Category Scrum Master

Product Owner, Scrum Master

Definition of Ready & Definition of Done – so simple and so powerful

Whenever I start working with a new team, one of the first things we do is defining the Definition of Ready as well as the Definition of Done. Defining and using those two artifacts is not overly complicated but saves all involved from a lot of stress down the road.
Nevertheless, I frequently find teams that use neither or don't even know what they are. Thus, I think it makes sense to address what Definition of Done (DOD) and Definition of Ready (DOR) are and why they exist.

Phillip
September 9, 2022

Product Owner, Project Leader, Scrum Master, Self Management

Our unreasonable hope that software tools will magically save us

Don´t get me wrong, many software tools are fantastic products. I use a wide variety daily. However, I feel like their impact is overvalued. Or maybe, to put it better, I think they are misused. Far too often is some new license for a tool purchased because “we are not meeting our targets”. The hope is then that the tool magically solves everything. Spoiler alert: It doesn't.

Phillip
September 2, 2022

Product Owner, Scrum Master

How to be successful in Scrum without a dedicated Scrum Master

Can Scrum and a Scrum team work without a Scrum Master? The short answer is yes. I believe it is possible. The longer answer is a bit more complicated. The Scrum Master Role was created for good reason and not having one will lead to some negative effects.

Phillip
August 26, 2022

Product Owner, Scrum Master

Four ideas to help structure and organize the backlog

It generally seems to be the case that we have too many ideas for improvements but not enough time to do them all right away. Therefore, backlogs tend to become large. In order to be able to handle this, it is so important to organize the backlog in a structured way.

Phillip
August 12, 2022

Product Owner, Project Leader, Scrum Master

How to help build a team in times of remote work

In general, it seems most people agree that remote work is a net positive but it also poses some challenges. Very underrated are the effects of remote work on company culture. The challenges to building a real team are probably more obvious. Nevertheless, I feel they are worth addressing.

Phillip
July 22, 2022

Product Owner, Project Leader, Scrum Master

The positive impacts of a team being 100% dedicated to one project or product

I recently wrote about the benefits of doing one thing at a time and the downsides of Multitasking. While listing things that can be done to facilitate doing one thing after another for a team, I completely missed to mention maybe the most important factor: having a dedicated team.

Phillip
June 24, 2022

Product Owner, Project Leader, Scrum Master, Self Management

Multitasking doesn’t work – the value of doing one thing at a time

We want to satisfy stakeholder requests, regardless if that means saying yes to a new feature or if it means to answer an e-mail. It's hard to say no. It makes us feel good to always answer, it makes us feel like we get a lot of stuff done. Spoiler alert: we actually don't get a lot done and productivity suffers.

Phillip
June 17, 2022

Product Owner, Project Leader, Scrum Master

Is it crazy to try agile outside software development?

Trying out elements of agile in non-software development with a set-up that is not according to the book might be controversial. However, applying the principles can have some real benefits if this is done mindfully.

Phillip
June 10, 2022

Product Owner, Project Leader, Scrum Master, Self Management

The magical effects of three simple words: I don’t know

Let me tell you something. It can be really liberating, to say the three words "I don't know". As soon as you have done it a few times you will find that it turns out to be very easy and that it brings some real benefits.

Phillip
May 27, 2022

Product Owner, Project Leader, Scrum Master

Backlog refinement, frequently overlooked but so crucial to success in product development

Besides the retrospective, the backlog refinement (sometimes called grooming) is in my view the most important ceremony within the scrum framework. One could even argue that it is the most important one. It certainly has an outsized positive impact on team productivity, created value, and team chemistry - if done correctly.

Phillip
May 13, 2022