Scrum master? Iteration manager? Surely being a master or a manager implies telling people what to do or how to do it… doesn’t it?

This workshop is aimed at any scrum master or iteration manager who sometimes wonders what they should do for the good for their team(s).

We will consider what a scrum master’s responsibilities are – and equally importantly, what they are not.

We will look at the key skills a scrum master needs, and when and how those skills should be used.

Then we will apply what we have learned to consider how workshop participants could approach real-life problems they are facing right now.

Why do we talk about agile coaches rather than agile mentors or agile teachers?

In this workshop we will explore what coaching is, why I believe it is an essential skill if you want to help people develop an agile mindset, and how coaching can enable people to change their thinking patterns and behaviour.

Participants will then practice the core coaching skills of active listening and powerful questioning in genuine coaching conversations with each other, before reflecting on how they can apply these skills in their own lives.

A game to help people understand the value of agile team practices including moving from specialised skill-sets to T-shaped people, watching the baton and not the runner, swarming, and limiting work in progress.