Food for Agile Thought #234: The Distributed Agile Team, Remote Agile, Disagreement & Conflict, Downtimes Are Good for Disruption

TL; DR: The Distributed Agile Team, Remote Agile—Food for Agile Thought #234

Welcome to the 234th edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 25,852 peers. This week, we gain insight into what drives the performance of a distributed agile team; we address disagreement in the time of remote work, and we identify seven ways to improve the level of psychological safety.

We also dare to see an advantage in a downturn; we embrace the magic of conflict for the benefit of the customers, and we download a free, 100-page preview of Mr. Business Model Canvas’ latest book.

Lastly, we explore three key leadership disciplines for distributed agile organizations.

Did you miss last week’s Food for Agile Thought’s issue #233?

Food for Agile Thought #234: The Distributed Agile Team, Remote Agile, Disagreement & Conflict, Downtimes Are Good for Disruption — Age-of-Product.com

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Scrum Guide 2020 — Download the new edition of the Scrum Guide Reordered — Age-of-Product.com

🏆 The Tip of the Week

Lisette Sutherland (via InfoQ): 📺 How to Be a High Performing Distributed Agile Team

Lisette Sutherland explores how distributed organizations collaborate seamlessly at a distance.

Agile & Scrum

Matt Bowers (via Zapier): Why remote work makes disagreement hard—and how to do it anyway

Matt Bowers reflects on the challenges WFH imposes on disagreement among teammates.

Gustavo Razzetti (via The Startup): 7 Ways to Promote Psychological Safety In Your Organization

Gustavo Razzetti suggests seven principles to improve psychological safety in a time when remote work becomes a necessity.

Mark Kilby (via InfoQ): 📺 3 Disciplines for Leading a Distributed Agile Organization

Mark Kilby explores three key leadership disciplines: manage change through experimentation, amplify communication and collaboration, and focus on principles over practices.

📅 Remote Agile: Live Virtual Class on March 26, 2020: Tips, Tricks & Tools for Scrum Masters & Agile Coaches

Agile has always been about colocation, about direct communication, physical boards, and all the other haptic and analog moments to create value in the digital realm. For the first time, though, with the SARS-CoV-2 causing havoc in our communities resulting in the work-from-home trend, this mental model is challenged, and remote Agile becomes a contender. To ease the entry into this new world, the live virtual class “Remote Agile” addresses tips, tricks, and tools for Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, and Product Owners on how to facilitate agile events effectively.

This live virtual class will be in English, and you can book your seat right here:

Terms and conditions apply.

Looking for a different date? Back to the training schedule for the Advanced Scrum Master Training (PSM II).

📅 Learn more: Remote Agile: Tips, Tricks & Tools for Scrum Masters & Agile Coaches.

Product & Lean

Jesse Nieminen (via InnovationExcellence): When tough times are ahead, you should double down on innovation

Jesse Nieminen points at an opportunity: Downturns are prime territory for disruption.

Shaun Russell (via Mind The Product): The Magic in Conflict by Shaun Russell

In this keynote, Shaun Russell explains why product folks need to embrace conflict for the benefit of everyone.

Alex Osterwalder (via Strategyzer): 📖 The Invincible Company

Free preview: Download 100 pages of Alex Osterwalder’s new book.

📯 Remote Agile (Part 1): Practices & Tools for Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, and Product Owners

Agile has always been about colocation, about direct communication, physical boards, and all the other haptic and analog moments to create value in the digital realm. As a Professional Scrum Trainer, I strive to provide training classes without using PowerPoint or digital devices. Moreover, admittedly, I love index cards. However, times are changing. So, let’s dive into the particularities of practicing remote Agile with distributed teams.

Remote Agile (Part 1): Practices & Tools for Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, and Product Owners — Age-of-Product.com

Read more: Remote Agile: Practices & Tools for Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, and Product Owners.

📅 Scrum Training & Event Schedule

You can secure your seat for Scrum training classes, workshops, and meetups directly by following the corresponding link in the table below:

Date Class and Language City Price
🖥 🇩🇪 January 28-31, 2025 Professional Scrum Product Owner Training (PSPO I; German; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €1,299 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 💯 🇬🇧 Feburary 4-6, 2025 GUARANTEED: Hands-on Agile 2025: From Concept-Based to Context-Based Agility (English) Live Virtual Conference FREE
🖥 🇬🇧 February 12-13, 2025 Professional Scrum Master Advanced Training (PSM II; English; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €1,299 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 💯 🇬🇧 February 27, 2025 GUARANTEED: Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills Class (PSFS; English; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €749 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 💯 🇬🇧 March 6-April3, 2025 GUARANTEED: Align, Discover, Deliver: The Product Backlog Management Cohort Class (English; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Cohort €499 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 🇩🇪 March 11-12, 2025 Professional Scrum Product Owner Training (PSPO I; German; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €1,299 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 🇬🇧 March 26-27, 2025 Professional Scrum Master Advanced Training (PSM II; English; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €1,299 incl. 19% VAT
🖥 🇩🇪 April 10, 2025 Professional Product Discovery and Validation Class (PPDV; German; Live Virtual Class) Live Virtual Class €749 incl. 19% VAT

See all upcoming classes here. Professional Scrum Training by PST Stefan Wolpers, Berlin  Product People

You can book your seat for the training directly by following the corresponding links to the ticket shop. If the procurement process of your organization requires a different purchasing process, please contact Berlin Product People GmbH directly.


Download the ’Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide’ for Free — Age-of-Product.com

📺 Join 2,000-plus Agile Peers on Youtube

Now available on the Age-of-Product Youtube channel:

✋ Do Not Miss Out and Learn about the distributed agile team: Join the 7,100-plus Strong ‘Hands-on Agile’ Slack Community

I invite you to join the “Hands-on Agile” Slack Community and enjoy the benefits of a fast-growing, vibrant community of agile practitioners from around the world.

Large scale agile: Join the Hands-on Agile Slack Group

If you like to join all you have to do now is provide your credentials via this Google form, and I will sign you up. By the way, it’s free.

Scrum Master Interview Question: free download of the most popular ebook on Scrum Master job interviews — by Age-of-Product

🗞️ Last Week’s Food for Agile Thought Edition

Read more: Food for Agile Thought #233: Staying Calm in Charged Situations, Organizational Silos, WFH Quality Time, Escaping The Build Trap.

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