…are the benefits of Scrum? Scrum offers several advantages that can significantly benefit teams and organizations: Improved Team Communication and Collaboration: Scrum fosters better communication and collaboration among Scrum team members through regular Scrum events like daily scrums, sprint planning, and sprint retrospectives. Focus through Short, Timeboxed Iterations: Scrum’s use…

…Sutherland, the authors of Scrum, get together to update the Scrum Framework as it is defined in the Scrum Guide. These are the official rules of Scrum and they’ve gone through many iterations. At the end of 2020, their latest version dropped, and it’s simply titled the 2020 Scrum Guide™.…

…difficult but necessary step for those who want to adopt an agile project management approach and foster agile teamwork. For example, when I first began to consult for a certain California-based game studio, its teams were organized around the specific elements and objects that would exist in the video game…

…of Agile topics, from Scrum Master challenges to leadership insights. Join Brian for insightful summaries, memorable moments, and a walk through the rich tapestry of Agile wisdom on the show. Overview In this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, Brian embarks on a retrospective journey through the standout moments of…

…stakeholders, and team members. For example, consider refactoring: improving the structure but not the behavior of code. Because it makes code more maintainable or easier to change, refactoring is of high value to developers. The cost of refactoring is usually justified, though, because it benefits users, too. If code is…

…a cornerstone of agile project management but they’re often misunderstood. Many mistakenly believe these agile teams operate without structure or guidance. Nothing could be further from the truth. This article explores what self-organizing teams are, how leaders can support them effectively, and the powerful outcomes that emerge from self-organizing teams.…

A Scrum trainer recently asked for a couple of good, real examples of large user stories (epics) being split into smaller stories. I thought it would be useful to share those examples here as well since the companies where these came from gave me permission to share them. Example 1:…

What’s next for Agile coaching? Brian Milner and Andreas Schliep dive into the shifting landscape of Agile coaching, the differences between Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches, and how to carve out a sustainable career in a changing industry. Overview In this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, Brian Milner and…

…is built into the Scrum framework, from daily scrums to sprint planning. The reason? Because good agile plans lead to good decisions. But what makes a decision good? Does a commitment to agile decision-making and building accurate agile plans mean making perfect guesses every time? The answers to those questions…

…Want some advice from Scrum Masters and teams on how to be effective? You’ve come to the right place. I’ve worked and talked with countless Scrum Masters and development teams over the years. They’ve told me about good product owners and bad product owners. They know that a good product…

…and applying system-level thinking for successful organizational transformations. Overview In this insightful episode, Dr. Tess Thompson tackles the pressing challenges organizations face when scaling Agile, with a focus on the critical role of leadership alignment. Drawing from her extensive experience, she explains how misaligned priorities at the leadership level can…

…of Product Owners in Scrum? What is a product owner? The role of a product owner in Scrum is to work with stakeholders to create a vision of the product they wish to create and communicate that product vision to the Scrum team and stakeholders. It is one of the…

…you want to run for cover along your agile journey—first by naming them and then by talking about why they aren’t so scary once you understand how they work. Eeek! Agile Has No Design Phase! Architects and senior tech people are often frightened by the idea that there’s no design…

…how Agile leaders, especially Scrum Masters, can effectively guide teams and influence organizational culture through respect, empathy, and compassion. Chris shares practical strategies for building trust, navigating generational differences, and leading through relationships rather than formal authority. The discussion also emphasizes the critical importance of understanding the motivations and needs…

…on outcomes and ongoing learning rather than getting bogged down by methodology debates and rigid terminologies. References and resources mentioned in the show: Scott Dunn #93: The Rise of Human Skills and Agile Acumen with Evan Leybourn Are Agile and Scrum Dead? By Mike Cohn Join the Agile Mentors Community…