Highlights of the 2019 Scrum Master Trends Report
The recently published 2019 Scrum Master Trends report has a few interesting takeaways. The report is the result of a global survey of Scrum Masters conducted by Scrum.org and The…
One More Time, What is the Business Analyst Role in Scrum?
A frequently asked question when I am working with teams moving to Scrum is what is the role of business analyst role on a Scrum team. Usually it comes from…
Why I am NOT Going to Renew My Scrum Certification
Scrum certifications from the Scrum Alliance expire if you don't renew them. This came as a surprise to me. I let my Scrum Alliance Certifications lapse in January 2019. It does…
6 Tips For a Better Scrum Retrospective
I recently hosted a client workshop on how to improve the retrospective event in the Scrum Framework. Rather than focus on specific techniques (like I did in this related post),…
There Are Too Many Scrum Meetings
A pretty common complaint with the Scrum Framework is that there are too many Scrum meetings. Let's explore this complaint to understand if it is valid, why it might occur,…
Transition from Project Manager to Scrum Master
Being a Great Scrum Master can be LearnedIn my related post, I argued that most Project Managers make lousy Scrum Masters. It's not on purpose, it just happens that the skills that…
Scrum Masters Need to be Good Listeners
As a Scrum Master, listening is one of the most important tools in your tool box. While there are reasons for the Scrum Master to speak up, in general Scrum…
Project Managers Make Lousy Scrum Masters
Don't get mad at me. Though it may sound tough or critical, the reality is that most project managers make lousy scrum masters. I didn't make that up—I’ve been hearing…
One Easy Way to Improve Your Next Retrospective
The very first Agile Coach I ever had taught me the practice of using Norm Kerth’s Prime Directive to start my retrospectives. Though I haven’t always used it, when I do…
How to Use the Scrum Framework with Distributed Teams
In my previous article, I argued that using a distributed team with the Scrum Framework was a bad idea and advised against it. There is sufficient information to show that…