Welcome to our Scrum Master articles library, check out our articles on Scrum & Agile to support you with your journey.
How would you assist a team member exposed to Agile for the first time?
How would you assist a team member exposed to Agile for the first time? Welcome to part 6 in our Agi…
How would you deal with a team that resist the Agile methodology?
How would you deal with a team that resist the Agile methodology? Welcome to part 5 in our agile coa…
What is the hardest part of managing an Agile transformation?
What is the hardest part of managing an Agile transformation? Welcome to part 4 of our agile coach i…
What do you do if your scrum team hate retrospectives and devolve into blaming one another?
What do you do if your scrum team hate retrospectives and devolve into blaming one another? Welcome …
How does an Agile coach manage changing requirements in the middle of product development?
How does an Agile coach manage changing requirements in the middle of product development? As part o…
Which agile processes have you used in the past and which ones do you find most effective?
Which agile processes have you used in the past and which ones do you find most effective? This is a…
How does an Agile coach go about choosing the length of a sprint?
How does an Agile coach go about choosing the length of a sprint? They don’t. It isn’t their job. Th…
What exercise do you recommend scrum teams to run in a sprint review?
What exercise do you recommend scrum teams to run in a sprint review? I don’t recommend that they ru…
How much of a role should an Agile coach play in a sprint review?
How much of a role should an Agile coach play in a sprint review? It depends. I would start by first…
What are the common mistakes you see in sprint reviews?
What are the common mistakes you see in sprint reviews? The sprint review is a great opportunity for…
How do you help your team improve their sprint review presentation?
How do you help your team improve their sprint review presentation? In my opinion, you should get ri…
What do you do when your sprint review has negative feedback from stakeholders?
What do you do when your sprint review has negative feedback from stakeholders? What do you mean by …
How does an Agile coach approach sprint review planning?
How does an Agile coach approach sprint review planning? Does the Agile coach need to be there? I wo…
What is your biggest regret as an agile coach?
What is your biggest regret as an agile coach? I’m not somebody that believes in regret. Professiona…
How do you earn trust from a new team when you are a contract agile coach?
How do you earn trust from a new team when you are a contract agile coach? So, the contract element …
What is the ‘go to’ exercise for a sprint retrospective?
What is the ‘go to’ exercise for a sprint retrospective? It used to be ‘Mad | Sad | Glad’. Many moon…
What are the 3 things that trip you up as an Agile coach?
What are the 3 things that generally trip you up as an Agile coach? This is an interesting one. Ther…
How do you sell a concept to a team and a client as an Agile coach?
How do you sell a concept to a team and a client as an Agile coach? Your first step is to stop think…
What is the one thing you must do before starting any engagement as an agile coach?
What is the one thing you must do before starting any engagement as an agile coach? It’s contract. I…
One thing I know now, as an Agile coach, that I wish I knew when I started out.
One thing I know now, as an Agile coach, that I wish I knew when I started out. That is a tricky one…
Agile coaching myth 5: You need an Agile coach.
Agile coaching myth 5: You need an Agile coach. I used to think this was true. Maybe that was my ego…
Agile coaching myth 4: It takes a long time to see results from agile coaching
Agile coaching myth 4: It takes a long time to see results from agile coaching This is an interestin…
Agile coaching myth 3: All teams are coachable.
Agile coaching myth 3: All teams are coachable. This is an interesting one. It’s something that I ha…
Agile Coaching myth 2: The Agile Coach needs to be an expert in all agile frameworks
Agile Coaching myth 2: The Agile Coach needs to be an expert in all agile frameworks This is one of …
The Definitive Guide to Scrum Training
Why take Scrum training? Scrum may appear simple at first, but it is deceptively difficult to do wel…
Agile Coaching Myth 1: Coaching is only for teams that have problems.
Agile Coaching Myth 1: Coaching is only for teams that have problems. All teams have problems and op…
What would an Agile coach consider as important metrics to measure?
What would an Agile coach consider as important metrics to measure? I’m going to put my consultant h…
How does an Agile coach gain buy in for a pilot project from leaders within the organization?
How does an Agile coach gain buy in for a pilot project from leaders within the organization? I’m go…
How does an agile coach facilitate sprint planning?
How does an agile coach facilitate sprint planning? This answer may be a bit different to how a scru…
How do I deal with sabotage from an individual in the scrum team?
How do I deal with sabotage from an individual in the scrum team? My first piece of advice to you is…
What is the most valuable communication tip you have for Scrum Masters?
What is the most valuable communication tip you have for Scrum Masters? In a nutshell, simply be cur…
I can’t get senior leadership to buy into a proposal. What am I doing wrong?
