Sometimes metrics can get in the way of a good conversation. — A few weeks back, I had a conversation with a peer coach who was introduced to me. As we chatted, we discussed several aspects of coaching. …

Build the right system to get the results you want. — I often get asked to help organizations when they are not getting the results they desire from Scrum. Nine times out of ten, I am asked, in error, to fix the teams. The requests I get go something like this (these may be familiar to you, too): “Most teams never…

Stop spinning plates before they all come crashing down. — Do you experience any of these symptoms? Simple tasks, such as sending an email to a group of people, can take weeks. You need many meetings to stay in “alignment” and everyone is too busy to collaborate. Your day is packed with back-to-back meetings on different objectives. You have to…

Dependencies cripple Scrum Teams. — Have you ever seen teams who are truly agile — having honed the ability to move with quick, easy grace? I have, and it is a sight to see. Such teams can own their product from concept to cash. …

Hint: Governance and Scrum don’t mix. — “Do you know of any good Agile governance mechanisms?” As an Agile Coach, I get a chill down my spine when I hear statements such as this. And I’ve been quite chilled over the past couple of years. …

Should “cheaper resources” really be the goal? — Managers will often tell me: “I don’t understand why my Scrum Teams are not paying attention to outcomes.” When I dig under the surface, I find teams using Agile or Scrum terminology but they are structured as highly specialized teams who operate with many hand-offs and very little autonomy. …

Here are some hard-earned lessons from the trenches. — 2021 has been a wild ride on the Agile rollercoaster. This second year of remote work has seen Agile take some strange and unexpected turns. I’ve had some insanely inspiring moments. And I’ve also had a few to make me want to question the viability of Agile. Good fortune has…

5 ways to reset Scrum without doing it wrong again. — When I saw one organization in a mess with Scrum, I figured I had an anomaly on my hands. When I found a second organization upside down with Scrum, I became curious but still optimistic all I had found was a coincidence. …

Long-lived “branches” create brittle, frustrated teams. Learn 12 ways to avoid them. — Integration to many in the software space refers to the act of making code parts work together. But integration on a Scrum Team goes far beyond this common technical reference. Without frequent integration in many contexts outside of technology, Scrum Teams will fail. …