John McFadyen - Podcast Details

Shows

Growing Scrum MastersHow much of a role should an agile coach play in a sprint review?The #sprintreview is an opportunity for the #developers, #scrummaster, #productowner, #productstakeholders and customers to come together and review what has happened in the #sprint and understand where the team are headed next. Whilst the scrum master will facilitate this #scrum event, it's the developers that take centre stage and directly engage the customers and stakeholders. It's their time to shine and have discussions around the problems they encountered during the sprint, the challenges they overcame, and where their focus will be dedicated in future sprints. So, where does the #agilecoach fit in? How muc...2023-02-2807 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat do you do when your sprint review has negative feedback from stakeholders?A #sprintreview is generally a great time for the #scrumteam. The #productowner, #productstakeholders, customers and #developers all come together to review what has been built over the #sprint and how well that serves customers and stakeholders. In a perfect world, there is high-5's and backslapping taking place the moment your review is over but sometimes, we get it wrong and the #review can be a tough place to be. A great #sprintreview consists of open, honest conversations about what the team attempted, what was actually delivered and where the team are going nex...2023-02-2809 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow does an Agile coach approach sprint review planning?A #sprintreview is an awesome opportunity for the #productowner, #scrummaster, #developers and #stakeholders to come together and review what has been attempted, what has been achieved, and what the future will look like. It is a big deal. It gives the team great insights into what customers and #productstakeholders love about the product and what still needs to happen for them to consider the #product iteration a great success. So, how do you ensure that the #sprintreview is a success? How do #agilecoaches prepare for a #sprintreview and how do they approach the presentation of up...2023-02-2808 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat are the 3 things that generally trip you up as an Agile coach?In an #agile environment, there are multiple teams and multiple individuals working in specialist roles. Often, those #scrum teams integrate with traditional #projectmanagement teams that work in other departments of the organisation. Combined with this, are a blend of #agile leaders and traditional managers who make decisions, set strategy, and manage elements of the product development process. There are a lot of moving parts and a lot of things that can go wrong. As an #agilecoach or #scrummaster, you work predominantly with the #scrumteam but you do work with other teams across the org...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow do you sell a concept to a team and a client as an Agile coach?If you're an #agilecoach, people are looking to you to provide deep insights, actionable recommendations and practical advice that can help them create an environment for the team to succeed. As an #agile #coach, you will be playing a number of roles through the course of the day. At times, you will be actively teaching and at other times, you'll be #coaching. You will also be facilitating, consulting and at times, just pointing the team in the right direction based on something you know to be true. It takes a lot of skill and practice. It...2023-02-2806 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is the one thing you must do before you start any client engagement as an agile coach?Congratulations, you've made the transition from #scrummaster or #agilepractitioner to #agilecoach. Perhaps you've gone out on your own and are consulting to new clients or instead, you've been hired as a contract #agile coach and are going to start your new gig filled with confidence and enthusiasm. Either way, take a moment to celebrate your transition and then think about what it is you must do to make a positive impression on both the client and the team. There are a lot of things you're going to be enthusiastic about starting and you're going to find a lo...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat would an Agile coach consider as important metrics to measure?Traditional waterfall-style #projectmanagement has a deep focus on metrics, deadlines and deliverables. Some people think that #agile frameworks don't measure metrics or take performance-based measurements seriously but that isn't true. #scrum and #agile are all about delivering products, features and services that truly delight customers. Frequently and consistently. Doing so requires you to have a finger on the pulse of #productdevelopment and to know what must be communicated to the #productowner and #productstakeholders. Making sure that the team are consistently achieving #sprintgoals and delivering working products to customers is a priority for both #scrummasters and #ag...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow does an Agile coach gain buy in for a pilot from leaders in the organisation?An #agilecoach is many things. A great communicator, a great facilitator, a great teacher and a great #coach. Mastering those 4 disciplines takes a great deal of time, effort and will. As you work through the ranks from #scrummaster to agile coach, you will find that you naturally develop these skills. As you progress and begin to work with more people in the organisation, outside of the #scrumteam, you will also begin to develop your business acumen. Your ability to understand business challenges and how problems impact the organisation's performance. You are goin...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow does an Agile coach facilitate sprint planning?#sprintplanning is one of the first events in the #scrum process and it involves the #scrummaster, #productowner and #developmentteam actively planning which #backlogitems will be included in the upcoming #sprint. It is a great opportunity for the team to decide what they are going to work on and how they are going to solve the problem or create the #product increment that is needed. #scrummasters play a crucial role in #facilitating this event and sometimes, it is also an opportunity for an experienced #agilecoach to participate and support the #scrumteam in their planning. In many cir...2023-02-2808 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is one of the most important traits of an Agile coach?Working as an #agilecoach means working with people. You need a great deal of people skills and you need to be both adaptive and responsive in your work to help your team generate the best results. #scrummasters generally develop these skills over time, and as they work with more people across the organisation, they polish their communication, facilitation and coaching skills continuously. So, what does it take to be a great #agile coach? What is one of the most important traits necessary to succeed in this industry? In this short video, John McFadyen wal...2023-02-2809 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhen did you realise that you had transitioned from a scrum master to an agile coach?Most of us start out at the team level working as a #scrummaster dedicated to a single #scrumteam. We're there as the guardians of #scrum but also to learn from the team and to help them become as effective as possible. You're instilling #agilevalues and #agileprinciples and helping the team to get the most out of the #scrumevents and #scrumartefacts. As your team improve, so do you as a scrum master. It's sometimes hard to tell just how far we have come, but over time, you grow and evolve to a point where you are mo...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is the most common mistake made my newbie Agile coaches?So, you've earned your Agile stripes and are set to enter the workforce as a newly minted #agilecoach. Kudos. It's time to implement all you have learned as a #scrummaster or #agilepractitioner and you're chomping at the bit to lead your very own #agile team to victory. It is a super exciting time for a new agile coach and whilst your enthusiasm for the job will win you many fans, it can also lead you down the garden path if you aren't careful. In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through some of the mos...2023-02-2806 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow does an agile coach learn to work at the executive level?Most #agilecoaches start at the team level as a #scrummaster and slowly progress to a point where they are working with senior #leadership throughout the organisation. A process that takes years and countless evolutions in your path to mastery. For many people, it happens organically but for some, it is a result of deliberate and specific practice that enabled them to escalate their sphere of influence from the #scrum team to the #leadership team. There are great certification pathways to help you move from #agilecoach to a #certifiedteamcoach or #certifiedenterprisecoach, such as the #scr...2023-02-2807 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is the one book you would recommend to aspiring Agile coaches?So, you're a #scrummaster and have recognised the opportunity to grow in your career as an #agilecoach. Kudos. We love the journey you're on and look forward to working with you in growing your #agile capabilities. A great way to grow your skills and capabilities, outside of formal training and courses, is to read books. I am a fan of reading as much as you can, gathering as much information and perspective as you possibly can, to inform how you grow and practice as an #agilecoach. But, where do you start? What is the one boo...2023-02-2802 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow do you prioritise team coaching over individual coaching as an agile coach?As a #scrummaster or #agilecoach, a great deal of your work requires you to actively #coach both individuals and teams. You're looking to help the team, as well as the individual, achieve clarity around what good looks like, what needs doing, and how they can best go about achieving their goals. Sometimes you're facilitating conversations at the team level and at other times, it is a one-on-one discussion with the individual. Your goal is to help create an environment where the #scrumteam can excel, but how do you do prioritise individual coaching versus tea...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is one of the toughest lessons you learned as an Agile coach?As a #scrummaster, you act as an #agilecoach for the team by facilitating conversations and events, and actively #coaching the #scrumteam through #scrum. You are helping the team create an environment where each person can excel, technically, professionally and personally. It is your role to help people clarify their thinking and identify how best they can contribute to the team and the creation of a product or service that delights customers. You aren't personally involved in the product delivery at all, it is more a case of being behind the scenes and working with the te...2023-02-2802 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow do I deal with sabotage from an individual in the scrum team?In an ideal #agile world, people understand the value of teamwork and actively work together to ensure that both individuals and teams are getting better through a solid commitment to continuous improvement. The #agilemanifesto outlines a set of values and principles, as does the #scrum guide, to help people get the most out of the #scrumframework or whatever #agileframework they are using. #agile is built on the foundation of people doing great work for other people, in environments that empower individuals to thrive and contribute. But, it doesn't always work that way. Be...2023-02-2807 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is the most valuable communication tip you have for scrum masters?#agile values and principles are built on the concept that people are incredibly value. More valuable than processes and tools. Be it a customer, a developer or people in the organisation outside of the #scrumteam, the emphasis is always on creating environments where people can excel and unleash their full potential. As a #scrummaster, your role is incredibly people-centric. From designing and facilitating #scrumevents like #sprintretrospectives and #sprintreviews to #coaching the team, you're going to be focused on helping your team in every area of their personal and professional development. Communication plays a vital role in...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersI can't get senior leadership to buy into a proposal. What am I doing wrong?As a #scrummaster, you are often working with people outside of the #scrumteam to create an environment where your team can excel. Sometimes, that's Human Resources to develop policies and contracts that help your team and at other times, you're working with senior leaders to help remove impediments that are blocking your team. As with any organisation, you often must create a report or proposal that outlines your idea or position, and actively pitches what the new solution might look and feel like. So, what do you do if senior leadership are not buy...2023-02-2807 min

