Scrum Master as facilitator

Mail: phone: Follow me:

[email protected]+972(54)4653155 @Linkedin

Some Working Agreement

If you want to be here - act like you want to be here

Some Working Agreements

Comfort Zone

Panic Zone

Learning Zone

Comfort Zone

Panic Zone

Learning Zone

Comfort Zone

Panic Zone

Learning Zone

This is my Life :)

FACILITATION

FACILITATION FACIL

Facilitation Definition

The act of helping other peopleto deal with a process without getting directly involved in the.process, discussion, etc.

Respect the sticky noteOne item per sticky, use a sharpie

EXERCISE

Let’s Form Teams

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is facilitation?

Basic facilitation principles

Scrum ceremonies facilitation

Offshore tools

Traps and pitfalls

4 Principles to start with:

EnthusiasmBoundaries

Time Boxing Be prepared

Be Prepared

Six critical questions:

Create a setting for success

1) Purpose 2) Outcomes 3) Decisions

4) Questions 5) Impact 6) Set the Stage

Time Boxing

Allocate a certain amount of time to an activity in advance

Visual

Plan in advance

Focus

End time box: hard vs. soft (recommended: maximum 45 mins)

Some will say: “We all live in time box determined by death”

How would you prepare for this kind of meeting?

Boundaries

Give you a sense of self

You are able to decide how you want to be treated by others

You are able to make decisions that serve and support you

Help prevent double bind situation

Why?

Some will say: “Freedom with Boundaries”

Boundaries

DoD (Definition of Done)

DoA (Definition of Awesome)

Working Agreements

Sprint / Release

Examples:

Consensus ! No Democracy

Hell Yes! O.K No Way!New Idea

Build the ultimate working agreements

Working Agreements:

The team starts and end the day together

Being on time is critical

The team stay 100% committed and 100% focused, no interruptions (1 interruption == 1 joke)

All wireless devices on silent mode

Pointing Fingers has no place

No veto power from outside the team

No silent objectors. Don’t have silent disagreement

What I say in the room stays in the room

Enthusiasm

It’s contagious

If you are not enthusiastic - how can you expect it from others?

You are the “salesperson” - do you believe in what you are selling?

Reduce cynicism

Why?

Some will say: “Lead by example”

TILL YOU MAKE IT!

Option #1: Fake it

What it feels like

Option #2: Learn

SCRUM PROCESS OVERVIEW 3 Roles:

Product owner

Scrum Master

Team 4 Ceremonies :

Sprint Planning

Daily

Sprint review

Retrospective 3 Artifacts:

Product Backlog

Sprint Backlog

Burndown Charts

PUZZLE SCRUM

Game Rules 3 Roles:

Product owner = I am

Scrum Master = alternate

2 teams

Iteration = 5 days

1 day = 8 mins

For each meeting:

Be prepared

Time box

Simulation

Product Backlog Refinement = Grooming

Puzzle Backlog

1. Door 2. Right wall bottom 3. Front Wall 2 windows 4. Left wall 5. Back wall 6. Roof

Some questions

First iteration:

Who sets the reference point?

How do they set the reference point?

Puzzle Backlog

1. Door 2. Right wall bottom 3. Front Wall 2 windows 4. Left wall 5. Back wall 6. Roof - 2 SP

Be Prepared

Why are we spending our valuable time together?

Get ready for the next 2-3 sprints Clarifying: Identify ambiguity, learning, dependency Estimation: It might impact the priority Splitting: If needed

Purpose:

Be Prepared

What does success look like?

All refined PBIs can be “Done” by the Development Team within one Sprint There enough PBIs “Ready” for selection in the following Sprint Planning The people (or representatives) who will do the work make the final estimate The team members have clear understanding on each PBI: business value & ranking The product owner has clear understanding on the selection between different trade-offs

Outcomes:

Be Prepared

What do we need to decide?

Who should participate? Which method of estimation to use?

Decisions:

Be Prepared

What are the questions we need to answer while we are together?

Is everyone participating actively? What is our reference point? If not what do we do? Do team members understand the PBIs in the level they need? How do we handle identified unknowns and dependencies?

