universalagile

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Many big industries like information technology, aerospace programs, banking and finances, constructions, government projects, etc are adopting agile . Now the question arises, what makes agile philosophy so demanding? The answer is simple, zealous agile leaders who are passionate about working on agile methods. These agile leaders are competent in creating trust in people and building a flow of transparency in the organization.

They are great mentors who open the door of agile for thriving minds, who are ready to create new and valuable products by using agile methods. To achieve great products, sometimes they have to face constructive criticism. Fulfilling clients’ demands and objectives is the priority of agile leaders. Agile leaders guide and support the new creators as they understand the true value of agile. Agile leaders are those who stick to an agile agenda and make sure it happens. Agile leaders could be Scrum Master, Product Owner, Product Managers, Agile coaches, etc. They have years of experience and practice, hence they help the new budding minds in starting a career in Agile and keep pushing the agile community in the right direction.

Let’s Discuss some points to become the ideal Agile Leader

1. Team work make the dream work

A major responsibility of any scrum leader is to keep the team together. A leader should not only talk about himself or his work; a true leader is someone who helps others to understand their responsibilities and work and mentor them to take the right path. Self-organization suggests that an agile team is not supposed to be supervised or told what to do by someone senior. Instead, the team should work effectively and efficiently together.

A successful agile team should work together without causing any chaos or conflict and complete the task in the given time. Scrum Master builds trust between the team and constantly encourages them to make their own decisions. Critical thinking and decision-making in pressure are deep-rooted in agile teams.

Scrum Masters do not manage their team round the clock. They give responsibility to every individual in the team. This method will help the team to take major decisions without waiting for managerial approvals.

2. Keeping transparency priority

In the Conventional method, only the project manager used to have all the information about the project and the developing team is not fully aware of the project’s mission. In most cases, developers don’t even have a proper idea of the project they are building. But with the first pillar of agile i.e transparency, things have changed in the workplace. From developer to project manager, everybody in the team has a clear vision of the project that they are working on.

Leadership comes with many responsibilities, some might be hard. An ideal leader should be open to constructive criticism and should encourage honest feedback. The leader should be quick to open and shift the project again if needed, and hot to trot to adapt to any changes. Uplifting transparency at the workplace is the key attribute of any leader. A leader must have a clear objective of what they want to achieve with their team at a decided period and use it to galvanize the team.

3. Open to suggestions

In past years there were many groundbreaking inventions and methods which came up from small ideas or experiments. Mere suggestions in the present might become breakthrough ideas in the future. An ideal leader should be open to any type of suggestion. Having an open mindset for accepting new ideas from the team and other people in the organizations, works as a plus point for the leader.

Various methods of agile such as scrum, lean-agile, SaFe do not demand planning, as agile philosophy is based on finding a unique method by experimenting and research. This new way of working helps the agile team to start the project just with an idea and later develop something valuable from it. Hence this sort of method demands an open-minded agile leader.

4. Cross-functional Alliance

An ideal agile organization comprises many teams which collaborate to form a final product. These Cross-functional teams include- developers, marketing team, business analysts, quality analysts.

The prime role of an agile leader is to uplift and guide every team member to achieve the given objective. Handling cross-functional alliance is surely a strenuous task but also crucial for project success. An agile leader facilitates communication between all the cross-functional teams. With smooth communication between teams, many hurdles like delays, defects, partially done work, errors get eliminated.

5. Be There Guiding Light

When beginners join the agile industry, it would surely be an overwhelming experience for them. All the procedures and practices of frameworks of agile might confuse them. An agile leader should make sure to encourage them and mentor them. An agile leader is responsible for explaining all the frameworks, tools, and techniques to beginners.

Mentoring takes a lot of time and patience, which is also an important trait of an agile leader. Instilling confidence and trust in a person and helping them understand their capabilities are the key role of an ideal agile leader.

Conclusion

By increasing agility and using an agile mindset, any business can expand and earn more revenue. Qualities like critical thinking, open mindset, problem-solving, on spot decision-making are the essence of an ideal agile leader. By adding a great leader to the organization, the business is set to grow and expand in the future.

[universalagile]

Introduction

Understanding the three pillars of the scrum is a salient part while learning it. The scrum framework is based on an empirical process control system or empiricism. Empiricism states that knowledge comes from experience and making decisions based on what is known. Scrum applies a frequentative, incremental approach to optimize certainty and control risk. Empirical process control is formed by the three pillars: transparency, inspection, and adaptation.

“The most complicated skill is to be simple” Just like the quote stated, learning the scrum technique is an easy task yet it is difficult to master. The basic rule of implementing an agile mindset effectively starts with the three pillars, which are transparency, inspection, and adaptability. The adaptability approach is used to optimize consistency and risk control by scrum.

So it is safe to say that three pillars support all formations of empirical process control.