Growing Scrum MastersWe've set up a scrum pilot project. How do I help make sure it's a success?Congratulations, you've been given the green light to run a pilot project with #scrum to test how the adoption of #agile frameworks can improve your product development. There's a lot at stake with these kinds of initiatives and as a #scrummaster, you have a lot invested in making the trial a success. So, what do you do? How do you ensure that the #scrum adoption is a success and opens the door for #scaling scrum across the organisation? In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through why you need to think about wha...2023-02-2807 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is a spike?Part 18 in our #agilecoach #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of a #scrummaster or #agilecoach in an interview. What is a spike? The concept comes from the restaurant industry where food orders are placed on a spike for review and assessment at the end of the shift. It tells the chef and restaurant owners which orders were delivered throughout the shift and provides insight into the kitchen's performance for the evening. In the world of #softwaredevelopment this concept of a spike with items attached to it has been amended to fit...2023-02-2803 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is Sprint 0?Part 17 in our #agilecoach #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen provides answers to common questions asked of an #agilecoach or #scrummaster in an interview. #scrum is an #agileframework that is intentionally open-ended and flexible to allow for experimentation, evolution and progression. It provides a framework for #productdevelopment and solving complex problems but doesn't tell you exactly what to do and when to do it, like waterfall-style #projectmanagement frameworks. It gives teams a great starting point and contains the bare minimum necessary for a team to get going and make improvements with each #iteration. Slowly, ove...2023-02-2803 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is ScrumBan and why is it a popular option for teams?Part 16 in our #agilecoach #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of a #scrummaster or #agilecoach in an interview. #scrum is a flexible framework for #productdevelopment that consists of three (3) roles. A #scrummaster, a #productowner and #developers. The #agile framework consists of artefacts and events that are designed to help a #scrumteam navigate the complexity of product development and to solve complex problems. For some teams, that works great, for other teams, they may find that they want to experiment to find the style of working and framework that best works for...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat are the differences between coaching and mentoring?Part 14 in our #agilecoach #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common interview questions for a #scrummaster and #agilecoach. This is a great interview question because it gives you an opportunity to discuss how you would approach each of these 2 key elements. There is a fairly significant difference between #coaching and #mentoring people and your answer provides insight into how you would decide which of these two options is appropriate and why. As an #agile coach or scrum master, you will alternate between teaching, facilitating, coaching and mentoring a great deal. You will be working with pe...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is Agile Coaching?Part 13 in our #agilecoach #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions posed to #agile coaches in interviews and engagements. What is Agile coaching? That's a broad question that accommodates a broad range of responses, unique to the person being interviewed and their own specific personal and professional experiences. In some ways, it's a great question for an interviewer to ask because it provides them with insights into how you view the role of #agilecoach and what you aim to contribute in your role as an agile coach to the organisation. Some interviewers may...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhy do organisations and teams need an Agile Coach?Part 12 of our #agilecoach #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of #agile coaches in interviews. This is a tricky one because the interviewer may have their own preconceived ideas about what #agilecoaching is and what value it adds to the team and organisation or they may genuinely be trying to understand why they need an agile coach. In this short video, John walks us through his thinking around agile coaching and how it benefits teams and organisations. If you are interested in becoming an agile coach and value mentored, coach-driven...2023-02-2803 min