I can’t get senior leadership to buy into a proposal. What am I doing wrong? Possibly, you’re doing …
We have set up a scrum pilot project. How do I make sure it is a success?
We have set up a scrum pilot project. How do I make sure it’s a success? That is an interesting ques…
Not everyone on the team supports the decision to do scrum. How do I resolve that conflict?
Not everyone on the team supports the decision to do scrum. How do I resolve that conflict? That is …
Our scrum team are battling to self-organise . How do I help them?
Our scrum team are battling to self-organise. How do I help them? What you need to do is understand …
How do I help developers work closer with customers?
How do I help our developers work closer with customers? A part of me wants to say that scrum master…
I am a scrum master and we have just hired an agile coach. How do I help them?
I’m a scrum master and we’ve just hired an agile coach. How do I work with them? It depends. First a…
I’ve just qualified as a scrum master and our team are going to do scrum. What do I do?
I’ve just qualified as a scrum master and our team are going to do scrum. What do I do? Congra…
What does a scrum master do if the team simply can’t get the job done?
What does a scrum master do if the team simply can’t get the job done? It depends on what we m…
How does a scrum master create and nurture motivation in a scrum team?
How does a scrum master create and nurture motivation in a scrum team? I’m not sure if scrum masters…
What is your favourite scrum event and why?
What is your favourite scrum event and why? If you know me at all, it’s the sprint retrospective. I …
Can you walk us through the 2nd Agile principle and why it is so important?
Can you walk us through the 2nd Agile principle and why it is so important? Let’s start off by expla…
How does a Scrum Master heal a toxic team environment?
How does a Scrum Master heal a toxic team environment? The short answer is that they don’t. Yes, the…
Does a scrum master help identify what skills are needed and if so, how?
Does a scrum master help identify what skills are needed and if so, how? That’s a bit of a tricky qu…
What is an increment in Scrum and how do you measure its success?
What is an increment in Scrum and how do you measure its success? The increment is the thing you are…
Is the scrum master active during the sprint?
Is the scrum master active during the sprint? That’s put a smile on my face. I’ve got an image of a …
Why is there no project manager in Scrum?
Why is there no project manager in Scrum? The short answer is that it simply isn’t needed. Project m…
What soft skills does a Scrum Master need?
What soft skills does a Scrum Master need? Soft skills are an interesting one. I remember going thro…
What are good OKRs for a Scrum Master?
What are good OKRs for a Scrum Master? So, OKRs stands for Objectives and Key Results. It is a goal …
What is the difference between a sprint review and a sprint retrospective?
What is the difference between a sprint review and a sprint retrospective? In the scrum framework, a…
What are your top tips for facilitating a great sprint retrospective and why?
What are your top tips for facilitating a great sprint retrospective and why? A sprint retrospective…
Who does a scrum master usually report to or answer to?
Who does a scrum master usually report to or answer to? There is a big difference between where scru…
How does a Scrum Master help instil Agile values and principles in a Scrum Team?
How does a Scrum Master help instil Agile values and principles in a Scrum Team? That’s a huge quest…
What does a seasoned and experienced scrum master do differently to a newbie scrum master?
What does a seasoned and experienced scrum master do differently to a newbie scrum master? That’s an…
What are some of the most useful metrics for a scrum master to measure and why?
What are some of the most useful metrics for a scrum master to measure and why? When I’m asked this …
How does a scrum master help with continuous excellence in a scrum team?
How does a scrum master help with continuous excellence in a scrum team? Contributing to continuing …
What are the scrum values and why do they matter?
What are the scrum values and why do they matter? In addition to the Agile values and principles as …
What would be an example of a poorly performing team and why?
What would be an example of a poorly performing team and why? If you look at a lot of textbooks or a…
What was one of your most rewarding days as a scrum master and why?
I could speak to the teams I’ve worked with, the individuals I’ve worked with and the aspiring Agile…
What does a great team look like and what sets it apart from average teams?
If you’ve got homogenous teams where everybody looks the same, sounds the same, and thinks the same,…
Why is a product vision so important and how do you help a product owner craft one?
In a scrum team, a product owner is responsible for crafting a product vision that inspires the deve…
What 3 books would you recommend to help me understand product ownership?
As a scrum master, you work in service of the development team and the product owner. To do so effec…
How do I nurture and develop coaching skills?
In an agile environment such as a scrum team, a scrum master acts as both the glue that binds the te…
What are some of the challenges I will face when working with a project manager?
In most cases, adopting scrum or a large scale scrum framework involves an integration of the old wa…
How do I earn the development team’s trust?