A scrum is an approach that helps an individual or an organization to understand what works best for them. The scrum approach is unique and different for everyone, depending on factors like time and place. Learning from past achievements and mistakes and determining the best approach for yourself is a key to mastering the scrum technique.

About Empirical Process Control

We have discussed empirical process control concisely, now we are going to understand it closely. So generally when we talk about process control we refer to three key points known as Input, Process, and Output.

Inputs and processes play a major part. If we have control over and count on our inputs and process, we can bring about tried and tested results. Meanwhile, if we do not put control over our inputs and process, a problem will arise. Focusing attention on empirical process control is a key to applying it effectively. Scrum is a hit-and-trial method with lots of wrong and right decisions. It is a lot more than just meticulous planning.

The empirical process control functions on a factual basis and is based on evidence. All of these are controlled by inspection and adaptation. With the Empirical process, you should expect the unexpected. A scrum is an empirical approach that works on observational methods, and not on some rigorous advanced planning or standard protocols.

Here are some attributes of Empirical Process Control.

Progress rather than precise – As you move with the process, you will learn from your mistakes and will master them eventually.

Change is hard, but staying stuck is harder – it is better to change the working method with time rather than being stuck.

Concise is better – quick development is beneficial and results in fast adaptation and inspection.

Estimation is not the key – Well at some times estimation can help but you can’t rely on them, as they do not guarantee success.

With every changing client demand, scrum adopts a different empirical approach. Learning about the three pillars of scrum is of the essence for any team to maximize the efficiency of their scrum framework. The ideology of the empirical process is based on revealing the truth with researches and experiments that result in substantial and clear conclusions.

Now, let’s understand the three pillars of scrum thoroughly-

Transparency

The first and foremost pillar of scrum is transparency. As the word ‘Transparents’ suggests, the detail of the growth cycle is easily attainable to all the parties engaging in inactivity. Transparency in scrum means that everybody in the team must perceive the objective of scrum and their duties and responsibilities respectively.

Everyone in the team should have similar objectives and should be concerned with what needs to change from every aspect. To reach the set objective, everyone should participate. Also, the flow of data should be transparent and consistent. Besides, everyone should be available for meetings, sprint performance reviews, and gd and must be aware of technologies used by other team members.

The main motive of transparency is to build trust among team members which eventually results in the successful completion of tasks.

Inspection

The growth of a team’s efforts majorly depends upon the process of inspection. Inspecting the workflow, process, human factors etc leads to favorable results. Also, inspecting the work of an individual helps in determining the possible outcome of their work. Inspection is performed in all areas of scrum which are – process, person, procedure, etc. However regular inspection might create hurdles in operations and lead to delays.

Adaptation

Adaptation is something that is also a part of our lives. Scrum adaptation stands for continuously improving the product. It is based on the dimensions to improvise and modify the method for a favorable outcome. Implementing adaptation requires the first two pillars. When the team sticks to transparent procedure and carries out the inspection, and determines what needs to be changed or fixed. That’s how you decide what suits you best and your organization.

Conclusion

With the changing expectations and demands of clients, the IT industry is rapidly evolving by focusing its efforts on an agile client satisfaction approach. Getting a Scrum Master certification will help you to understand scrum frameworks such as empirical process control and scrum pillars thoroughly. If you want to enhance and upgrade your existing scrum leadership skills then, CSM training online course is appropriate for you. We wish you all the best in your career.

[universalagile]

Gaurav Rastogi is an experienced IT professional for 20+ years helping enterprise teams transform into Agile mind-set, create innovative culture and feel empowered.

Gaurav holds specialisation in Agile, Scrum implementation & training. For past 10 years, he has facilitated several Agile workshops,  innovation games and has trained 1000’s of professionals in these areas. Gaurav is also co-creator of Leadership coaching model (exepediacoachingmodel.com) & a frequent speaker at global and regional Agile & Scrum conferences.

In his coaching assignments & workshops, Gaurav has engaged with global banks, asset management companies, technology firms, telecom giants and several start-ups across the globe. He has also conducted public trainings for the employees of large organizations.

[universalagile]

Certified Scrum Trainer & Enterprise Agile Coach

Gaurav Rastogi is an experienced IT professional for 20+ years helping enterprise teams transform into Agile mind-set, create innovative culture and feel empowered.

Gaurav holds specialisation in Agile, Scrum implementation & training. For past 10 years, he has facilitated several Agile workshops,  innovation games and has trained 1000’s of professionals in these areas. Gaurav is also co-creator of Leadership coaching model (exepediacoachingmodel.com) & a frequent speaker at global and regional Agile & Scrum conferences.

In his coaching assignments & workshops, Gaurav has engaged with global banks, asset management companies, technology firms, telecom giants and several start-ups across the globe. He has also conducted public trainings for the employees of large organizations.