Growing Scrum MastersNot everyone on the team supports the decision to do scrum. How do I resolve that conflict?Sometimes, an organisation will invest months investigating and understanding the value of #scrum before adopting the framework. It often involves acquiring buy-in from everyone on the ground as well as the senior leadership team and it often also includes a trial period or pilot project to demonstrate that #scrum is the best #agileframework for the organisation. In an ideal world, that would mean that everyone on your team is chomping at the bit to get started with scrum and everyone buys into the #agile values and principles. However, we work with people and oft...2023-02-2809 min

Growing Scrum MastersOur team are battling to self-organise. How do I help them?#agile teams, especially #scrum teams, are committed to self-organising and solving complex problems without the need to go into the organisation for assistance. It doesn't always work that way because organisations are complex and often have a number of different protocols, procedures, and processes to deal with specific issues. But, self-organisation and autonomy are the goal and that is what every #scrummaster and #scrumteam strive for. So, what do you do when the team are battling to self-organise? How do you as a #scrummaster help your team become more autonomous and better at sol...2023-02-2809 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow do I help our developers work closely with customers?In traditional waterfall-style #projectmanagement environments, a #projectmanager manages all elements of the #project and communicates with #projectstakeholders on behalf of the people who are actually doing the work. In many project management environments, the customers are often the last to know what is happening and have to wait until the very end of the project before they see what has been built and whether it meets their needs. The #agilemanifesto values customers over contracts and seeks to bring the #productowner, #developers and #customers together as frequently as possible to ensure that the team are delighting cu...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersI'm a scrum master and we've just hired an agile coach. How do I work with them?A #productowner, #scrummaster and #developmentteam will come together, form a strong team, and produce great work that inspires leadership teams to think about how they can scale that success in other parts of the organisation. As that process unfolds, management teams will often look to hire an experienced #agilecoach to help the team improve as well as help the organisation scale #scrum in other departments. So, what do you do as a #scrummaster when the organisation hire an agile coach to help improve the environment and scale scrum across multiple teams? How do you...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat do you consider to be the most important scrum event?Part 1 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers some of the common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and engagements. This is an interesting question because it doesn't just test your knowledge of #scrum events, it asks you to provide a considered response to which of the #scrum events you consider to be the most important. The #scrumframework consists of a few events. The #sprintplanning, #sprint, #sprintreview, #dailyscrum and #sprintretrospectives. Each of these events are important and have been designed with a specific purpose. Knowing the purpose of these eve...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersI've just qualified as a scrum master and our team are going to do scrum. What do I do?If you're fortunate, you get to start your #scrummaster career in a mature #scrum team that have been working together and operating as a tight-knit #agile team for years. It gives you an opportunity to ease into the environment, witness how the team work and slowly grow your capability and expertise as a #scrummaster in alignment with the team's progression. But what do you do if your company have decided to use #scrum as their preferred #agileframework for the first time and you've just completed your #certifiedscrummaster course? #scrum is new for everyone and...2023-02-2807 min

Growing Scrum MastersIs the scrum master active during the sprint?In a #scrum environment, the #scrummaster works closely with the #productowner to ensure that the #developmentteam have everything they need to create products, features and services that truly delight customers. From a great #productbacklog to #userstories that capture how the end-user will derive value from the problem that is being solved or the product feature that is being created. A #scrummaster is incredibly active during the #sprint and works closely with the #scrumteam as well as other members of the organisation to help remove impediments or solve problems that the team aren't able to solve on...2023-02-2806 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat are the most common reasons for a scrum team failing to meet their commitments?Part 2 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers some of the most common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews. This question is designed to test whether you have experience working with teams who aren't achieving their #sprint goals on a consistent basis and whether you know how to correct that. Some interviewers will understand that organizational impediments stand in the way of a #scrumteam achieving their goals and are testing how you would respond to that, whilst other interviewers may genuinely be curious as to what causes to teams to underperform ba...2023-02-2808 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is the difference between a Sprint Review and a Sprint Retrospective?As a #scrummaster, you will be initiating and facilitating #scrum events for the #developmentteam and #productowner. These events are designed to help the team review performance, product updates, and what has been achieved. They also help the team understand where improvements can be made and how best to proceed moving forward. As a scrum master, you are a key player in these events and responsible for crafting something that actively engages the team, challenges them, and promotes understanding of why and how things have turned out the way they have. Two of the mos...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat are your top tips for facilitating a great Sprint Retrospective and why?The #sprintretrospective is the final event in the #scrum Sprint. It's a great opportunity for the #developmentteam to reflect on everything that has happened in the Sprint, what worked, what didn't work, and why. As the #scrummaster, you have an opportunity to help the #scrumteam focus on the areas that are going to lead to the most significant improvement. A skilled Scrum Master uses the retrospective as a vehicle for discussion that helps the team focus on what they feel needs to improve and what they can do better in the next #sprint. It...2023-02-2807 min

