How we chose one stellar Agile candidate out of 2,000 This is a true story. We were just 28 short of hitting 2,000 applications for one Sr. Scrum Master position. But I’m rounding up.

Are you a problem solver? Here’s how to prove it. — Every organization has problems they want to solve. And most knowledge workers claim to be critical thinkers. (So much so, the phrase “problem-solving skills” has become such a cliché that Monster.com says is one of the top 10 terms that “ruin a resume.”) Zety.com states, “employers are literally fighting for…

How the most quirky traits help build high-performing teams — The Muppets were the most high-performing team in the history of pop culture. The blend of characters created the ultimate dream team. Do you presume success depends on the team leader or the organization’s culture? Those are indeed vital elements. …

Tips and examples to explore YOUR values in a job interview — With the sweeping layoffs in tech, companies may be taking advantage of the surge of knowledge workers on the market to fill knowledge gaps. As a result, you may need to find a new opportunity fast! …

3 Practices to Break out of Cruise Control & Drive Change The Ultimate Litmus Test: Go on Vacation If the outcome of an effective Scrum Master is to create a high-performing, self-managing team, the litmus test may be — what happens when you are not there? Mike Cohn describes a high-performing team as one that “sustainably exceeds expectations in achieving clear goals. To do this, team members engage…

A Starting Point to Organize your Backlog and Align your Team Have you ever been confused about whether a product backlog item should be an Epic, Feature, or User Story? Do you need Themes? The good news is, as long as your team understands what each Product Backlog item means…

Combine Scrum and Kanban, two Complementary Approaches to Getting Things Done Teams who wish to combine both frameworks may do so successfully with four adaptions and four data-driven elements to design improvements. Scrum is a good choice for teams working on incremental delivery of something. The team has enough information to start and reasonably forecast a short-term goal to complete a…

What worked for me — 6–10% of people in the US identify as Vegan, and that number is multiplying with the onslaught of animal diseases and rising awareness of the health benefits of plants. Are you curious about what it would take to “go Vegan?” Or worried about sustaining a plant-based lifestyle? Scared of soy…

The Journey to Predictability — Agile transformations, in particular, Scrum, often tout “predictability” as a benefit. This concept is a critical component of success, and I find we don’t spend enough time at the beginning on how to achieve predictable delivery. It mostly comes through practice, but some organizations quit before they achieve success and…