SCRUM BASICS
How does a Scrum Master remove the impediments?
Some say, Scrum Master is a manager of one thing — they manage the impediments. Today we will talk about removing blockers for the team’s progress. How is a Scrum Master an impediment remover? What are the impediments? Do we remove the impediments ourselves, do we delegate them to the team? Is every reported impediment a blocker indeed?
Let’s learn today how to deal with impediments and what practices can help us spot and remove any blockers to the team’s progress.
A look into the Scrum Guide 2020
According to the Scrum Guide, Scrum Master should serve the teams, among…
AGILE COACHING
Tips and tricks along with reliable materials to become a kick-ass Agile Coach
Following up on the last episode about Scrum Master for Kanban Teams, today we are going to talk about Agile Coaches. Who are they? I call myself an Agile Coach but also a Scrum Master and at my current work, I am called an RTE (Release Train Engineer as per SAFe). Which is it?
Today we’ll talk about the difference (or its lack) between a Scrum Master and an Agile Coach and how to step up your game as an Agile Coach.
Moreover, I will mention an important distinction between outcome, output…
AGILE COACHING
Who is a Scrum Master and what’s the respective role for Kanban?
Am I a Scrum Master, an Agile Coach, or maybe a Flow Master, a Kanban Master, or a Lean Ambassador?
Recently I got a question in the comments below my Kanban Starter Kit video about the role of Scrum Master for Kanban teams:
Sometime earlier, I got another comment from one of my viewers, Sai, who wanted to understand better how the Scrum Master contributes to the team and explain that their job is more than just scheduling meetings.
KANBAN BASICS
How to optimize your flow of work with the Kanban Method
Kanban is about optimizing the flow of work. Today we will learn the most basic rules and regulations or principles and practices that will help any Scrum Team move their work through the workflow.
I’ll explain how to visualize the work and why it is so helpful. How to spot bottlenecks and reduce waste. What’s Little’s Law. Where to find information about Kanban and its principles. And lastly, I’ll show you how to implement Kanban 101, or my own “Kanban starter kit” so you can start doing Kanban as quickly as today.
Let’s go…
AGILE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
The art of getting things done with quality
Have you ever been in a situation of having many things started and nothing finished? Starting new things feels good, we have the motivation and enthusiasm to accomplish something new. You can still imagine how great it will be when things are finished. But then we lose the motivation or get frustrated and we stop and look for something new to start.
Today I’d like to talk about pair-programming styles and the art of getting things done with quality.
Pair-programming is good, m’kay?
My feeling is that we frequently talk about pair-programming but it reminds me of the South Park’s quote “drugs are…
YOUTUBER LIFE
One Year Anniversary of Agile State of Mind
Today I am celebrating the first anniversary of my channel! Join me in the celebration! Agile State of Mind is officially one! And today I will tell you a story of an Agile making-of the Agile State of Mind.
During the past year I was asked by many people how I do it, how did I start, what tools I use, etc. It’s one of these things where it’s hard to start and then it goes. And you can feel overwhelmed at the beginning. So I…
REMOTE WORK
How to foster a recognition culture while in remote
A good rule of thumb for giving feedback is to praise in public and criticize in private. When you have something positive to say about a team member, make sure it is heard, but if you are issuing productive feedback, handle it one-on-one.
I’d like to explain both in separate articles. Today we will explore how to foster a culture of recognition and why it is important for our Agile companies.
We will learn about different kinds of motivation, I will explain what Kudos are, and let’s see how our Kudos box can go digital.
Plus, I’ll give you a…
AGILE TOOLBOX
Estimations 101
Have you ever done work around the house or built a new one? Construction is probably one of the best examples of how bad the estimates can go. And it goes hand in hand with the weather forecast. Apparently, we are much better at relative estimation.
Following up on the video “Don’t sweat estimations”, let’s learn how to estimate in story points, unlearn estimations in hours. And play some Planning Poker.
Let’s start from the beginning. Why do we even estimate in the first place? …
FLOWER POWER
Stop delivering story points and start delivering value.
Today I want to write about some problems with overthinking and overdoing estimations. However, I’m not going to talk about what relative estimation is and why we tend not to estimate in hours. That gives for a whole new article and I will probably write it soon.
In my Scrum Master work, I am frequently asked questions like: should the team update the estimates during the Sprint when more is known? What about the stories half done by the end of the Sprint? Should we re-estimate them before adding them to the next Sprint? …
AGILE LEADERSHIP
Why creating relationships can help you be a better leader
After joining my last company during the pandemic, I learned the power of creating a connection with the team members. I joined three teams as a Scrum Master at a time when everyone worked fully from home. I remember feeling very bizarre on my first day, no Daily Scrums, no meeting the teams, it seemed like the whole company was made up of two people who guided me through the onboarding. I slowly got incorporated into the team events and scheduled some rather random, as I think of it now, one-on-one meetings. Soon I…
Maria Chec
Agile Coach and Content Creator at Agile State of Mind https://www.youtube.com/c/AgileStateofMind and RTE in OutSystems
