Ask The TEAM!!
Originally published on Blogspot: https://stu-oakley.blogspot.com/2018/12/ask-team.html
Got this in an email marketing blast from Adam Weisbart this morning:
“When I was just getting my start as a new Scrum Master (“Master” is a weird word to use when someone is just starting something, isn’t it?), I had a HUGE problem. Half my team wasn’t showing up for their daily scrum on time.
Does this sound familiar:
Me: “Uh… guys… umm…”
Team: [blank stares]
Me: “Uh… the daily scrum is at 10am. It’s 10:30.” [frustrated]
Team: “Yeah. Sorry.” [followed by more blank stares]
Me: [Frustrated]
I spent weeks trying different things: a dollar jar for people who were late, begging, reasoning, and I even considered having team members do the “chicken dance” if they were late (did you know? Teams do this. Seriously. But I didn’t, because I thought HR would have a word with me, and I think it’s a little weird to be honest).
I was at a loss.
I had no idea of what to try next.
So I talked with my mentor…
…and he fixed the problem with just 3 words.
Just three words.
If you’re at a loss and just don’t know what to do, these 3 words work in almost every situation you face with your team.
“ASK. THE. TEAM.”
Mentor: “Adam, did you ask the team what time they wanted to have their daily scrum?”
Me: “Uh… No. I just set it for 10am so it’d be at the start of the day.”
Mentor: “Well, try asking them what time they want their daily scrum.”
So I did. And you know what they said?
“2:30pm”
Honestly, 2:30pm sounds like a HORRIBLE time to have a daily scrum to me. But you know who didn’t think it was a horrible time? The team. So I bit my tongue and said “Great! See you all today a 2:30!”.
Want to guess what happened?
…They all showed up. On time.
When it comes to how a team should work, the team knows best.
When in doubt, just ask the team.
Even if they make a decision that’s less than ideal, it’ll be their idea, which is far more ideal than it being someone else’s idea ;-)
Instead of spending energy trying to bend them to your will, focus on running good retrospectives to help build trust, open channels for communication, and give them tools to self-organize and adapt.
(And if you need help with good retros, https://RecessKit.com can help.)
Stay agile, never change.
Adam”
As I read this, I realized that yes I was one of those Scrum Masters too. The only difference is that it took me longer to figure it out. I didn’t think to ask my mentors.
Remember folks, mentors are there to help. Don’t be afraid to talk to them!
Stuart is an Agile Coach, ICAgile Authorized Instructor, Educator, Conference Speaker based out of the Greater Toronto Area in Canada. Constantly looking to build his Alphabet Soup of certifications. An active member of the Agile Community and Founder of the Halton Agile/Lean Network Meetup Group.
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