Posts by Doug Shimp
Reinvigorate Your Organization With Fresh Eyes Through Scrum
Reinvigorate Your Organization With Fresh Eyes Through Scrum Before you read: The following is a generalized description of problems I have seen. The path offered is just one-path; there are more. You will find a mix of Scrum Mastering and Product Ownership issues that form a common line of concerns many corporations face. Dual Crisis:…
Read MoreBenefits of Scrum
In today’s evolving global labor market, the benefits of Scrum development methodologies are becoming increasingly apparent. Bringing together teams of people with various skill sets, from traditional software engineers to non-technical professionals such as marketers and product managers, allows organizations to harness the benefits of different expertise to transform their operations. By taking A Scrum…
Read More6 Signals of Collective Conflict Avoidance
The primary goal of Scrum Mastering[1] is to enable a Well-Formed Team™ (WFT). Ideally, a Well-Formed Team[2] would take on most of its own facilitation and coaching. However, some Teams get stuck in earlier stages of maturity that we describe as Collective Conflict Avoidance. Collective Avoidance is a norm that needs to be thoughtfully and…
Read MoreWhy Agile Work Is Opportunity-Directed
One of my favorite Agile/Scrum discussion topics centers around the Agile Manifesto’s 10th principle, Simplicity–the art of maximizing the amount of work not done–is essential. Whether the discussion arises in a classroom training, a private coaching session, or a conference of Scrum Thought Leaders, the discussion surrounding ‘work not done’ is always a rich one. Many questions emerge, such as…
Read MoreWhat To Do When Your Team Can’t Finish its Sprint
Having a Team that just can’t finish what it agreed to do in a Sprint is, by far, one of the more painful situations we have in Scrum. This situation may make the Team Members feel bad about themselves, and they may want to do these Stories no matter what…
Read MoreHow The Scrum Handbooks Became The Most Agile Version Of Scrum There Is
Scrum is a beautiful concept. When it was first developed in the 1990s, we reveled in its elegance and simplicity. Software Product Development thrived within this clear framework of single-source requirements. And, in many scenarios, this version of Scrum still works like a well-oiled machine. Until it doesn’t.
Read MoreAgile Consulting: A Tale of Two Risks
My work as an Agile Consultant comes in many shapes and sizes. In this consultant role, I work on the skills and standards needed for my clients to be proficient in their line of work. On this particular occasion, I was working with a client (we’ll call this client Acme Marketing and Technology) who delivers technology and marketing services in a Scrum/Agile-like manner…
Read MoreThe 7 Facets to Being the Best Scrum Master
What are the 7 facets for being the best Scrum Master? The Scrum Master is seldom a ‘Master of Scrum’; but their primary responsibility is to help the Scrum Team improve its use of Scrum. This isn’t simply for Scrum’s sake; it’s because the Team needs to get better at doing what the Product Owner…
Read MoreA Very Scrummy Thanksgiving
For Thanksgiving Scrum, we thought we’d take a few moments to thank you for all you do for us, your loyal agile fans, throughout the year.
Read MoreThe Top 5 Ways ScrumMasters Can Kick Impediments To The Curb
In Modern Scrum, we define an impediment as anything that causes the Team to not be at its best. That’s an intentionally broad definition because impediments come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, impediments look like fears, sometimes they look like risks and sometimes they look like problems. Regardless what shape they take, we all…
Read MoreWork Smarter. Not Harder.
Labor Day signifies different things to many of us. To some, it marks the end of those lingering dog days or the last chance to lounge over an extended weekend. To others, it means time to purchase new #2 pencils and pack up our backpacks. To us at 3Back, Labor Day means a time to…
Read MoreScrum in Real Life
We practice Scrum at our workplace. We use it to complete complex projects. We appreciate its flexibility, its visibility and its inherent collaboration. We value our PO who prioritizes our journey down the road, our ScrumMaster who removes any bumps in the road, and of course our Team who develops an easy and efficient cadence…
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