[universalagile]

The product owner and Scrum Master are eminent roles that come to mind, whenever we mention scrum teams. Both roles are requisite in the scrum team. They serve each other and the development team.

Role of Product Owner

The product owner is an individual that tells the development team what is important to deliver. Product managers are supposed to make the most of the product value by prioritizing items on backlogs. Facilitating transparent communication between stakeholders and the development team is a crucial task of the product owner. Transparency helps a cross-functional team to work smoothly.

Role of Scrum Master

Scrum Masters are leaders and mentors of the agile team. They make sure that the agile philosophy is followed by other team members. The Scrum Master eliminates the errors or difficulties that the development team might face and encourages the team to work effectively and efficiently. The Scrum Master should uplift team members and encourage them to work to the best of their ability. Scrum Master plays a big role in improving the performance of the development team.

How Scrum Master Serves Product Owner

As a leader, there are several services that a Scrum Master should provide to the product owner and the development team. Below are the services that should be provided by the Scrum Master to the product owner.

Making sure that everyone in the scrum team is aware of the product which they are working on. Goals, scope, and product domain should be discussed thoroughly with the team.

Uncover approaches for efficacious product backlog management.

Ensuring that every individual in the team understands the need for concise and clear product backlog items.

Uplifting product planning in an empirical environment.

Understanding agility and making sure everyone in the team practices it.

Arranging scrum events according to need.

Let’s understand the above points thoroughly.

Ensuring That Everyone In The Team Understands The Product Goals:

Oft-times there may be a difference between the perspective of the product owner and the development team. Filling that gap of vision is the responsibility of the Scrum Master.

Efficacious Backlog Management:

A product owner is in charge of creating and managing the product backlog. One of the major services that a Scrum Master provides the product owner is helping the product owner in keeping backlog management up-to-date and groomed.

Helping The Agile Team To Get A Clear Vision Of Product Backlog:

Filling the gap of vision between the scrum team and product owner is a vital service that the Scrum Master provides. Also, building trust between the development team and product owner is a Scrum Master’s task.

Maintaining An Empirical Environment In Product Planning

Experiments and experience are the two pillars of the empirical environment. An ideal Scrum Master should take experience from their past experiments and lead the product owner and development team in planning and developing.

Ensuring Product Owner’s Work

To maximize the value of the product backlog, the Scrum Master helps the product owner. Though maximizing the value of product backlog is the product owner’s job, Scrum Master assists product owners in grooming and updating backlogs. Approaches like MoSCow ( Must have, Should have, Could have,Will not have) are used in updating backlogs. The majority of Scrum Masters know about these techniques and they can assist product owners with that.

Handling Scrum Events

Scrum events are significant practice in scrum agile teams. Scrum events such as stand-ups, retrospectives, etc are arranged by the Scrum Master. Stand-ups are a great way to address issues in a team or raise issues regarding a product.

Encouraging Scrum And Agility Practice

Maintaining scrum practices in the workplace is a key role of Scrum Masters. Scrum Masters should ensure that everyone in the team should be aware of scrum techniques and scrum value. This is a major service that a Scrum Master provides to a product owner, as the scrum concept helps the team acknowledge the changing requirements of the product.

Scrum Master Salient Services To The Development Team

The Scrum Master helps the development team in various ways such as:

Educating the development team about self-management and cross-functionality.

Assisting the development team in creating high-value products.

Eliminating errors

Now let’s understand, above points thoroughly:

Educating The Team

Self-organized and Cross-functional is a resulting goal of any agile team. The Scrum Master helps the development team in attaining a high level of cross-functionality. Being self-organized means being less dependent on outside forces and achieving tasks without waiting for any managerial approvals. The Scrum Master has to uplift the development team to become more self-managed. This will make them more responsible and productive as they are accountable for their actions. Also Scrum Master encourages cross-functionality as it increases the productivity of work.

2. Assisting Team In Creating A High End Product

The secret to high-value products is customer feedback. A scrum leader should be open-minded and should be open to any type of feedback. Implementing customers feedback will eventually improve product quality and performance.

3. Eliminating Errors

As a scrum leader, the foremost responsibility is to assist the development team to perform. Eliminating unnecessary errors from the development team’s progress will help them to focus more on the product. Scrum Master constantly works on creating a distraction-free environment for the development team.

Conclusion

Every project comes with its fair share of problems, but agile and scrum framework considerably alleviate risk and problems and bring value to products. With a Scrum Master in a scrum team, many problems and issues hindering the progress of the team get eliminated.

[universalagile]

Gaurav Rastogi is a certified Scrum Trainer (CST) & Agile Coach having experience of over 20 years of training IT professionals in Scrum training & implementation.

[universalagile]

Scrum Masters are generally expected to have certain qualities and not everyone will fit in and match the criteria. So, earning a certificate is not all, practising it is the real challenge and the real mastery involves the below mentioned qualities stuck to a person to be called as a good Scrum Master