In a scrum team, you have 3 roles. The scrum master, the product owner and the developers or develop…
What are some of the challenges I will face in facilitation and how do I overcome them?
There are many challenges that you will face when it comes to facilitating meetings and scrum events…
What are 3 things I should do on day one as a scrum master?
In my experience, there’s a great formula you can follow regardless of whether it’s your first day a…
Why is it so difficult to estimate time in product development?
In traditional waterfall style project management, a project manager will work with project stakehol…
Is it a good idea to swap scrum masters and teams occasionally?
Yes, it is a good idea. Responding to Change or Loss We don’t want to make those kinds of changes to…
What was your personal definition of success as a scrum master?
It’s something that evolved over time. In the beginning, my definition of success was that the team …
What are 3 great tools for a scrum master and why?
Any craftsman needs a great set of tools and resources to get the job done well. A scrum master is n…
How does a scrum master facilitate backlog refinement?
Ideally, a scrum master doesn’t need to be in a backlog refinement meeting at all. In a mature scrum…
What was your worst day as a Scrum Master and why?
I don’t generally have bad days, nor do I take things personally enough to consider certain days har…
What are 3 key responsibilities of a scrum master?
If you look at the scrum guide, it’s very clear. They are there to coach the organisation in the ado…
Who coaches and mentors the scrum master?
In my experience, most scrum masters don’t have coaches, agile coaches, or mentors. It’s a pity. It’…
On-demand Scrum Master Preparation Exams
For many, the Certified ScrumMaster® or Professional Scrum Master™ exam is the most nerve-wracking a…
How do you develop influence and have an impact outside of the scrum team?
A scrum team consists of the scrum master, the product owner, and the development team. Usually a sm…
What are your 3 most recommended books for Scrum Masters and why?
At the end of each of my Certified Scrum Master, Advanced Certified Scrum Master, and Certified Scru…
Do product owners generally understand the value of a scrum master?
In my experience, the majority of product owners have received no formal training as a product owner…
What are common mistakes you see in daily scrums?
There are a few common mistakes that you find with daily scrums, either because the team are relativ…
How does a Scrum Master manage conflict within a scrum team?
One of the things that you have to get used to as a Scrum Master is conflict. Many people think it’s…
How does a scrum master help a development team effectively estimate work?
The first thing to remember when it comes to estimating work is that it isn’t on a scrum master to c…
What are some of the most common challenges a scrum master faces from product owners?
This is always an interesting question to deal with. Generally speaking, there are 3 primary challen…
What does a Scrum Master do if a team is underperforming?
The first place to start is to assess what is meant by ‘performance’ and how you evaluate whether th…
What does Servant Leadership mean and how do you do it effectively?
It’s an interesting one. Many people are familiar with the term servant leadership but aren’t necess…
What is sprint planning and how do you facilitate it like a pro?
Let’s start with Sprint planning. It’s the first event in scrum, the first meeting inside that sprin…
How could you tell if a Scrum Master is not doing their job well?
That’s a tricky one because Scrum Master’s don’t have tangible output. The product delivered at the …
What are some of the biggest challenges a Scrum Master faces?
The biggest challenge you will face as a Scrum Master is justifying why you are on the team and why …
How do I stand out as a scrum master?
That’s a common question and an interesting question because it implies that you must do more than b…
What is the most important responsibility for a scrum master?
When I ask this question in my Certified Scrum Master and Advanced Certified Scrum Master courses, t…
How do scrum masters help improve decision making?
A good scrum master will have taken the time and effort to learn about coaching. The art of asking q…
What are the key elements of a great sprint retrospective?
The purpose of a retrospective is to facilitate an event that gives you a concrete element that your…
What is WIP and how do effective scrum masters manage this?
WIP is an acronym for ‘work in progress’ and refers to the work which the scrum team are working on …
How do burndown charts work and who facilitates them?
In a Scrum team, burndown charts are a tool you can use to track progress throughout the sprint and …
Why is a Scrum Master a critical element of the Scrum Team?
In an environment where people don’t have a great scrum master, there can be a little confusion arou…
What are the key elements of a great personal review?
What are the key elements of a great personal review? For those who know Scrum, there will be no sur…
How would you conduct an annual review?
How would you conduct an annual review? I think we need to unpack what you mean by an annual review …
What are three key elements of a great sprint review?
So, a sprint review is not only a demonstration of the work that has been achieved by the team over …
How Agility has Moved Outside the IT Industry and is Shaping Top Companies Around the World
For many, the mention of the word agile conjures up images of software engineers, stickie notes…
6 Proven Ways to Make your Organization More Agile
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries organizations saw great leaps forwards in t…