Improve your decision-making and avoid three mental hazards for a year of great choices Have you ever been stuck at a decision point, trapped in uncertainty or paralysis analysis? Or have you had the experience of making a poor decision? It would be hard to find someone who doesn’t relate to one or the other. Ready to make this a year full of great…

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. …

The financial benefits of hiring full-time Scrum Masters — A Scrum Master has a manager-level position’s accountability, scope, and responsibilities. Here is a rundown: Removes impediments, minimizes distractions, enhances emergent planning and feedback loops, upholds quality standards, eliminates barriers to efficiency and effectiveness, and does whatever else is required to keep the team’s concentration on getting their work done.

Measure and improve Equal Turn-Taking to drive psychological safety and team performance Google’s Aristotle Project studied hundreds of teams over several years. Researchers found that high-performing teams had several elements emphasizing trust, vulnerability, and inclusive communication in team dynamics. But psychological safety was dramatically more important than the others. Psychological safety is being able to show and employ one’s self without fear…

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…