Growing Scrum MastersThe product backlog has over 200 items Is this acceptable?Part 3 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers some of the more common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews. This is an interesting question designed to test your knowledge of process and what trips a #scrumteam up. Newbie scrum masters and agile coaches tend to be pretty dogmatic and lean heavily on theory and 'best practice', whilst more experienced scrum masters and agile coaches tend to have the deep expertise and experience necessary to understand that every situation is unique and the answer depends on many variables. As with all...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat are some of the most useful metrics for a scrum master to measure and why?In #agile environments, #scrum teams are often seen as being too warm and fuzzy and not strong enough with data to guide their performance and decision-making. Nothing could be further from the truth. Scrum is built on the pillars of transparency, inspection and adaptation. Things need to be frequently inspected and that includes data and metrics. Regular scrum events such as #sprint planning, #sprintreviews and #sprintretrospectives ensure that there is a lot of data being measured and a lot of feedback circulating amongst the #productowner, #scrummaster and #development team. The team also regularly inter...2023-02-2807 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow does a scrum master help with continuous excellence in a team?#scrum is built on #kaizen or continuous improvement as a value proposition. The concept is that with each iteration, the #scrumteam learn from the previous sprint and use the knowledge that they have acquired during the previous sprints to improve on their processes and technical capability. The team are aiming for continuous excellence in all aspects of their work, from team interaction and engagement to technical excellence in the work that they produce. So, how does a #scrummaster help the team achieve that goal? A scrum master carries no authority in a team envi...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat 3 books would you recommend to help me understand product ownership?As a #scrummaster, you're often going to work with a #productowner that has very little to no training as a product owner. Often, they are #projectmanagers or other individuals within the organisation who get promoted to the role and they simply carry on operating in the same way they always have. In their minds, what got them there should keep them there. The problem is that a #productowner role is highly specialised and they act as the CEO of the product. There are heaps of things that need to happen for them to be an eff...2023-02-2808 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow do I nurture and develop coaching skills?A #scrummaster plays a critical role in helping the #scrumteam create an environment where people can excel. In essence, they are the glue that binds the #scrum team together. In addition to servicing the #productowner, #developmentteam and organisation, the #scrummaster plays a critical role in helping the team discover the best answers to the most compelling questions and problems they face. To do so, they need to be a great #coach in addition to being a #scrummaster. As an #agilecoach, a #scrummaster uses a blend of #coaching, #mentoring and #teaching to help...2023-02-2807 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat are some of the challenges I will face in facilitation and how do I overcome them?For newbie #scrummasters, #facilitation is a tough one to get right mainly because many of them have never seen a great facilitation of a meeting. They just don't know what good looks like. That said, mastering #facilitation is super important for a #scrummaster because doing it right creates an environment where your team can excel and optimise their returns on time and effort invested. There is a reason why so many people hate meetings and feel that they are super unproductive ways to get things done. Most meetings are places where great ideas and...2023-02-2809 min

Growing Scrum MastersIs velocity a good proxy for productivity?Part 4 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and engagements. The #agile world came up with velocity as an important metric to measure the effectiveness of teams because it focuses on direction of travel as well as speed of travel. Many companies abuse this metric and misunderstand the correct application of velocity - as it relates to teams - and why it can be a double-edged sword for measuring productivity. In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through the concept of vel...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhy is it so difficult to estimate time in product development?In traditional waterfall style #projectmanagement, a #projectmanager will invest a great deal of time attempting to work out the scope of a #project as well as the anticipated timelines for delivery. It works well in complicated environments like civil engineering because both civil engineers and project managers have built heaps of roads and bridges and have a fairly accurate idea of how long something will take. In complex environments, it's a great deal more difficult to estimate time because often, what is being built has never been built before. The problem that needs to be so...2023-02-2806 min

Growing Scrum MastersIs it a good idea to swap scrum masters and teams occasionally?In a #scrum team, we're always looking toward continuous improvement in every aspect of the team. From the #scrummaster to the #productowner and #developmentteam. In theory, the longer the team work together, the better the opportunity we have for achieving an environment where collaboration, creativity and productivity combine to produce excellence. But, sometimes, teams can stagnate. Sometimes, teams can reach a point where they feel like there is nothing new to learn and nothing more that can be achieved. In some cases, we might even end up with groupthink. A cond...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat was your personal definition of success as a scrum master?Success looks and feels very different to different people. For some, it's material validation that represents a job well done, for others, it's more complex than that. It may involve the satisfaction and rewards that comes with helping others to thrive. It may involve knowing that you are making a significant contribution to your team and helping them create an environment where they are able to excel. We asked John McFadyen what his definition of success was as a #scrummaster and his answer acknowledges how his personal definition of success changed over the yea...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat are 3 great tools for a scrum master and why?Any craftsman needs a great set of tools, resources and frameworks to get the job done well. A #scrummaster is no different. It's a complex job that requires a blend of coaching, facilitation and agile practitioner skills to connect with the #scrumteam and help create an environment where others can excel. In this short video, we asked John McFadyen which 3 tools he recommends for scrum masters and why. As you would anticipate, John recommended 2 coaching tools and 1 #sprint related burnup chart to help with estimation and forecasting moving forward. John...2023-02-2807 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat was your worst day as a scrum master and why?#agile and #scrum environments have a reputation for being warm and fuzzy. Because the #agilemanifesto values people above processes and the #scrumframework focuses on scrum values, we automatically assume that working as a #scrummaster in these environments is filled with magic and rainbows. The truth is that many organisations are still making the transition from the old style of working to more #agile and people-oriented styles of working. Sometimes, in that hybrid state, you are going to come up against old school style of managers who have very different agendas, values and principles to those as...2023-02-2806 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat are 3 key responsibilities of a Scrum Master?A #scrum team consists of 3 primary roles. The #scrummaster, the #productowner and the #developmentteam. Each of these roles have clear responsibilities, as defined by the #scrumguide, and each are critical to the team's success. So, what are the 3 key responsibilities of a scrum master? 1. Service to the organisation 2. Service to the product owner 3. Service to the development team In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through what each of the 3 key responsibilities are and why they are so important. John McFadyen has worked on some of...2023-02-2808 min

