Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.

In this segment, James describes an exemplary Product Owner who transitioned from a business analyst role. What qualities and behaviors set this individual apart? James highlights the Product Owner's commitment to continuous learning, market understanding, and stakeholder collaboration. How did this Product Owner effectively balance customer needs with stakeholder expectations? What tip does James offer about the Product Owner's role in protecting the team? Listen in to find out!

In this segment, James shares a story of a Product Owner in a regulated medical software industry who prioritized meeting deadlines over ensuring product safety. What were the consequences of this decision, and how did the Product Owner respond to the ensuing crisis? James discusses the importance of outcome focus and taking ownership of decisions. How can a focus on problem-solving and outcomes lead to better accountability and purpose within teams? Listen in to find out!

[IMAGE HERE] Are you having trouble helping the team work well with their Product Owner? We’ve put together a course to help you work on the collaboration team-product owner. You can find it at bit.ly/coachyourpo. 18 modules, 8+ hours of modules with tools and techniques that you can use to help teams and PO’s collaborate.

About James Gifford

James Gifford, a notable Agile/Lean coach and ProKanban Certified Trainer, is also a co-founder of Agile Uprising. He envisions a future where companies integrate Lean principles and Agile methodologies effortlessly, cultivating organizations that are dynamic, resilient, and centered around customer-focused products.

You can link with James Gifford on LinkedIn and connect with James Gifford on Twitter.

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.

James outlines his vision of success for Scrum Masters. How does he measure a Scrum Master's effectiveness in fostering self-organization within a team? James emphasizes the importance of engineers being invested in the product and sensitive to customer needs. What specific behaviors indicate that a team has truly internalized agile principles? How can a Scrum Master's absence reveal the team's level of self-sufficiency? Listen in to find out how James measures his own success as a Scrum Master!

James discusses his approach to selecting retrospective formats, emphasizing the importance of matching the format to the team's current needs. He shares his preference for combining fun formats like "Two Truths and a Lie" with more analytical approaches such as the A3 Report from Toyota. How does James use metrics to inform his choice of retrospective format? What advice does he offer for tailoring retrospectives to a team's developmental stage? Listen in to find out!

[IMAGE HERE] Retrospectives, planning sessions, vision workshops, we are continuously helping teams learn about how to collaborate in practice! In this Actionable Agile Tools book, Jeff Campbell shares some of the tools he’s learned over a decade of coaching Agile Teams. The pragmatic coaching book you need, right now! Buy Actionable Agile Tools on Amazon, or directly from the author, and supercharge your facilitation toolbox!

About James Gifford

James Gifford, a notable Agile/Lean coach and ProKanban Certified Trainer, is also a co-founder of Agile Uprising. He envisions a future where companies integrate Lean principles and Agile methodologies effortlessly, cultivating organizations that are dynamic, resilient, and centered around customer-focused products.

You can link with James Gifford on LinkedIn and connect with James Gifford on Twitter.

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.

In this episode, James shares a comprehensive approach to implementing culture change in a multi-site healthcare company. They used a simple three-step process to align values across diverse locations. And implemented an ambassador program and storytelling workshops catalyze the change. James explains the use of the ADKAR model and Lean Change Management principles in this large-scale transformation. James also shares the role that gamification played in encouraging narrative-centric sharing throughout the organization.

[IMAGE HERE] As Scrum Master we work with change continuously! Do you have your own change framework that provides the guidance, and queues you need when working with change? The Lean Change Management framework is a fully defined, lean-startup inspired change framework that can be used as the backbone of any change process! You can buy Lean Change Management the book at Amazon. Also available in French, Spanish, German and Portuguese.

About James Gifford

James Gifford, a notable Agile/Lean coach and ProKanban Certified Trainer, is also a co-founder of Agile Uprising. He envisions a future where companies integrate Lean principles and Agile methodologies effortlessly, cultivating organizations that are dynamic, resilient, and centered around customer-focused products.

You can link with James Gifford on LinkedIn and connect with James Gifford on Twitter.

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.

James shares a story from a healthcare company formed through acquisitions. He explores what happens when team autonomy goes too far and becomes anarchy. James also describes how one team's culture shifted from a focus on quality to a lack of basic practices, leading to degrading product quality. What non-negotiables did James identify as crucial for balancing team autonomy with organizational standards? How can leadership play a role in setting appropriate constraints for autonomous teams? Listen to find out!

James discusses the profound impact of "Turn the Ship Around" by David Marquet on his approach to leadership development. How does this book's principles apply to creating effective leadership at all levels of an organization? James shares insights from his experience developing a leadership curriculum aimed at empowering decision-making at the front lines. What key patterns does he highlight for leaders looking to succeed across various organizational levels? Listen to find out.

Note that David Marquet has been a previous guest on the podcast.

