TL; DR: Ditching Spotify for Scrum — Food for Agile Thought #348
Welcome to the 348th edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 35,438 peers. This week, we share lessons learned from ditching Spotify (the “model”) for autonomous Scrum teams while pointing to an inherent problem when a technique like coaching is treated like a panacea: There are notable side effects. Also, we notice patterns accompanying change and point at leverage points to intervene in a system, and we delve into the benefits of remote work.
Then, Ely Lerner believes that ‘product leaders need a framework to ensure they’re spending the right amount of time and effort on the right priorities.’ Learn more about his framework. Also, we suggest Karin Dames’ ‘recipe for an integrated development process.’ Moreover, we outline an approach to how product teams can create a product a customer will consider unique, and we recommend augmenting merely ‘predictable’ roadmaps for the senior leadership.
Finally, Tim Harford compares today’s change aversion in many corporations with a disaster from 1346, and Mark Graban and Rich Sheridan discuss various lessons learned on improving the conditions for creating outstanding products in a complex environment.
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🏆 The Tip of the Week: Ditching Spotify for Scrum
(via Agile Alliance): 📖 What we learned from descaling 25 Scrum teams
Martin Lohmann and Jorgen Krabbe share lessons learned from ditching Spotify (the “model”) for autonomous Scrum teams.
➿ Agile & Scrum
and (via InfoQ): What Kind of Coach Does Your Team Need?
Leigh Griffin and Arjay Hinek point to an inherent problem when a technique like coaching is treated like a panacea: There are notable side effects.
(via Scrum.org): Remote Work and Scrum
Addressing recent demands to return to the office from prominent business leaders, Dave West delves into the benefits of remote work.
: When Is Change More Likely?
John Cutler noticed patterns accompanying change and points at leverage points to intervene in a system.
🎓 🖥 🇬🇧 Advanced Professional Scrum Master Online Training w/ PSM II Certificate — September 6-9, 2022
Discover Scrum’s four success principles in this official Scrum.org Advanced Scrum Master training class including the industry-recognized PSM II certification. The PSM II training class is designed as a live virtual class and will be offered in English.
Enjoy the benefits of an immersive class of four sessions with like-minded agile peers in the morning hours from 09:00 – 13:00 o’clock CEST.
Learn more: 🖥 💯 🇩🇪 Advanced Professional Scrum Master Online Training w/ PSM II Certificate — September 6-9, 2022.
“Very hands-on class with lots of concrete takeaways to help in real world scenarios. Reinforced practices and highlighted things that helped in passing the PSM II exam but that was merely a bonus as the content of the class is so useful – certifications or not. Stefan Wolpers is an excellent trainer with broad practical and theoretical knowledge on the subject and his classes seem to have very good working atmosphere (this was a second class by him that I have taken).”(Link.)
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🎯 Product
(via Reforge): Product Strategy Framework: Offense vs. Defense
Ely Lerner believes that ‘product leaders need a framework to ensure they’re spending the right amount of time and effort on the right priorities.’ Learn more about his framework.
(via Medium): Where does design fit into the development life cycle?
Karin Dames suggests a ‘recipe for an integrated development process.’
: How To Make Your Product Special
Scott Sehlhorst outlines an approach to how product teams can create a product a customer will regard as unique.
📖 Scrum Master Interview Questions: The Sprint Review
Scrum has repeatedly proven to be the most popular framework for software development. Given that software is eating the world, a seasoned Scrum Master is nowadays in high demand. And that demand causes the market entry of new professionals from other project management branches, probably believing that reading one or two Scrum books will be sufficient. Which makes any Scrum Master interview a challenging task. A good starting point, though, is to ask a candidate about the intricacies of a Scrum event that puts the Increment, the Stakeholders, the Developers, and the Product Owner at heart, thus providing an excellent opportunity to reflect on the big picture. It is the Sprint Review.
Suppose you want to fill a Scrum Master (or agile coach) position in your organization. In that case, you may find the following interview questions helpful in identifying the right candidate. They are derived from my sixteen years of practical experience with XP and Scrum, as a Product Owner and Scrum Master, and my experience as a Professional Scrum Trainer with Scrum.org. Also, I have interviewed dozens of Scrum Master candidates on behalf of my clients.
So far, this Scrum Master interview guide has been downloaded more than 23,000 times.
Read more: Scrum Master Interview Questions: The Sprint Review.
🛠 Concepts, Tools & Measuring
: What Senior Managers Want & Need from Roadmaps: Predictability and Options
Johanna Rothman recommends augmenting merely ‘predictable’ roadmaps for the senior leadership.
✂️ Cutting Room Floor
: 🎙 Cautionary Tales – The French Knight’s Guide to Corporate Culture
Tim Harford compares today’s change aversion in many corporations with a disaster from 1346.
and : 🎙 Rich Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations, on Eliminating Fear and Increasing Joy in Work
In this podcast, Mark Graban and Rich Sheridan discuss various lessons learned on improving the conditions for creating outstanding products in a complex environment.
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📺 Join 3,900-plus Agile Peers on Youtube
Now available on the Age-of-Product Youtube channel to improve learning:
- 🆕 Hands-on Agile 42: Lean Roadmapping and OKRs with Janna Bastow.
- 🆕 Hands-on Agile 40: The Best Team Ever with David Burkus.
- Hands-on Agile 38: The Product Owner with Roman Pichler.
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- Hands-on Agile 35: Designing Powerful Questions to help you Coach & Create with Daniel Stillman.
- Hands-on Agile 34: Core Protocols for Psychological Safety with Richard Kasperowski.
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