Questions:

Be Prepared

How do I/we want people to feel at the end of this meeting?

Excited (or at least engaged) Committed Achievable Time worth spent trustful

Impact:

Be Prepared

Where? How? Accessories?

White board Presenter planning poker cards Recommended: sitting in a circle so everybody will be able to see everyone else (comfortable)

Set the Stage:

Time Box

Up to 5% out of the sprint cycle Should we split?

…more then one team works on the same backlog?

…there are a lot of unknowns? …big gaps in business knowledge?

…no quality expertise?

…PO (or someone else) tries to influence the estimation all the time?

…everyone is talking at the same time?

What should you do if..

Option #1: Wisdom of crowds 1. The item to be estimated is read to all

2. Attendants ask clarifications for the item

3. Each person selects a card and displays it for all

4. The final estimation is the average of all participating people

5. Handle next item

Let’s go..

1. Door 2. Right wall bottom 3. Front Wall 2 windows 4. Left wall 5. Back wall 6. Roof - 2 SP

Very Fast

Option #1: Wisdom of the crowds

Biased towards authority and experience Not optimized for learning Unknowns, dependencies and risks can be overlooked

Recommended when PBI is easy and familiar to all

Option #2: Planning Poker1. Each person gets a deck of cards (Fibonacci)

2. The item to be estimated is read to all

3. Attendants ask clarifications for the item

4. Each person selects a card and puts it on the table facing down

5. When everyone is done, cards are exposed

6. If the estimations does not match, a short discussion is held:Highest and Lowest estimators speak first. Then return to step 4

7. Handle next item

Complete view of the PBI Focus on shared learning Identify risks Encourage honesty Expose team problems

Option #2: Planning Poker

Slow Hard to facilitate Hard to engage all team members Requires one shared goal

Recommended when team is multi-disciplinary

Facilitating Planning Poker1. Question #1:

“Is there any one that did not select a card?”2. The Highest and Lowest estimators speak first 3. Always make sure the discussion is relative to a reference. Not

disconnected from the scale4. Question #2:

“Did you learn something new?”5. Question #3:

“Is there any work that needs to be done in order to make this PBI ready for the next sprints? “

Option #3: Silent Sorting 1. The item to be estimated is read to all

2. Attendants ask clarifications for the item

3. Handle next item

4. Put all the cards, in a line (small to large) with at least one item as a reference

5. Participants silently take turns to do one of the following actions:‣ Add item to the the sorted list‣ Move one item within the sorted list

6. When no one is moving any item - we succeed

Let’s go..

1. Door 2. Right wall bottom 3. Front Wall 2 windows 4. Left wall 5. Back wall 6. Roof - 2 SP

Fast (might be longer than Wisdom of crowds) Easy to facilitate

Option #3: Silent Sorting

Can be biased towards authority and experience Can get to a deadlock Might create multiple reference points Unknowns, dependencies and risks can be overlooked

Recommended for teams in high level of maturity

Facilitation Silent Sorting Estimation 1. Nobody talks2. Comparing to older reference point (do not start from scratch

every time)3. If we hit a deadlock, stop and start talking

HOW NOT TO FALL ASLEEP

EXERCISE

Coaching vs. Facilitation

Planning

How do you do it?

Part 1 Part 2

Be prepared

Purpose

Outcomes

Decisions

Questions

Impact

Set the stage

Time Box

Boundaries

Planning Part 1

Be prepared

Purpose What can be delivered? Who takes what?

Outcomes 3-5 stories per team

Decisions Sprint goal and which team will take each PBI?

QuestionsDo we have any PBIs in risk? Do we have any dependencies ?

Impact Empowered, trusted

Set the stage Each PBI written on a sticky note ordered based on rank and placed on the wall

Time Box Up to 15 minutes

Boundaries Standing UpOnly the team select which story to take

…we have two teams working on the same backlog?

…one team wants to take priority 1,2 and 3?

…one team wants to take priority 1 and 2? …priority 1 and 2 are coupled?

What should you do if..

