Dual Focus, Balancing Agile Team Health with Value Delivery | Chris Sims
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Release Date: 04/24/2025
BONUS The Human Side of Software Development With Jussi Mononen
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
CTO Series: Jussi Mononen on the Human Side of Software Development and Technical Leadership In this episode, we explore the intersection of technology and people with Jussi Mononen, CTO of . Drawing from his extensive experience as an Agile practitioner and technical leader, Jussi shares valuable insights on effective software development, technical strategy alignment, and the critical human elements that drive successful technology implementations. The Transformative Power of Agile "It's all about people." Jussi's journey as a technology leader was fundamentally shaped when he...
info_outline
BONUS: From Waterfall to Flow—Rethinking Mental Models in Software Delivery | Henrik Mårtensson
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
BONUS: From Waterfall to Flow—Rethinking Mental Models in Software Delivery With Henrik Mårtensson In this BONUS episode, we explore the origins and persistence of waterfall methodology in software development with management consultant Henrik Mårtensson. , Henrik explains the historical context of waterfall, challenges the mental models that keep it alive in modern organizations, and offers insights into how systems thinking can transform our approach to software delivery. This conversation is essential for anyone looking to understand why outdated methodologies persist and how to...
info_outline
Software Engineers are Paid to Solve Problems, Not Write Code! | John Crickett
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
BONUS: Software Engineers are Paid to Solve Problems, Not Write Code! With John Crickett In this BONUS episode, we explore a thought-provoking LinkedIn post by John Crickett that challenges a fundamental misconception in software engineering. John shares insights on why engineers should focus on problem-solving rather than just coding, how to develop business context understanding, and why this shift in perspective is crucial in the age of AI. Beyond Writing Code: Understanding the True Value of Software Engineering "A lot of us come to software engineering because we care about...
info_outline
BONUS: Beyond Frameworks, A Provocative Guide to Real Agility | Erwin Verweij
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
BONUS: Beyond Frameworks, A Provocative Guide to Real Agility With Erwin Verweij In this BONUS episode, we dive into the provocative world of ' Erwin shares his journey from frustration to clarity as he witnesses organizations adopting Agile frameworks without understanding their purpose. With candid stories from his coaching experiences, Erwin reveals what happens when teams wake up to real agility beyond dogmatic practices and how organizations can find their own path to meaningful change. The Wake-Up Call for Agile Adoption "What the f*ck dude! Do you even know what it means? Do you...
info_outline
BONUS Creating Delightful Products With Nesrine Changuel
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
BONUS: Nesrine Changuel shares how to create emotionally connected, delightful products! In this BONUS episode, we explore the concept of product delight with Nesrine Changuel. Nesrine shares insights from her extensive experience at companies like Skype, Spotify, Google Meet, and Chrome to help us understand how to create lovable tech experiences that drive user loyalty and differentiation. We explore the Delight Grid Framework she created, and discuss the importance of emotional connection in product design. We also touch on practical ways to incorporate delight into everyday product...
info_outline
Beyond the Backlog—How Great Product Owners Embrace Team Collaboration | Carmen Jurado
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Carmen Jurado: Beyond the Backlog—How Great Product Owners Embrace Team Collaboration The Great Product Owner: Standing with the Team Carmen shares that the best Product Owners she's encountered are those who stand with their teams. Drawing from her own recent experience as a Product Owner, she emphasizes the importance of being there for your team, recognizing that they make you look good. Great Product Owners understand that achievements are team efforts, not individual accomplishments. Carmen also highlights that exemplary Product Owners have a deep understanding of the goals,...
info_outline
The Power of Constructive Feedback in Building Trust in Agile Teams | Carmen Jurado
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Carmen Jurado: The Power of Constructive Feedback in Building Trust in Agile Teams Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: . Carmen identifies the hallmark of a successful team as one that allows itself to be vulnerable. Success isn't just about positive feedback but creating an environment where team members feel safe to discuss mistakes openly. She shares an experience where a team member made an error that caused a significant project delay, prompting other team members to...
info_outline
Lean Change Management, How to Design Change with Those Affected | Carmen Jurado
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Carmen Jurado: Lean Change Management, How to Design Change with Those Affected Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: . Carmen discusses the critical mistakes organizations make when implementing change without adequate communication and employee involvement. She highlights how employees are often simply informed of new methods without any prior communication, creating resistance and disengagement. Carmen advocates for involving employees early in the change process,...
info_outline
The Power of Being Heard, Turning Critics Into Agile Advocates | Carmen Jurado
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Carmen Jurado: The Power of Being Heard, Turning Critics Into Agile Advocates Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: . Carmen shares how she was asked to step in as a Scrum Master for a struggling team that had a particularly vocal and critical lead developer. This developer had experienced multiple transitions and transformations, leading to significant resistance that was affecting the entire team's morale and creating unresolved conflicts. Carmen focused on building...
info_outline
Scrum Masters, Your Team Needs to Know Which Hat You're Wearing | Carmen Jurado
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Carmen Jurado: Scrum Masters, Your Team Needs to Know Which Hat You're Wearing Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: . Carmen shares a valuable learning experience from her early days as a Scrum Master when she was assigned the additional responsibility of being a compliance officer for her team. During a retrospective, she noticed an uncomfortable atmosphere but didn't address it. After the session, the team requested a private meeting where they expressed their discomfort,...
info_outlineChris Sims: Dual Focus, Balancing Agile Team Health with Value Delivery
Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.
For Chris Sims, success as a Scrum Master centers on two critical outcomes: creating healthier, happier work environments and helping teams deliver more value. Chris emphasizes that Scrum is only valuable if it helps achieve these fundamental goals. He suggests using surveys to assess team health and happiness, tracking how often team members ask each other for help, and evaluating whether daily scrums focus on problem-solving rather than status reporting. Regarding value delivery, Chris cautions against measuring the wrong things (like velocity) which can drive counterproductive behaviors. Instead, he recommends tracking how frequently teams deliver to stakeholders, having meaningful discussions about business value, and ensuring stakeholder involvement in sprint reviews to better align with what truly matters to the organization.
In this segment, we refer to Chris Sims’ articles on Business Value Myths, and Measuring Value With Product Hypothesis.
Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: The Dixit Retrospective
Chris shares an innovative retrospective format based on the card game Dixit. In this approach, teams use the game's evocative picture cards to help describe their experiences during the sprint. The visual nature of these cards engages team members in a completely different way compared to traditional retrospectives, encouraging creative thinking and alternative perspectives. Chris notes that this format is particularly effective because it creates space for everyone to think before speaking, which helps balance participation between extroverts and more reflective team members. This retrospective technique can uncover insights that might not emerge in more conventional discussion formats.
Self-reflection Question: How might you better balance measuring team health with measuring value delivery in your definition of success?
[Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]
🚀 Global Agile Summit 2025
Join us in Tallinn, Estonia, from May 18th – 20th, 2025, for an event that will inspire, challenge, and equip you with real-world Agile success stories.
🌍 Connect with global Agile leaders.
💡 Learn practical strategies for impact.
🔥 Break free from Agile fatigue and <strong>become a Pragmatic Innovator</strong>.</p>
[Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]
About Chris Sims
Chris Sims is a scrum trainer, agile coach, and recovering C++ developer who helps organizations improve their productivity and happiness. Chris is the founder of Agile Learning Labs and the co-author of two best-selling scrum books: The Elements of Scrum and Scrum: a Breathtakingly Brief and Agile Introduction.
You can link with Chris Sims on LinkedIn, visit Chris Sims’ Agile Learning Labs website.