Two Scrums Up

It’s the Season 2 finale, we’re at the top of the mountain, and Sarah Rose and John are here to show you the view. Accompanied by multidisciplinary designer and founder of /ayd, Charis Alexander, they explore the question of what is really at the heart of driving ourselves and our teams towards more meaningful achievement? Together, they’ll guide you through the ways in which cultivating psychologically safe, equity-minded teams is a precursor to Flow State which, in turn, is the foundation of peak performance. In fact, the entanglement between these concepts is such that one experience may not be possible without the other. ___Referenced this week:Charis Alexander: https://layd.life/ Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Journal of Leisure Research, 24(1), 93–94.Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997). Finding flow. New York: Basic.Ghosh, R., Haynes, R. K., & Kram, K. E. (2013). Developmental networks at work: Holding environments for leader development. Career Development International, 18(3), 232-256.MacCurtain, S., Flood, P. C., Ramamoorthy, N., West, M. A., & Dawson, J. F. (2010). The top management team, reflexivity, knowledge sharing and new product performance: A study of the Irish software industry. Creativity and Innovation Management, 19(3), 219-232.MacNeill, N., & Cavanagh, R. (2013). The possible misfit of Csikszentmihalyi’s dimensions of flow in the contemporary roles of school leaders. Management in Education, 27(1), 7-13.Maslow, A. (1965). Self actualization and beyond. Proceedings from the Conference on the Training of Counselors of Adults. Winchester, MA: The New England Board of Higher Education. Moneta, G. B. (2004). The flow experience across cultures. Journal of Happiness Studies, 5, 115–121. Quinn, R. W. (2005). Flow in knowledge work: High performance experience in the design of national security technology. Administrative Science Quarterly, 50(4), 610-641._____Show NormsBe transparent about where we're at. Only record show when we're both ready.Tell me where your head is at. This will help us adapt to our moods and tones.  Share the mic. Push for equity of voice in recording and editing.Respect each other's privacy. Use 'I'. Avoid broad generalizations.Speak your truth. Stay positive, but honest.Ask WHY. If something's unclear, we push each other to clarify.We make decisions together. Nothing goes live unless we are both happy.We will make mistakes, tell me when so I can learn.______Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

