Announcing Agile Project Management – The Second Edition
I am thrilled to announce the second edition of Agile Project Management. This is a long-overdue update of the book I first published in 2015. And it is the best…
Scrum is an agile framework for team collaboration and building complex projects using teamwork and innovative solutions. Learn more about using Scrum.
How Technology Managers can Succeed as Agile Leaders
An interview with David Sohmer, Financial Services Technology and Agile Leader In this video interview, David Sohmer talks about how technology managers can embrace agile ways of working, support their…
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…
How to Succeed as an Agile Coach
Curious about what it takes to succeed as an Agile Coach? Do you aspire to become an Agile Coach or grow as a Scrum Master? Welcome! We've created this detailed…
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 PMI, Agile & Scrum Certifications (2020)
Updated 2020: Over the last year I have explored professional certifications in detail. I have learned that many of the Agile and Scrum Certifications expire if you don't renew them.…
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,…
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…
Don’t Use The Scrum Framework with Distributed Teams!
Recent studies show that 3 out of 4 Software Development Teams using the Scrum Framework are distributed, meaning that at least some of the team members are not in the…
Puzzled about the Scrum Master Role in Scrum?
Inevitably, when working with organizations and helping them move from Waterfall to the Scrum Framework, there is a lot of confusion about the Scrum Master role. And frankly, I am…
Latest Updates to the Scrum Guide (2017)
The new Scrum Guide, the definitive reference for the Scrum Framework, is out. As of November 7, Scrum co-creators Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber published an updated version of the Scrum Guide.…
How to Develop Your Agile Training Plan
If you are planning an agile pilot or even a full-blown agile transformation, a critical consideration is your Agile Training Plan. After all, people need to understand Agile generally and specific…
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[UPDATE BASED ON 2020 SCRUM GUIDE] Downloadable Agile Principles & Scrum Tip Sheet
Back in June 2017, we released the first version of our Agile and Scrum Tip Sheet as a free download. Since then, we've updated it a few times and have…
What Makes Agile and Scrum Training Effective?
I recently had a participant tell me that my Agile and Scrum Training for Teams class was 1,000% better than he expected. Which I took as a great compliment, even though…
Using the Scrum Framework? Don’t burden Scrum Teams!
I always thought that crew looked like a cool sport and I've admired crew teams. In crew, team members in lightweight boats, race to go as fast as possible. It…
Succeed with the Scrum Framework: Don’t Break These 7 Rules
I find that many of my clients today are trying to improve their use of the Scrum Framework. Many of them are missing out on the benefits of Scrum without…
Client Success Story – Moving from Waterfall to the Scrum Framework
Several years ago I had the opportunity to support a growing consulting firm to move from waterfall development to the Scrum Framework. It's been exciting to watch Highland Solutions learn,…
How to Successfully Transition from Waterfall to Scrum
One of the most common conversations I’ve had with clients over the last few years is how to move from waterfall to Scrum. They want to understand the agile transformation…
Improving Your Retrospective Part 3: Techniques
In several previous posts I wrote about the retrospective which is a key event and perhaps the most important in the Scrum Framework. We explored how the retrospective doesn’t need…
Stop Lessons Learned Meetings, Try an Agile Retrospective Instead
The Agile Retrospective Over the last few months, I have been writing about how to improve team retrospectives. This has been mostly focused on Agile teams. Recently I've been asked…
How to Improve Your Retrospective Part 2 – Setting the Stage
This is part two in my series of posts about improving your retrospectives. As I mentioned in my previous post, the retrospective is a key part of the Scrum Framework…
How to Improve Your Scrum Retrospective Part 1: Structure
The Purpose of the Scrum Retrospective In my last post, I talked about the Scrum Retrospective meeting and how the speed of the retrospective event was not the most important thing.…
Retrospective Failure – Racing Through the Retrospective
Most people are aware of the retrospective meeting that is part of the Scrum Framework. It is a key improvement activity used by Agile and Scrum teams at the end of each…
Tips for an Effective Daily Scrum Meeting
The daily Scrum Meeting is the most frequent meeting in the Scrum Framework, making it important to be done well. There are some common patterns of problems with the daily…
Include the Scrum Product Owner in Estimating?
Earlier this week I was facilitating a discussion on agile estimating at a Meetup. A question came up about whether or not the Product Owner of a team using the Scrum…
What are the Most Important Agile Coach Traits?
What are the top Agile Coach traits that great coaches should have? Today there are more and more individuals hanging out a shingle and calling themselves Agile Coaches. With good…