Growing Scrum MastersWho coaches and mentors the scrum master?The #scrummaster is the glue that binds the #scrumteam together. They work with the #productowner as well as the #developmentteam to create an environment where others can excel and where the right product can be built in the right way. Scrum Masters use a variety of tools, frameworks, coaching, and facilitation to achieve this objective. Coaching is by far the most powerful tool in the arsenal of a scrum master to help the scrum team consistenty achieve their goals and objectives. But who coaches the scrum master and #agilecoach? In Jo...2023-02-2807 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow do you develop influence and have an impact outside of the scrum team?A #scrum team consists of 3 roles. The scrum master, the product owner, and the development team. It is generally a small group of people between 5 and 9 at most. It is a small, hyper productive team of individuals who work together to create products and features that truly delight customers. A #scrummaster generally works within the scrum team to help create an environment where others can excel. They facilitate events and coach the team to ensure that the team can thrive. But not all problems that arise come from within the scrum team. Sometimes, its...2023-02-2809 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat are your 3 most recommended books for scrum masters and why?#scrum is built on the value proposition of achieving twice the work in half the time. Teams are able to achieve this kind of performance because they are deeply invested in the concept of continuous improvement. As a #scrummaster, you need to embody the same #agile values and principles, and invest in your own continuous improvement. How? By attending courses, seminars, events and by reading a great deal. Reading books from subject matter experts exposes you to new lines of reasoning, thinking, and gives you insights into how these individuals solved prob...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersDo product owners generally understand the value of a scrum master?A #scrumteam consists of a #scrummaster, a #productowner, and the #developmentteam. The scrum master is the facilitator and coach. The product owner is like the CEO of the product. And the development team consists of the individuals and experts who actively build the product or feature in each #sprint. The 3 roles are clearly defined in the #scrumguide and each plays a critical role in ensuring that the organisation is building products and features that truly delight customers. In a perfect world, each individual would have the required training and a deep understanding of the...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat are the common mistakes you see in daily scrums?In #agile environments that practice #scrum, a #dailyscrum is a 15 minute meeting held daily that generally involves the #developmentteam, the #productowner and when necessary, the #scrummaster. The concept of the #dailyscrum is to have each of the members of the development team voice what they are working on and whether there are any impediments to their progress or success. In theory, each member of the team briefly highlights what they are working on, what they anticipate achieving in the day, and if necessary, requests an assist from someone within the #scrumteam to achieve their daily go...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow does a scrum master help a development team to effectively estimate work?In a given #sprint, the #developmentteam will meet at the beginning of the #sprintplanning session to determine what work will be taken into the #sprintbacklog and estimate how many points that work is worth. In #scrum, the development team do not try an estimate how long it will take to complete a given #backlogitem, they will instead determine how much work is required to complete the task and assign a value to that work in the form of points. Doing so empowers the team to work out how much work they can complete in a gi...2023-02-2806 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat does a Scrum Master do if a team is underperforming?It's important to first understand what we mean by performance when we are going to evaluate the #scrumteam in each #sprint. A #scrummaster needs to look at data to establish a baseline of performance rather than simply look at what the team said they would accomplish in the sprint versus what was actually achieved. The #developmentteam may be taking on 100 points into each #sprint out of sheer enthusiasm or because of pressure from #productowners yet a quick analysis of the past 3 sprints demonstrates that they average 20 points per sprint. In this case, 20 points a s...2023-02-2803 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is a definition of ready?Part 5 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and engagements. This is either a trick question or it is a great sign that all is not well within the #scrumteam and working environment you are interviewing for. Definition of ready is largely a made up term that is used by teams who are looking to find ways of avoiding responsibility for delivery. It may be that the team are being hammered for not delivering quickly enough and have used this as a defense mechanism or...2023-02-2806 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow do you approach stand ups with distributed teams?Part 29 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers some of the more common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This question is designed to inform the interviewer how you will approach the daily stand up for multiple #scrum teams in distributed environments. It's your first que that this is a problem that they are currently experiencing and want to understand how you will approach the problem. It may also be an indicator that they intend to experiment with distributed teams and want to understand how you will ap...2023-02-2806 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat would you include in an offline kanban board and why?Part 30 of our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers some of the more common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. Kanban is a popular tool to help #agile teams visualize and track their work. It integrates well with #agile and #scrum teams and empowers them to understand how value is created within the organization and identify bottlenecks and impediments to progress. Traditionally, it has been an offline tool using post it notes and blue tape but over the past decade or so, digital tools such as kanbanize have lau...2023-02-2808 min