What is the right way to engage in feedback conversations? In this episode, John and Sarah Rose challenge traditional, default modes of feedback, including telling it how it is, blaming, and constructive criticism—all of which are unidirectional and assume one “right” answer. Instead, your intrepid hosts guide you out of the binary realm of one truth and walk you step by step through alternative models that contribute to building a feedback culture for growth._____Referenced this week: Exploring the relationship between learning and leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal. (Brown & Posner, 2001).Leading adult learning: Supporting adult development in our schools. (Drago-Severson, 2009). How the way we talk can change the way we work: Seven languages for transformation. (Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2001).)Managing diversity at work: Does psychological safety hold the key to racial differences in employee performance?  (Singh & Selvarajan, 2013). Situation, Behavior Impact Model (Center for Creative Leadership, 2020)_____Show NormsBe transparent about where we're at. Only record show when we're both ready.Tell me where your head is at. This will help us adapt to our moods and tones.  Share the mic. Push for equity of voice in recording and editing.Respect each other's privacy. Use 'I'. Avoid broad generalizations.Speak your truth. Stay positive, but honest.Ask WHY. If something's unclear, we push each other to clarify.We make decisions together. Nothing goes live unless we are both happy.We will make mistakes, tell me when so I can learn._____Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Beware the default mode of prizes and back-pats lest you drain the power from praise. Trite and nonspecific praise can at best offer minimal value, and at worst create a system of winners and losers. We know it’s common to under-communicate genuinely positive, appreciative, and admiring regard for our coworkers in a powerful way. That's why Sarah Rose and John are jumping into the deep end of the praise pool and focusing this episode on sharing 3 tactical checkpoints to examine, reform, and transform your team’s practice of praise. _____Referenced this week: Exploring the relationship between learning and leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal. (Brown & Posner, 2001).Leading adult learning: Supporting adult development in our schools. (Drago-Severson, 2009). Excerpt from: How the way we talk can change the way we work: Seven languages for transformation. (Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2001).)Managing diversity at work: Does psychological safety hold the key to racial differences in employee performance?  (Singh & Selvarajan, 2013). _____Show NormsBe transparent about where we're at. Only record show when we're both ready.Tell me where your head is at. This will help us adapt to our moods and tones.  Share the mic. Push for equity of voice in recording and editing.Respect each other's privacy. Use 'I'. Avoid broad generalizations.Speak your truth. Stay positive, but honest.Ask WHY. If something's unclear, we push each other to clarify.We make decisions together. Nothing goes live unless we are both happy.We will make mistakes, tell me when so I can learn.____Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Scrum teams perform at their best when given the trust to be self-managing, the freedom to decide how their work gets done, and clear goals for the sprint ahead. But what are the limitations on autonomy and what does it look like to protect it in the face of pressure from different stakeholders? In this episode, Sarah Rose and John discuss autonomy’s nemeses—like the micromanager and the illusion of democracy—in order to finally set the record straight: Scrum team members are not order-takers, overtime heroes, or planning poker lobbyists. There are clear ways to support team autonomy and obstacles that can be removed right away IF you know where to look!----Referenced this week:Controlling the uncontrollable: ‘Agile’ teams and illusions of autonomy in creative work. (Hodgson & Briand, 2013). Knowledge worker team effectiveness: The role of autonomy, interdependence, team development, and contextual support variables. (Janz, Colquitt,  & Noe, 1997).Individual autonomy in work teams: The role of team autonomy, self-efficacy, and social support. (van Mierlo, Rutte, Vermunt, Kompier, & Doorewaard, (2006).Show NormsBe transparent about where we're at. Only record show when we're both ready.Tell me where your head is at. This will help us adapt to our moods and tones.  Share the mic. Push for equity of voice in recording and editing.Respect each other's privacy. Use 'I'. Avoid broad generalizations.Speak your truth. Stay positive, but honest.Ask WHY. If something's unclear, we push each other to clarify.We make decisions together. Nothing goes live unless we are both happy.We will make mistakes, tell me when so I can learn.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

We could talk about the core Scrum values ‘til the cows come home — Focus, Openness, Commitment, Courage, and Respect! HOWEVER, what does it look like to reflect and act on those core values from the perspective of an ally? Sarah Rose and John share their own experiences as allies and times they wished they had an ally. Through those experiences, they analyze the critical impact of recognizing different voices on a team as a way to make sure no team member remains invisible.----Referenced this week:Black Futures [ONE WORLD] (Jenna Wortham & Kimberly Drew, 2020)----Show NormsBe transparent about where we're at. Only record show when we're both ready.Tell me where your head is at. This will help us adapt to our moods and tones.  Share the mic. Push for equity of voice in recording and editing.Respect each other's privacy. Use 'I'. Avoid broad generalizations.Speak your truth. Stay positive, but honest.Ask WHY. If something's unclear, we push each other to clarify.We make decisions together. Nothing goes live unless we are both happy.We will make mistakes, tell me when so I can learn.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Making the most of collaborative time is challenging. Whether it's designing, brainstorming, planning, or learning, discussion protocols offer structured processes to support focused and productive conversations, build collective understanding, and drive equitable team improvement. In this episode, Sarah Rose and John divulge the secret sauce of protocols and, as a treat, try out a long-time favorite that you can take back to your team: Zones of Comfort, Risk, and Danger!----Referenced this week: John's ZonesSarah Rose's ZonesProtocols:Zones of Comfort, Risk, and Danger Microlabs for Exploring Equity by Emily White & Linda LantieriOpeners and Other Protocols created and/or adapted by AlleyProtocol Library from the School Reform Initiative----Show NormsBe transparent about where we're at. Only record show when we're both ready.Tell me where your head is at. This will help us adapt to our moods and tones.  Share the mic. Push for equity of voice in recording and editing.Respect each other's privacy. Use 'I'. Avoid broad generalizations.Speak your truth. Stay positive, but honest.Ask WHY. If something's unclear, we push each other to clarify.We make decisions together. Nothing goes live unless we are both happy.We will make mistakes, tell me when so I can learn.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

