Kanban versus Scrum: what’s the difference?
Implementing Kanban may seem like a no-brainer. However, if you’re switching to Kanban from Scrum you might be surprised.
What does the Scrum Master do during the Sprint Planning?
Sprint Planning is the first meeting that happens every Sprint. Everybody has a role to play in it. The Product Owner brings the Sprint Goal and describes what the team should work on. Developers estimate the work and decompose it into tasks they need to do. But, what Scrum Master does in Sprint Planning can […]
3 Key Topics to Discuss with a New Team
Create a social contract with your team by setting expectations around your role with these 3 steps.
What is Scrum in Agile? 🤔
We hear the terms Scrum and Agile alongside each other all the time. They don’t really mean the same, even if sometimes they are used interchangeably (they shouldn’t 🤫). Let’s explore what Scrum is, what Agile is, and what Scrum in Agile is. To set the things straight right away and give you simple differentiation […]
Sprint Planning in Practice (Part 2)
In my previous blog post I talked about how to create a Product Backlog from scratch. We looked at an example product – online education hub about Scrum – and used a real online tool for Product Backlog management called ZenHub. Ok, so now we have our Product Backlog started with some functional and non-functional […]
Creating a Product Backlog from scratch (Part 1)
See Product Backlog creation in action using actual tools and a realistic product example.
8 Handy Tools for Your Scrum Master’s Toolbox
[Updated: June 2022] There is no guidebook for Scrum Masters with step-by-step instructions of how to do it right, we often just have to wing it on the spot. That’s why having a set of Scrum Master tools in your toolbox and some easy go-to facilitation techniques are so important for your success in the […]
Backlog Refinement: Myths & Facts
Backlog Refinement is often seen as the fifth Scrum Event. However, as I mentioned in my article talking about non-Scrum practices, this is not true. Backlog Refinement is an activity instead of an actual Scrum Event. In this video, I’d like to talk about what refinement is and isn’t, and what you can do to […]
Teacher. Coach. Mentor. What’s the difference and when to use these stances?
When we talk about a Scrum Master, or an Agile Coach, or a Serving Leader, we often think about the coaching as the primary activity. However, there are also teaching and mentoring stances. One of the students in my mentorship program asked me: “Teaching, coaching, and mentoring – when can each approach be used?” It’s […]
Scrum Must-Have Rules and Non-Scrum Practices 🎥
Figure out what practices & tools are not Scrum, how helpful they are, and what to do about them.
Running self-assessments for your team: NEW guide
There are always opportunities for improvement for any team! Especially, if you encourage agility and empiricism. In my latest video, I’d like to talk about why it’s important and how you can do it. I’ve already talked about Scrum specific assessments before in my previous articles, but I’d like to expand this topic to general […]
How to Create Engagement in Remote Meetings 🎥
Don’t let your remote meetings turn into a waste of time! Here’re some suggestions to engage people into lively discussions and come up with great solutions.
Better Meetings in 4 Easy Steps
Meetings are inevitable in an organization. Especially now, when many teams are working remotely. But many people associate meetings with the waste of time. Your meetings don’t have to be that. There are four easy changes you can implement today to make discussions more productive and focused, whether they are remote or not. In this […]
Ultimate Guide for Scrum Master / Project Manager role
Last night I was thinking about the Scrum Master role and how it just doesn’t fit into the organizational structures in real world. If the organization has to adapt to Scrum, it means that Scrum doesn’t work. So instead we need to adapt Scrum. And where else to start if not with the Scrum Master. […]
The Ultimate Guide to Definition of Done
The concept of “Done” is the most important one in Scrum, however, it is often not fully implemented in organizations due to previously established processes and agreements. Without a Done Increment, working usable product functionality at the end of the Sprint, Scrum implementation is losing it’s benefits. If you want to start seeing real results, […]