From Epic to Task: A Practical Guide to Decomposition in Scrum
One of the most valuable skills a Scrum Team can develop is the ability to break down work effectively. It’s not just about managing the backlog—it’s about creating clarity, enabling flow, and delivering value sooner. Let’s talk through how to move from broad ideas (Epics) to refined, Sprint-ready work (Stories) and finally to actionable Tasks—without losing […]
Change Management: Navigating the Inevitability of Change
Change is a constant presence—at work, in our personal lives, and across the world around us. It’s cliche to say, but it’s true: The only constant in life is change. Every one of my clients and students faces a unique set of circumstances. Some are working to enhance their company’s ability to deliver value. Others […]
Imitation is not flattering: B2B Startups Must Forge Their Own Organizational Structures
Scrum hasn’t much to say about organizational design. And rightfully so – if there is any area that has no universally applicable template, org design is it. B2B startups – that is, companies whose customers are other businesses – have an especially hard time with organizational design. Their customers are hundreds or even thousands of […]
My Grumpiest Take on Scrum
I was lucky enough to meet Ken Schwaber on my journey to becoming a Professional Scrum Trainer with Scrum.org. It was at a Train-The-Trainer event at scrum.org HQ in Massachusetts, and when he entered the room he introduced himself: “Hi, I’m Ken and I’m living proof that you can be a grump and still be […]
Scrum For Startups: Finding the Sweet Spot
In the Winter of 2016 – 2017, I changed jobs. I had been working as an Agile Coach at a 60-person technology start up here in Toronto, Canada and after helping them to stabilize their value delivery process, I wanted to get some experience as a Coach within larger companies. And so I took a […]
Get Better at Planning (Without Trying to get Better at Planning)
I was triggered by a recent conversation. If you are an Agile Coach / Scrum Master / etc you have probably been asked some variant of this question: Can you help us get better at pointing stories? Now, the correct answer to that question is one word, and that word is “no.” But you’re a […]
Employee Engagement and Professional Scrum – Part 5 of 5
In this 5th and final post in the series, we will cover questions 10-12 of the Gallup Q12 Engagement survey, and how they can be addressed through Professional Scrum. Question 10: I have a best friend at work. This is – by far – the most controversial question in Gallup’s Q12 survey. I will not […]
Employee Engagement and Professional Scrum – Part 4 of 5
In this post we will cover questions 7-9 of the Gallup Q12 Engagement survey, and how they can be addressed through Professional Scrum. Stay tuned for the 5th and final instalment, coming soon!! Question 7: At work, my opinions seem to count We often refer to “Professional” Scrum being simply Scrum, but with an emphasis on […]
Employee Engagement and Professional Scrum – Part 3 of 5
In this post we will cover questions 4-6 of the Gallup Q12 Engagement Survey, and how they can be addressed through Professional Scrum. Question 4: In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work. This question from the Gallup Q12 engagement survey is one that many managers struggle with. I will […]
Employee Engagement and Professional Scrum – Part 2 of 5
Improving Employee Engagement with Professional Scrum (Questions 1-3 of Gallup’s Q12 Survey) In Part 1 of this series, I wrote a bit about Employee Engagement. Part 1 was all about measuring and understanding the current state of engagement in your organization. We also covered the importance of having an engaged staff – because it often leads to […]