The document is a retrospective by a first year ScrumMaster. It discusses some of the challenges they faced and lessons learned over their first year serving Scrum teams. Some key points: - Scrum is a framework to address complex problems while delivering high value products, but it is difficult to master. - The ScrumMaster learned they need to thoroughly understand the Scrum Guide, values, processes and roles like the Product Owner to better coach their teams. - Using a physical board helped but online tools provide similar benefits. - Surveying the team and sharing results with managers provided useful feedback. - Retrospectives are important for continuous improvement but new activities keep them fresh.

1. Confessions of a First Year ScrumMaster:
A Retrospective
September 22, 2015
ScrumDay Twin Cities

2. Who’s In The Room?

3. This S%!T Is Hard!
• Scrum (n): A framework within which people can address
complex adaptive problems, while productively and
creatively delivering products of the highest value.
Scrum Is:
-Lightweight
-Simple to understand
-Difficult to master
© 2014 scrum.Org and Scruminc

4. Demand More From Myself
• Read & Understand the Scrum Guide - Then Read It Again
• Memorize and Know:
• Agile Manifesto &12 Agile Principals
• The 5 Scrum Values
• 3 Pillars for The Empirical Process
•

5. I Will Always Use A Physical Board!
Image of a physical team scrum board

6. Same Work In An Online Tool
Next 6 slides had a screen capture of the same work shown in an online tool

7. Halfway Through The Sprint
Image of a physical team scrum board
halfway through the sprint.

8. Don’t Wait for Your Performance Review
(Eliminate if at all possible)
&
Survey Your Team
• Sent Out A 9 Question Survey To The Teams I Served.
• All Questions With The Exception Of The 9th Asked People
To Rate Me On A Scale Of 1-4 (Avoid A Scale of 1-5).
• Share Those Results With The Team(s) And Your Manager.

9. Product Owner - #1
• ScrumMasters Need To Know As Much As Possible About
This Role So We Can Be Good Coaches.
• Creating A Prioritized Product Backlog Is Hard - AND
Crucial To Team Success.
• Know How Much It Costs To Run The Team - It’s Easy Math.

10. Retrospective - Most Important Ceremony
• Always Surprised & Impressed With At Least One Thing
The Team Brings Up - Something I Would Have Never
Known Or Thought Of.
• Keep It Fresh - Try Something New Each Time.
• Establish A Team Goal For The Upcoming Sprint And Track
It On The Board. Talk About It Every Day. If More Than One
- Consider a Team Backlog.

11. Power of Food
• I Didn’t Do Any Research - But I Know That People Are
Happier When They Get Fed.
• Joe Justice: xTreme Manufacturing Calls Out A “Snack
Station” As A Required Component To The Process.
• Learn How To Sell It - Especially Lunch For Sprint
Planning.

12. Serving One Team is WAY Harder Than “Trying” To
Serve Two….or Three
Hey Brady - YOU
SUCK!!

13. Hey Brady - You Kinda
Sucked Today
BUT
I know you had
to play two games,
so I’ll
cut you a break

14. You Can’t Blame Brady -
He’s trying to play
THREE
games at the same time.
How can you expect him to keep
everything straight??????

15. Metrics Don’t Matter - Until You Let Them
• Only Thing That Matters Is Working Software/Product
(Principle #7)
• Robo Scrum (http://www.rapidscrum.com/RoboScrum/)
• For Team Use Only
• Fight It - PLEASE

16. Take It To The Team
• Particularly Important With Team Changes +/-
• Saves So Much Time And Worry
• Employ Volunteering Whenever Possible
• Answer And Outcome Will Always Be Better
• Maybe Not What I Wanted - But Better For The Team

17. Don’t Be A Hater
• Just Do Good Scrum - Shipping Speaks
Louder Than Words
• Don’t Get Caught Up In The Small Stuff
• What If They Are Right?

18. Work Towards Transcendence & Team Happiness

19. Personal Transcendant Goal
I am a practicing ScrumMaster, passionate about serving teams and
helping them get their greatest work into the world. I believe Scrum
has the power to not only change the world of work, but also change
the way people learn, interact and live their every day lives.

20. Thank You
Dean Gabbert
deangabbert@me.com
612-750-9805