How might we practice what we know to be true in theory: in SCRUM, the more team members who are able to exercise their voice, the better the final product will be.In this episode, we learn from Linda Rosenbury— superintendent of schools in Washington State and Doctoral Student at Harvard's Educational Leadership Program. Linda's experience working with adults from diverse racial, socio-economic and linguistic backgrounds crystallizes specific strategies for engaging all voices to participate so teams talk during meetings instead of later at the Slack water cooler.----Referenced this week:Linda RosenburyLinked in:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-rosenbury/Twitter: @lindarosenburyHumble Inquiry by Edgar E. Shein___Show NormsBe transparent about where we're at. Only record show when we're both ready.Tell me where your head is at. This will help us adapt to our moods and tones.  Share the mic. Push for equity of voice in recording and editing.Respect each other's privacy. Use 'I'. Avoid broad generalizations.Speak your truth. Stay positive, but honest.Ask WHY. If something's unclear, we push each other to clarify.We make decisions together. Nothing goes live unless we are both happy.We will make mistakes, tell me when so I can learn.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Vulnerability, making mistakes, and being wrong are critical to our teams’ success! As leaders across Scrum roles, in modeling our own vulnerability through seeking help, sharing fears, admitting mistakes, or admitting failure we invite the same in our team. In this episode, we reflect on our mistakes, argue about the separation of work and home, and discuss how an atmosphere of vulnerability opens the door to creativity, learning, and growth.----For further learning...Innovation is not enough: Climates for initiative and psychological safety, process innovations, and firm performance (Markus Baer & Michael Frese, Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, 2003)Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams (Administrative Science Quarterly Amy Edmondson, 1999)----Show NormsBe transparent about where we're at. Only record show when we're both ready.Tell me where your head is at. This will help us adapt to our moods and tones. Share the mic. Push for equity of voice in recording and editing.Respect each other's privacy. Use 'I'. Avoid broad generalizations.Speak your truth. Stay positive, but honest.Ask WHY. If something's unclear, we push each other to clarify.We make decisions together. Nothing goes live unless we are both happy.We will make mistakes, tell me when so I can learn.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

When silence becomes a pattern on a Scrum team — mayday! — we have a problem. Identifying different types of employee silence and understanding how to address them is the first step towards reviving team voice. Whether it’s fear, embarrassment, a narrow sense of ethical responsibility, or lacking room to speak up, learn how silence can be destructive and how to work with your team to move past it.----For you to use right away:Read:  Destructive role of employee silence in organizational success. (Beheshtifar, Borhani, & Moghadam, 2012)Listen: How to Build Psychological Safety with Amy Edmondson (Coaching for Leaders)----Show NormsBe transparent about where we're at. Only record show when we're both ready.Tell me where your head is at. This will help us adapt to our moods and tones. Share the mic. Push for equity of voice in recording and editing.Respect each other's privacy. Use 'I'. Avoid broad generalizations.Speak your truth. Stay positive, but honest.Ask WHY. If something's unclear, we push each other to clarify.We make decisions together. Nothing goes live unless we are both happy.We will make mistakes, tell me when so I can learn.----Feb 2021: Alley is hiring! More info at https://alley.co/careers----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Season 2 begins with an exuberant welcome to new co-host, Sarah Rose Belok! Learn why clear and upheld norms can steer teams beyond unproductive behaviors to do their BEST work (even teams of two!). John and Sarah Rose model how to identify and finalize a set of norms, by working through their own norms for the podcast.----Podcast NormsBe transparent about where we're at. Only record show when we're both ready.Tell me where your head is at. This will help us adapt to our moods and tones. Share the mic. Push for equity of voice in recording and editing.Respect each other's privacy.Use 'I' statements. Avoid broad generalizations.Speak your truth. Stay positive, but honest.Ask WHY. If something's unclear, we push each other to clarify.We make decisions together. Nothing goes live unless we are both happy.We will make mistakes, tell me when so I can learn.----Practical resources to use right away: Norms Construction —  National School Reform InitiativeThe Power of Protocols: An educator's guide to better practice  ----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

A quick(ish) update on the show -- enjoy!