Growing Scrum MastersWould you include a health check on the scrum team during a sprint retrospective and why?Part 31 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. The #sprintretrospective is one of the most valuable and interesting #scrum events. It allows the #scrummaster to help the team identify what is working, what needs working, and how they can improve based on what they have learned in the previous sprint. Kaizen, also known as continuous improvement, is critical for a #scrumteam and the #sprintretrospective is one of the most valuable vehicles to help the team achieve exactly that, consistently. I...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow will you ensure the team complete action items within the agreed timeframe?Part 32 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This is a tricky one because it implies that a #scrummaster acts like a traditional #projectmanager in a #projectmanagement environment rather than as an agile coach, mentor and teacher. The interviewer either doesn't understand the role of a scrum master or they are actively looking for someone who will 'drive' results within the #scrumteam so it's a tough one to get right. In this short video, John McFadyen explains how a s...2023-02-2806 min

Growing Scrum MastersDoes enforcing scrum process not contradict the Agile value of people over processes?Part 33 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum master and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This is a great question that explores how you, as the scrum master or agile coach, will balance the organization's desire and intention to adopt and/or implement #scrum with the need for #scrummasters to respect the team's preferred processes and ways of working. As a scrum master, you invite not impose. Your job isn't to enforce anything, instead you need to lead opportunities through invitation, experimentation and through gathering evidence to su...2023-02-2806 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhich metrics are important when assessing the value of a user story?Part 34 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and agile coaches in interviews and client engagements. In an #agile #productdevelopment environment, such as #scrum, the #scrumteam focus on solving the most compelling problems or creating the most valuable product for customers and end users. How do they do this? By working closely with customers and product stakeholders to understand the jobs they are trying to do, the problems they are trying to solve, and developing a keen understanding of why that matters in the context of...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow does a scrum master increase the productivity of a scrum team?Part 38 of our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and #agile coaches in interviews and client engagements. This is a trick question. If you're being asked this by someone who has no knowledge of #scrum or #productdevelopment then you need to explain why doing the right work trumps output in a product development environment. If you're being asked this question by an experienced #agile practitioner, they are testing whether you view delivery as a measure of productivity or whether you are going to be focused on helping the te...2023-02-2803 min

Growing Scrum MastersIs a scrum master a management position, and if not, why not?Part 37 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. The #scrumguide describes a scrum master as a role, not a position nor a job description. A role. Something which can be confusing to people who come from traditional organizations with a strong hierarchy and organizational chart detailing who does what, what their title is, and what their specific job responsibility is. In this interview scenario, the person asking you this question may not have a great understanding of #scrum and...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersYou have a pilot that is going well but the rest of the organization don't understand scrum.Part 36 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. When organizations explore an #agiletransformation, it very seldom happens at once. It starts with pilots and slowly but surely grows from a single #scrum team to teams of teams. Some people like to take a cut and paste approach to rolling out #scrum but experienced #agile coaches and #scrum coaches prefer to treat each team adoption of #scrum as a unique adoption that needs it's own context and own unique problems to be...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersThe development team opt for a developer to be a product owner. What is your response?Part 40 of our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. A #scrumteam consists of 3 roles. The developers, the scrum master and the #productowner. Each role is designed to help the team create products and features that truly delight customers. The product owner thinks about the strategic elements of the product, the future roadmap for that product, and the commercial implications of releasing the product into the market at the correct time. The developers build the product whilst the scrum master hel...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersThe developers encounter a technical issue that requires them to swarm. How do you respond?Part 44 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This is a bit tricky. The person interviewing you either has no real understanding of the role of a #scrummaster or they do but are assessing how you perceive the role, your degree of influence within the team, and your decision-making capability. A scrum master does not intervene in a decision which the developers have made. They are the experts and if they have determined that something is critical enough to require th...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersA product owner refuses to allow the developers access to customers and product stakeholders.Part 43 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This is all too common in traditional organizations where people feel like a business analyst, consultant, or product manager should be the only people to have access to customers and product stakeholders. John wrote a great article on exactly this phenomenon, read 'customers and developers in the same room? WTF on https://www.growingscrummasters.com/deploy-improve-scrum/customers-and-developers-in-the-same-room-wtf/ In this short video John McFadyen explains why it is a great idea for...2023-02-2805 min

Growing Scrum MastersThe organization are planning a roadshow and they ask you, the scrum master, how you can contribute.Part 42 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This question produced a bit of a laugh. Although John understands that the marketing team would love to see some kind of a demonstration or exhibition of how the team produce software, his first instinct is to dodge that role and work behind the scenes rather than a stage. If you're asked this question in an interview, you're on your own :) John would rather help the team organizing roadshows become better at it...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat do you do if the team aren't using user stories for backlog items?Part 41 of our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. In #scrum, the founders of the framework wanted a #productowner, or person best suited to analyze the use case of the work to be done, to create what is known as a user story to inform developers of what needs to be done, how it solves a specific problem or allows a customer to get a specific job done, and why it is an important element of customer satisfaction. This is a cr...2023-02-2804 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat would you say to developers who fear AI?For many people, AI (artificial intelligence) is a deep threat for the future. It's this faceless, nebulous thing that casts a shadow over future job security and career opportunities, yet very few people have actually seen AI in action. Over the past few months, the popularity of CHAT GPT has given many people an opportunity to play with the technology and get a feel for it's capabilities. This week we asked John McFadyen what he would say to developers who fear AI, and why? About John McFadyen If you are interested in b...2023-01-2004 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow are you working with AI and how do you see that manifest in the future?CHAT GPT has made a stunning entrance over the past few months and it's raised a lot of questions about AI and its application, specifically in the agile industry. This week we took some time out to chat to John McFadyen to find out how he has been working with AI (artificial intelligence) and where that may lead in the future. About John McFadyen If you are interested in becoming an agile coach and value mentored, coach-driven skills development in your journey to mastery, visit our Growing Scrum Masters page on https://www.gro...2023-01-1906 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhere is AI in the context of agile right now?This week we took some time out to talk about AI (artificial intelligence) and where John McFadyen feels it slots into the context of Agile right now. About John McFadyen If you are interested in becoming an agile coach and value mentored, coach-driven skills development in your journey to mastery, visit our Growing Scrum Masters page on https://www.growingscrummasters.com/ If you like the idea of becoming a scrum master and want to achieve internationally recognised and certified accreditation as a scrum master, visit our Certified Scrum Master (CSM) course page on htt...2023-01-1805 min

