As we come up on the end of the year, it's time to make some New Year's resolutions. Since one of my resolutions for this year was to provide useful and actionable advice, and since I know you’re busy, I’m going to help you get started.
So here are 21 New Year’s resolutions for ScrumMasters to consider:
- Offer to facilitate another team's retrospective
- Update the team's definition of done (or write one if they don't have one)
- Have that tough conversation you've been putting off
- Learn something new
- Help your team learn something new
- If you've personally been giving the demo during sprint reviews, have someone else do it
- Inbox zero
- Ban email for one day between team members (talk instead)
- Have a private conversation thanking each team member for their contributions
- Remove something from your process
- Instead of maintaining an impediment list, remove each impediment the day you hear about it
- In team meetings, ask more questions and make fewer statements
- Trust your team
- Admit when you've made a mistake
- Celebrate little wins as well as big successes
- Never type or look at your phone while a teammate is talking to you
- Ask your team how they most want you to improve
- Try sprint planning a completely different way
- Encourage cross-training while allowing people to do what they're good at and enjoy
- Ask a sixth why
- Eat more fiber (my doctor told me to include this one)
