Need a new game to teach Scrum ideas? CardZinga!
One of the most popular exercises for teaching Scrum concepts (empiricism, self-organizing, etc.) is the Ball Point Game (BPG), and most Scrum trainers I ask say they’ve used it. If you’ve taken a Scrum class or two, you’re likely to have played it, too. (Here’s a link to a video I recorded in 2012 of a large team playing BPG.) When playing the Ball Point Game, a team will organize themselves around the goal of getting as many balls as possible passed through the system within a defined period of time. There are a few specific rules / constraints, and groups will typically undergo…
Need a New Year’s fix? Try my Top 10 Tips for Trainers
Are you a trainer with a passion for continuous improvement? Do you believe that lifelong learning is a key to satisfaction and success? As for me, I do a moderate amount of training each year, and one of the things I love about training is that learning goes two ways. Each time I finish conducting a session, I’m fascinated by the many new things I’ve taken away, whether related to content or process. So, if you are on the lookout for new techniques to sharpen your skills or set challenging goals, I would like to provide my Top 10 Tips…
Turning the page to 2017
It’s that time again, when we put high expectations and great hopes on display, usually a step or two above the accomplishments (good or bad) of the previous year. Like many humans, I catch myself in a pensive spirit in late December, and this session is no different from times past… except I’m a year older. With that, I shall inspect my resolutions and proclamations from twelve months ago. Please be mindful that 20/20 vision and rose-colored glasses are both in full effect competing for dominance here. I ended 2015 on a high note having transitioned off a 4-month consulting…
Sign up now for Coaching Beyond the Team
Here in the USA, the summer travel season is heating up. Before you head off to exotic destinations, I want to let you know about a special opportunity right here in our area. Esther Derby and Don Gray are offering their outstanding workshop, Coaching Beyond the Team, in Costa Mesa, Sept 13 & 14. I feel this course will be invaluable for those of you in a scrum master or coaching role. The early bird price ends July 1. Details on the course below from Esther. Have a great summer, Vic Learn how to coach beyond the team Agile coaches and Scrum…
Using Dominoes for Scenario Play
If you’re looking for a way to randomize a group and match them with scenarios for role play, I suggest trying dominoes.
I’ve recently been speaking on the topic of pair-coaching, and in developing my workshop, I’ve been tinkering with using double-nine wooden dominoes. The face of a domino tile is divided into two ends, each with a number of pips (dots)… or no pips at all. In the case of double-nines, the values range from 0-0 to 9-9.
My TakeAways from #TBR with Sharon Bowman
In the days leading up to the Global Scrum Gathering (Orlando, FL), the Braintrust Consulting Group organized a two-day “Training from the BACK of the Room” (TBR) workshop just up the road from the Loews Royal Pacific Resort. It was a fast-paced, high-energy two days with Sharon Bowman and 32 attendees, set in a large, comfortable room perfectly suited for a unique train-the-trainer experience. I hadn’t previously met Sharon, but a year or so earlier I’d bought her book (Training From the Back of the Room!: 65 Ways to Step Aside and Let Them Learn), and I’d since begun dabbling…
Pre-conceptions of Scrum Coaching Retreats
Are you new to Scrum Coaching Retreats? Wondering what exactly you’re signing up for? I was in that position last year, and I’d like to share my observations. It is not a conference, as there are no sessions or speakers. It is Agile Coaches working in Scrum teams, diving deep into topics that they are interested in. – Mark Summers, Scrum Coaching Retreats After having served for many years as a ScrumMaster and team-level coach, I wanted to stretch myself a bit and discover what it means to be a coach. I’d attended a few local gatherings and Open Space…
Inside Out and the Check In core protocol
I’m checking in, Inside Out style: a bit more detailed than a standard protocol check in, but shorter than the movie. I’m GLAD to use the Core Protocols – most particularly, the Check In . I’ve had the privilege to have met Jim McCarthy – what an amazing and passionate human being. I’m honored to belong to the Booted – an online community of about 400 caring individuals, organized by Michelle and Jim McCarthy. Jim and Michelle co-authored Software for your Head, the seminal publication investigating the dynamics of contemporary teams. It’s this book that first introduced the Core Protocols to a wide audience. Michelle and…
Kickstarter launched for Lean Coffee card decks
UPDATE: They’re done! More info here. – – – – I’ve been talking up my Lean Coffee Conversation Starters since the early part of this year, mostly in face-to-face discussions. The decks I have been envisioning would each contain the best and most popular topics from my over three years of hosting local meetups, as well as a number of sessions up and down the West coast and throughout the Midwest. Once summer hit, I poured much of my time into producing these decks: cultivating the right questions, getting the design and layout right, and running tests with printers and…
Keeping busy between jobs
Being out of work is a blessing and a curse. On one hand, having long stretches of time to focus thoughts and efforts on pet projects and learning is amazing. With clear vision and consistent effort, one can make tremendous progress in achieving high-value goals. On the other hand, you’re still out of a job. The search could surely be going better – summer vacations really slow down the hiring process – but it’s at least moving, giving me hope that I’ll land in a great spot. And on the plus side, I’d already planned to have some time off…