There’s an acronym used within agile circles – BMW. It’s not this: but this: I’m sure you can spot the scrum master. He is the one in the middle trying to maintain a zen-like stateContinue reading
Category: Scrum Master
Runaround Decision Making Tool
As a facilitator of Agile teams I often find myself using various techniques for decision making (dot voting, fist of five, roman voting, 1-2-4-All) almost on a daily basis. Trouble is, though, whenever I’m usingContinue reading
Problem solving in the Daily Scrum
I’m guessing that we have all experienced problem solving in the daily scrum and what this can do to the 15 minute time-box? You know the scene, a couple of developers get into the detailContinue reading
The Mexican Standoff Stand-up
In one of my teams retrospectives, we identified a problem with our stand-up running on too long. I challenged the team to come up with a fun way to keep us on time. This teamContinue reading
You gotta have a team Safe Word
According to the urban dictionary a safe word is a term used in bondage play with one or more partners which lets the partners know that play needs to stop or slow down immediately. A safety word can be anyContinue reading
What does an effective Big Visible Information Radiator look like?
I’ve come to realise over time that the most effective Big Visible Information Radiators (BVIRs) are the ones that have the least amount of information on them. I remember the first time I was givenContinue reading
Product Owner Versus Scrum Master
A useful infographic based on Roman Pichler’s article about what makes a great product owner. Feel free to use and abuse as necessary but please credit myself and Roman.
Spotify Playlist for Stand-up Call to Action
Sometimes when your team members are in deep focus on their sprint tasks they are oblivious to the fact that it is time for the daily scrum / stand-up. I’m always looking for ways toContinue reading
What’s the best online tool for facilitating distributed retrospectives?
Conducting retrospectives with a distributed team is more challenging than a co-located one. Its vital that you remove any barriers to collaboration in real time. Besides the obvious requirements of a high bandwidth video andContinue reading
When is a ScrumMaster no longer needed?
When I’m asked about how long a self organising team needs a ScrumMaster I typically respond with the following quote from Nanny McPhee There is something you should understand about the way I work.Continue reading
Can you tell a ScrumMaster just by the contents of his desk drawer?
I was wondering if it was possible to tell a person’s job by the contents of their desk drawer? I’ve posted mine. I think the contents tell a story that could very well identify myContinue reading