There's a huge difference between being told this is a safe space and a space actually being safe. In this episode, Sarah Rose Belok unpacks how psychological safety can be fostered, honored, and maintained on a team.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

All the agility in a project isn't worth its salt unless the end result is usable. User Story Mapping can help. Friend of the show, Jaimie Olmstead, explains how to navigate a team through their product user's journey to build a backlog, identify any missing items, and paint a complete picture of a project plan.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Scrum champions the MVP: deliver the minimum rapidly so you can iterate as soon as possible. But what about those moments when we find enough time to not only deliver an MVP but throw in a little extra delight to boot. Learn how Alley's Director of Development Operations Ben Bolton manages to deliver maximum value in an MVP package.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Standups. Backlogs. Fibonacci numbers? Getting up to speed with Scrum can be a challenge. This week, Senior UX Developer Kaitlin Bolling shares her tips and shortcuts to going from a Scrum zero to a Scrum hero!----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Projects are full of many big decision points, but what about the small decisions we make every day. In this episode, Ken and John discuss the choices we make to fully close out a sprint.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

How can you navigate the natural tension between scoped bodies of work and the agility of Scrum? Alley Partner and Chief Strategy Officer, Brad Campeau-Laurion, discusses the nuts and bolts of contracts in an Agile environment.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Scrum relies on doing the most important work first, but how can you prioritize two competing deliverables for a single team? In this episode, D. Scott DiPerna walks us through ways to make tough decisions less daunting and how to more courageously deliver on our product backlog.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Delivering Agile projects isn't about having an emergency-free experience - far from it. But, by taking the time to develop and document emergency procedures on your team will guarantee that when the fire drills start, everyone will know what to do and how to quickly move beyond them.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Sometimes, the best way to move fast is to go slow. Taking a breather to more closely research or investigate a stakeholder request before doing the work can help a project in the long run.  On this episode, Pattie Reaves and Allan Collins walk us through how to best map out the way forward before charging headlong into code.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

A bit of spooky fun this week. Instead of our normal show sharing our scrum successes and missteps, we give you three scary stories with an agile tinge to them. 100% fiction. 100% fun. Enjoy!----Sound effects and music courtesy of Daniel Gale Rosen, Mixkit.co (under the Mixkit Sound Effects Free License), and ZapSplat.com.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

A team with the best tools and smoothest processes won't deliver success if they aren't working together. In this episode, we discuss one of the core tenets of the Agile Manifesto: value Individuals and Interactions most. Learn how communication, caring, and clarity leads to project success.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Scrum doesn't have time for "that's not my job" silos. 100% clarity and collaboration delivers the best results. In this episode, we discuss what being T-shaped means, and how any member of a team can help unblock a colleague, regardless of specialization.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Team, team, team - we say all the time how Scrum focuses on the power of teams over individuals. Swarming - working together on a shared problem - is one example of how a Scrum team is stronger together.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Along with special guest Daniel Gale-Rosen, Alley's Director of Marketing, Ken and John unpack how Scrum's framework can be applied to marketing. Hear how Scrum makes the work to "make work visible" visible.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Call it a Sprint Review or a Sprint Demo, but this Scrum ritual is all about transparency and iteration. Join special guest Michael Muniz as he helps us unpack the benefits of regularly sharing what the team has accomplished.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

We say it every week: this show is about "practicing scrum in an agency environment." To kick it up a notch, we're also a fully remote agency. How does Scrum - a framework that advises teams to share the same physical space - work when team members can be a few miles, often a few timezones, apart? Listen and find out!----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

A good scrum master removes impediments for the team but a great scrum master removes impediments before the team is ever aware of them. Check out this episode where John and Ken share some stories and talk all things impediment removal. ----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

STOP — data time! On this episode, Alley's VP of Product Strategy and resident data aficionado, Jeff Stanger, shares tips and tricks on how to gather and analyze Scrum metrics for single teams as well as entire organizations running Scrum@Scale. Come for the data; stay for the OG remix at the end of the episode.----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co

Adding items to a Product Backlog is easy. How do you keep what can become an overwhelming list of half-formed ideas in check? Refine it! In this episode, Certified Product Owner Rebecca Viser shares practical advice on ensuring a backlog delivers the most valuable value every Sprint. ----Do you want to learn more about Scrum? Follow us!Twitter / Facebook: scrumsup | Instagram: twoscrumsupFind out more about Alley at https://alley.co