Growing Scrum MastersAs a facilitator, how does a scrum master prepare for a workshop?Part 27 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. As a #scrummaster, you will facilitate a number of different #scrum events as well as conversations within the team environment. Its your job to help the team focus on what matters and extract as much value from each event and conversation as possible. Doing so, consistently, will help the team achieve their goals and continuously improve with each iteration. So, how do you get that right? How do you facilitate great events? ...2022-09-0805 min

Growing Scrum MastersAs a scrum master, when should you not act as a facilitator?Part 26 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of scrum masters and agile coaches in interviews and client engagements. As a #scrummaster, #facilitation and #coaching form a large part of your job role. Many of the #scrum events are facilitated by the #scrummaster in addition to private and team conversations that help the team become better. In this short video, John McFadyen explains why a #scrummaster doesn't always need to be the facilitator and provides a few examples of when a scrum master shouldn't facilitate. If you are int...2022-09-0705 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat are the 2 primary ways in which a scrum master ensures a high-performance team environment?Part 25 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers some of the more common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. #scrum is built on the value proposition of achieving twice the work in half the time. A value proposition that suggests high-performance without explicitly stating it. The dilemma for a #scrummaster, especially when dealing with leaders and individuals outside of the #scrumteam, is that doing twice the work in half the time is not the purpose of #agile. If the work you are producing isn't great and...2022-09-0606 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat are the most common reasons for a scrum master to attend the daily scrum?Part 2 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers some of the most common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews. This question is designed to test whether you have experience working with teams who aren't achieving their #sprint goals on a consistent basis and whether you know how to correct that. Some interviewers will understand that organizational impediments stand in the way of a #scrumteam achieving their goals and are testing how you would respond to that, whilst other interviewers may genuinely be curious as to what causes to teams to underperform ba...2022-09-0505 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat structure do you consider best for a user story?Part 25 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This interview question gives you a great opportunity to provide the organization with insights into how you would help the team create and identify great user stories for the developers. There are some schools of thought that recommend a standard approach to user stories, but in this short video, John McFadyen walks you through potential structures for powerful user stories. If you are interested in becoming an agile coach and value men...2022-08-3104 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow does a scrum master choose the most valuable user story?Part 24 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers some of the most common questions asked of scrum masters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This is kind of a trick question. Either the interviewer wants to understand how you perceive your role within the team environment or they think that scrum masters act similar to project managers in a #scrum environment. A #scrummaster does not choose the backlog items that go into the #sprintbacklog, the developers do - in collaboration with the product owner - and so you wouldn't be choosing the wo...2022-08-3006 min

Growing Scrum MastersThe product owner converts stakeholder documents into tickets and assigns them. How do you feel?Part 23 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. In a traditional #projectmanagement environment, a #projectmanager will work with project stakeholders and sponsors to identify the scope of the project, the outcomes that must be delivered, and the time frame in which the project must be delivered. In an #agile environment, a #productowner does something similar in that they work with customers and product stakeholders to identify the most valuable work that needs doing or the most compelling problems that need solving. Th...2022-08-2906 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat is a good example of agile proving successful in an organisation you have worked with in the past?Part 22 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This interview question is designed to illicit practical examples of where your past expertise and experience as a scrum master translated into success for the organization or team you served. Some interviewers will ask the question to understand whether you have a solid track performance as a scrum masters whilst others may be trying to understand how you perceive success in a #scrum environment and how you have measured that success in the pa...2022-08-2604 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow do you recommend a scrum master to follow up on action items?Part 21 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers some of the common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. In a waterfall-style #projectmanagement environment, a #projectmanager is often the person who chases team members to deliver tasks in alignment with a predetermined schedule. In #agile environments, such as a #scrum team, many people expect that the #scrummaster plays a similar role and your interviewer may be trying to understand how you are going to ensure that items which are flagged for follow up are actioned. In this sho...2022-08-2503 min

Growing Scrum MastersWho do you invite to the sprint retrospective and why?Part 20 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. The #sprintretrospective is a #scrum event where the developers, #scrummaster and #productowner come together to evaluate the team's performance during the #sprint and have conversations about where the team can improve in the next sprint. It is considered one of the most valuable events in the #scrumframework because it actively engages the whole team around the concept of current performance and continuous improvement. In this interview question, the interviewer is trying to...2022-08-2407 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow would you influence or encourage product stakeholders to attend daily scrums?Part 18 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. A #dailyscrum is intended for the developers to spend roughly 15 minutes talking about what is planned for the day ahead, what has been achieved, and to raise any potential impediments to progress. It isn't intended to be a long meeting nor does it exist for the team to discuss problems on a granular level. It is a short, sharp meeting that makes sure the team are aligned and that any impediments can...2022-08-2304 min

