20 Questions from New Scrum Master to Product Owner

TL; DR: 20 Questions to Ask the Product Owner to Get up to Speed as a New Scrum Master

From Scrum Master to Product Owner, this set of questions addresses the future collaboration between the two individuals and the rest of the Scrum Team. The questions have been modeled after some basic principles, that high performing teams have in common. Download a printable template for your convenience.

This post is following up on the previous post 20 Questions a New Scrum Master Should Ask Her Team to Get up to Speed.

20 Questions from New Scrum Master to Product Owner — Age-of-Product.com
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20 Questions New Scrum Masters Should Ask Their Teams to Get up to Speed

TL; DR: 20 Questions a New Scrum Master Should Ask

Twenty questions for you — the new Scrum Master — that fit into a 60 minutes time-box. Start learning how your new Scrum Team is currently delivering the product and get up to speed: from Product Backlog forensics to metrics to team challenges and technical debt. Download a printable template for your convenience.

Do you need to talk to your Product Owner? Here you go: 20 Questions from New Scrum Master to Product Owner.

20 Questions New Scrum Masters Should Ask Their Teams to Get up to Speed — Age-of-Product.com
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Lipstick Agile — 15 Signs You Probably Need a New Job or to Roll-up Your Proverbial Sleeves

TL; DR: Lipstick Agile — Happiness in the Trenches?

Have you noticed how many people in the agile field are unhappy with their work situation? A situation where an organization already struggles doing agile, not to mention ‘becoming agile?’ This is what I call lipstick Agile.

Scrum Masters and agile coaches are close to either burnout or indifference. Product Owners who “own” the product by name only, and developers questioning why “Agile” is imposed upon them and often turns out to be just another form of micromanagement.

Lipstick Agile — 15 Signs You Probably Need a New Job or to Roll-up Your Proverbial Sleeves
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Speaking Truth to Power 2.0 — Taking A Stand as an Agile Practitioner

TL; DR: Speaking Truth to Power

Do you need an emergency fund as a change agent—whether you are acting as Scrum Master, Product Owner, or agile coach—because conflict is inevitable, but change is not? Speaking truth to power probably comes at a price.

In my experience, speaking truth to power, pointing at the emperor’s new clothes and the reality in the trenches, is necessary a trait for every change agent — including Scrum Masters and agile coaches — in organizations that lack strong leadership.

Learn more, how this form of professional honesty can backfire when the incumbents, privileged by the existing system, strike back.

Speaking Truth to Power — Taking A Stand as an Agile Practitioner When the System Strikes Back— Age-of-Product.com
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Quo Vadis, Scrum Master: The Results of Our Virtual Strategy Session

TL; DR: Results of a Virtual Strategy Session for Scrum Masters Regarding Remote Work

Last week, 30-plus participants in the 23rd Hands-on Agile meetup had a virtual strategy session where they explored Liberating Structures’ Critical Uncertainties microstructure. They identified robust and hedging strategies for Scrum Masters and agile coaches regarding the challenges of remote work and distributed agile teams.

Read on to learn more about wildest dreams, overconfident teams, and Scrum Masters to the rescue.

Results of Our Virtual Strategy Session for Scrum Masters with Liberating Structures’ Critical Uncertainties — Hands-on Agile #23
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Remote Agile (Part 1): Practices & Tools for Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, and Product Owners

TL; DR: 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.

We start with basic techniques and tools and follow up with how to apply Liberating Structures in the remote realm. If you like to get a hands-on introduction, consider joining my webinar/live virtual class next Thursday.

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