Planning Part 2

Be prepared

Purpose How are we going to achieve sprint goal

Outcomes Sprint backlog

Decisions Design, UI, Api's, integration, main test case, dependencies what will be displayed in review

Questions What do we need to do in order to bring this item to done? Can we take another story?

Impact Committed, responsible

Set the stage Open space, sticky notes, fun, strategy

Time Box As much as neededEvery 1.5 hours - 15 mins break

BoundariesAt least two people on each PBIEveryone will know what all tasks mean Each task is less than a day

…one team member is an expert in one domain. However, there is no work to do in that domain?

…the team doesn’t know how to splits PBIs into small tasks? …the PBI requires learning of a new area?

What should you do if..

Planning part 1:

Planning part 2: Are you ready to plan how to build a house?

Are you ready to build a house?

Daily Scrum

Please Download and open Kahoot:

Daily

The scrum master / manager / team lead

Randomly

Recommended: Based on priority

Who Starts?

Daily - option #1: Focus on Achievements

3 Questions: 1. What have we accomplished since the last daily

2. What will we accomplish until the next daily

3. What are my/our impediments

Focus on progress Easy to facilitate Encourages interaction with the Scrum board

Daily - option #1: Focus on Achievements

Boring Sometimes feels like micro management Does not focus on sprint goal Sometimes Scrum board is only updated once

3 Better Questions: 1. What have we learned since the last daily

2. Who needs help 3. How do we handle the blockers

Daily - option #2: Focus on shared learning

Focus on shared learning Encourages teamwork Recognizes blockers or hidden work

Daily - option #2: Focus on shared learning

Hard to execute (sometimes people become zombie) Hard to facilitate No interaction with the Scrum board Does not focus on sprint goal Easy to forget updating the Scrum board

Daily Probing Questions

Progress:

1. Is any of our work hidden?

2. Are the next user stories blocked in some way?

3. Are there user stories that we can unblock?

4. Which user stories are moving slowly?

5. Are there any bottlenecks in the queues (WiP is exceeded)?

6. Is anyone assigned to too many tasks?

7. Should we act on user stories owned by absent team members?

Daily Probing Questions

Looking forward:

1. Is there a demand for backlog refinement (grooming)?

2. Are we clear about what's next?

3. Are we doing everything we can to minimize waiting time?

Daily - option #3: Game Challenge the team with a game:

One team member observe the daily stand up from aside

If she/he is able to identify a problem that others didn’t notice she/he wins!

The winner can select one challenge that all team members must do and take a short video of that (e.g. dance crazy)

…people look and talk only to the scrum master?

…each person works on a different story?

…people are bored?

…the PO / Dev manager / CEO talks?

…people skip the daily ?

What should you do if..

EXERCISE

Daily Scrum From Hell

Are you ready to start building a house?

Minimal context switch

Encourage people to go and eat together

Tip: Do the daily before lunch time

Sprint Retrospective

‘The greatest enemy of great is good enough’

Retrospective simulation Now I am the scrum master…

Retrospective Model Example

Opening (2-5 minutes)

Data collection (15-25 minutes)

Generate insights (15-25 minutes)

Decide what to do (15-25 minutes)

Closing (2-5 minutes)

DOT VOTING

Common practice: 3 dots per person

If there are more than 10 issues:Dots = #issues/3 (round up)

If you have to do offshore teams..

Real time boardLinoGo reflect

Do not! But if you must :

Sprint Review

Show & Tell

Bazaar Review

What would you do if..1. Resistance:

“I have already been in 3 agile training” “Nothing of what you saying makes any sense”“They are all liars”

2. Scrum-But:“So Scrum Master is like a TL”“We are already good. No need for retro”“Not everyone is needed in the daily”

3. Changing subject:“The previous training I have been to was horrible”

Ground Rules1. Be calm2. Avoid arguing3. Be curious

- Ask questionsor:- “Great question, what you would do in this situation”- “Great question, Naama what would you have done?”

4. Listen

Tip: For each activity split to group of 2-4 people

www.practical-agile.com

[email protected]

[email protected]

Practical Agile Forum

Company PageCompany Page

Our lifetime guarantee

“THE VALUE OF AN IDEA LIES IN THE USING OF IT”

Thomas Edison