Growing Scrum MastersWho writes user stories and what would you advise them to write in those stories?Part 17 in our series of #scrummaster #interviewquestions where John McFadyen answers some of the more common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. Vision and purpose are incredibly important elements of growing and nurturing great #scrumteams. If the team understand why something is important and how that will contribute value to the customer or end-user, they are better positioned to solve the problem effectively or create the product or feature that best serves the customer. #userstories were invented with the purpose of explaining why something matters, how it matters, and...2022-08-2204 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhy aren't user stories estimated in hours or days?Part 16 in our series of #coaching #interviewquestions where John McFadyen answers common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. In traditional #projectmanagement, a #projectmanager will attempt to scope a project upfront and determine everything from budget to deadlines for delivery. In a complicated environment, like civil engineering for example, heaps of bridges have been built before and the project manager will have a fair idea of how long each element of that bridge will take to complete and what a reasonable time frame for delivery is. That deadline will usua...2022-08-1908 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow would you help the team identify and select the most valuable backlog items for the upcoming sprint?Part 15 in our series of #scrummaster #interviewquestions where John McFadyen answers some of the more common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This one produced a bit of a laugh from John initially because a #scrummaster does generally not get involved in selecting and delegating work for developers. The developers work closely with the #productowner and product stakeholders to understand what work needs doing, why it needs doing, and in what priority it needs to be tackled. A scrum master can facilitate that process or coach the team to...2022-08-1806 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow would you help the team select the most valuable backlog items for the upcoming sprint?Part 15 in our series of #scrummaster #interviewquestions where John McFadyen answers some of the more common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This one produced a bit of a laugh from John initially because a #scrummaster does generally not get involved in selecting and delegating work for developers. The developers work closely with the #productowner and product stakeholders to understand what work needs doing, why it needs doing, and in what priority it needs to be tackled. A scrum master can facilitate that process or coach the team to identi...2022-08-1806 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat kind of information would you ask the product owner for to give the scrum team an update?Part 14 in our series of #scrummaster #interviewquestions where John McFadyen walks us through answers to common questions asked of #scrummasters or #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This question could be a trick question or the interviewer may genuinely want to know how you would extract valuable information from product owners and stakeholders to help the scrum team stay focused on building the best product they are capable of. Ideally, the developers work frequently and consistently with product owners, product stakeholders and customers to ensure that they are working on the most valuable product and re...2022-08-1702 min

Growing Scrum MastersWhat kind of information would you ask the product owner for to give the scrum team an update on the product and market situation?Part 14 in our series of #scrummaster #interviewquestions where John McFadyen walks us through answers to common questions asked of #scrummasters or #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This question could be a trick question or the interviewer may genuinely want to know how you would extract valuable information from product owners and stakeholders to help the scrum team stay focused on building the best product they are capable of. Ideally, the developers work frequently and consistently with product owners, product stakeholders and customers to ensure that they are working on the most valuable product and re...2022-08-1702 min

Growing Scrum MastersA member of the scrum team does not want to participate in sprint planning. What do you do?Part 12 of our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions posed of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches during interviews and engagements. In a perfect #agile world, each member of the #scrumteam understands the benefits of #scrum and attempts to live, breathe and act based on the #agile values and principles. Attempts to use each of the #scrumevents to optimize their performance and identify opportunities for growth and improvement. That said, people are complex and often you will find that not everybody in the team supports a particular event or wants to participate. Th...2022-07-1905 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow do you help pick good user stories for the scrum team to include in sprint planning?Part 11 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions posed of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and client engagements. This is either a trick question or the person interviewing you has very little knowledge of #scrum and the #agilemanifesto. It could be both. This question drew a bit of scorn from John and irritated him a bit but like a trojan, he had a laugh and got on with answering the question as he would if he were in an interview or client engagement. As we work through this series, we...2022-07-1803 min

Growing Scrum MastersShould the scrum team be involved in the product discovery process If so, why?Part 10 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions posed to #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and engagements. This is an interesting question. Either your interviewer has very little knowledge of #scrum and wants to gain insight into how you would lead the #scrumteam effectively or they are experiencing an issue within the organization where #developers are excluded from the product discovery process and it is causing problems down the line. In short, the #scrumteam must be involved in the product discovery process from the very beginning. There will also be a...2022-07-1506 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow would you determine the success of agile within your organisation?Part 9 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions posed to #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and engagements. #agile is a great answer to #productdevelopment in complex environments. It is, however, not the only answer. It is one of many approaches, frameworks and models that an organisation could employ to achieve their objectives. This is a great interview question because it explores how you, as the #scrummaster or #agilecoach, would measure the effectiveness of your role and determine whether the #scrumteam were on the right track. There are many metrics and...2022-07-1403 min

Growing Scrum MastersHow much capacity would you consider to refactor, fix important bugs, etc?Part 7 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers common questions posed to #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and engagements. This is a more technical question from an interviewer to ascertain how you, as a #scrummaster or #agilecoach, would guide the team in #sprintplanning and #sprintretrospectives. It is an interesting question because factoring these elements into planning and retrospectives is important yet it isn't the most important thing to be focusing on as a team. Yes, housekeeping matters, but ultimately, the purpose of a #scrumteam is to create products and features that tru...2022-07-1211 min

Growing Scrum MastersYour product owner has pushed to include a user story in the upcoming sprint, what do you do?Part 6 in our #scrummaster #interviewquestions series where John McFadyen answers some of the more common questions asked of #scrummasters and #agilecoaches in interviews and engagements. In this scenario, a product owner has pushed to include a user story in the upcoming sprint but the design has not yet been finalized. How do you respond as a scrum master? If you know your #agile values and principles, this becomes a very simple question to answer because one of the principles is to 'welcome change, even late in development' because we are always trying to delight our cu...2022-07-1107 min