[IMAGE HERE] Do you wish you had decades of experience? Learn from the Best Scrum Masters In The World, Today! The Tips from the Trenches - Scrum Master edition audiobook includes hours of audio interviews with SM’s that have decades of experience: from Mike Cohn to Linda Rising, Christopher Avery, and many more. Super-experienced Scrum Masters share their hard-earned lessons with you. Learn those today, make your teams awesome!

About James Gifford

James Gifford, a notable Agile/Lean coach and ProKanban Certified Trainer, is also a co-founder of Agile Uprising. He envisions a future where companies integrate Lean principles and Agile methodologies effortlessly, cultivating organizations that are dynamic, resilient, and centered around customer-focused products.

You can link with James Gifford on LinkedIn and connect with James Gifford on Twitter.

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.

In this episode, James shares a valuable lesson from his experience as a Scrum Master. How can being too helpful actually hinder a team's growth? James recounts a situation where his tendency to jump in and solve problems backfired when he took a two-week break. During his absence, the team struggled without his constant involvement, which taught James a valuable lesson about enabling teams to own their challenges. He reflects on the need for Scrum Masters to model the right behavior, set clear expectations, and allow teams the space to grow.

James also discusses an effective approach he used when working with a doctor-turned-product manager in a healthcare setting. What tips does he offer for building trust and showing genuine care for others' success? Listen in to find out!

[IMAGE HERE] Recovering from failure, or difficult moments is a critical skill for Scrum Masters. Not only because of us, but also because the teams, and stakeholders we work with will also face these moments! We need inspiring stories to help them, and ourselves! The Bungsu Story, is an inspiring story by Marcus Hammarberg which shows how a Coach can help organizations recover even from the most disastrous situations! Learn how Marcus helped The Bungsu, a hospital in Indonesia, recover from near-bankruptcy, twice! Using Lean and Agile methods to rebuild an organization and a team! An inspiring story you need to know about! Buy the book on Amazon: The Bungsu Story - How Lean and Kanban Saved a Small Hospital in Indonesia. Twice. and Can Help You Reshape Work in Your Company.

About James Gifford

James Gifford, a notable Agile/Lean coach and ProKanban Certified Trainer, is also a co-founder of Agile Uprising. He envisions a future where companies integrate Lean principles and Agile methodologies effortlessly, cultivating organizations that are dynamic, resilient, and centered around customer-focused products.

You can link with James Gifford on LinkedIn and connect with James Gifford on Twitter.

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.

In this segment, we learn about a PO that possessed market knowledge, strategic thinking, and strong communication skills. This PO's leadership and ability to empower the team highlight the critical role of Product Owners in driving product success and team collaboration.

In this segment, Sofi shares the story of a disorganized Product Owner whose lack of preparation and messy backlog management negatively impacted the team. She discusses the importance of collaboration, timely preparation, and efficient time management to avoid such pitfalls.

[IMAGE HERE] Are you having trouble helping the team work well with their Product Owner? We’ve put together a course to help you work on the collaboration team-product owner. You can find it at bit.ly/coachyourpo. 18 modules, 8+ hours of modules with tools and techniques that you can use to help teams and PO’s collaborate.

About Sofi Simonyan

Sofi is a Scrum Master with 6 years of experience in tech startups and a diverse work background. Passionate about people, her mission is to build teams where active listening and growth mindset are essential values. Currently on maternity leave, Sofi practices agility in a completely different dimension.

You can link with Sofi Simonyan on LinkedIn and connect with Sofi Simonyan on Twitter.

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.

In this segment, Sofi highlights how important it is to pay attention to moments when team members independently adhere to agreements, prioritize customer needs, and suggest improvements. She shares a KPI framework developed to measure Scrum Master effectiveness through team feedback, emphasizing the value of transparency and personal development.

Sofi's favorite retrospective format, The Speedcar Retrospective (similar to the speedboat retro), uses a simple yet effective race car image to identify what slows the team down and what drives them forward. She emphasizes the importance of varying retro formats and adapting them to the team's needs, making retrospectives engaging and insightful.

[IMAGE HERE] Retrospectives, planning sessions, vision workshops, we are continuously helping teams learn about how to collaborate in practice! In this Actionable Agile Tools book, Jeff Campbell shares some of the tools he’s learned over a decade of coaching Agile Teams. The pragmatic coaching book you need, right now! Buy Actionable Agile Tools on Amazon, or directly from the author, and supercharge your facilitation toolbox!

About Sofi Simonyan

Sofi is a Scrum Master with 6 years of experience in tech startups and a diverse work background. Passionate about people, her mission is to build teams where active listening and growth mindset are essential values. Currently on maternity leave, Sofi practices agility in a completely different dimension.

You can link with Sofi Simonyan on LinkedIn and connect with Sofi Simonyan on Twitter.