• Why R&D teams can embrace agility
  
  
• The importance of leadership support in Scrum adoption
  
  
• How a culture of feedback and experimentation accelerates value delivery
  
  

 Tune in to hear how StoreDot is literally charging ahead with Scrum.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, guest host Lindsay Velecina welcomes Professional Scrum Trainer Simon Reindl to answer listener questions from his recent webinar, “How do the Scrum Accountabilities Work at Scale – Practical Steps for Delivery.”

Drawing on years of hands-on experience, Simon breaks down Scaled Scrum and portfolio management, explores how many Scrum Masters you really need, and offers guidance on applying frameworks like Nexus, Scrum at Scale, and even SAFe with intention—not dogma.

From structuring teams to improving flow and making value measurable, Simon shares practical insights to help organizations scale Scrum without losing sight of what really matters: delivering value through empowered teams and continuous learning.

Key Topics:

• Scaled Scrum and Portfolio Management
• How many Scrum Masters? It depends.
• Value Stream Mapping to uncover flow and bottlenecks
• Using metrics that matter (hint: it’s not velocity)
• The art of being a persistent (and sometimes annoying) Scrum Master

Whether you're scaling up or just getting started, this conversation will help you do it with clarity and purpose.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, guest host Lindsay Velecina is joined by Professional Scrum Trainer Joanna Plaskonka to answer lingering questions from her recent webinar on psychological safety in Scrum Teams. Joanna shares practical insights on measuring psychological safety using Amy Edmondson’s model, handling micromanagement, and fostering safe environments even in challenging cultures. From using behavioral questions and action learning to creating psychologically safe retrospectives, this episode is packed with actionable ideas for Scrum Masters, leaders, and teams seeking high performance through trust and openness! 

How does Toyota apply Agile Product Operating Model (APOM) principles to portfolio management? In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Dave West and PST Lucas Smith, Director of Agile Program & Services, Toyota Connected, explore how Toyota Connected structures its funding models, defines product life cycles, and manages dependencies in complex product ecosystems. Learn how Toyota Connected balances agility with control, ensuring product teams can innovate while maintaining strategic alignment. Tune in to discover how APOM principles are shaping portfolio agility at scale.