The IIL Blog

APRIL 24, 2024

By Alan Zucker Agile is a mindset described by a set of values and principles. Lean is industry-agnostic and offers insight into agility. Companies innovate and develop new products. But customers validate those innovations by “voting with their wallets.” They learn from their customers and continually innovate.

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Lean Agile Underperforming Technical Team Innovation 88

Scrum.org

JULY 24, 2023

TL; DR: Product Discovery for Scrum Teams While Scrum excels at building and releasing Increments, it does not guarantee that those are valuable—garbage in, garbage out. Scrum teams can equally make things no one is interested in using at all. Get notified when the Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide book is available !

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SCRUM Lean Innovation 2020 165

Scrum.org

JUNE 20, 2023

With this in mind, Agile-ity Inc. In this article, we'll take a journey through four distinct learning methods – traditional, guided, immersive, and flipped – highlighting their unique characteristics, benefits, and applicability in the context of Scrum & Kanban training. offers a variety of learning methods tailored to your needs.

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SCRUM Agile Influencer Initiating 153

International Institute for Learning

JULY 7, 2022

2009), include eXtreme Programming (XP) (Beck and Fowler, 2001) and Scrum (Schwaber and Beedle, 2002). This family of methods are now commonly known as Agile , and it has been through the formation of the Agile Alliance and the publication of the Agile Manifesto (Fowler and Highsmith 2001).

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Scrum.org

JULY 20, 2023

As the software development landscape evolves, evaluating the time-tested traditional project management strategies alongside the burgeoning agile methodologies is essential. TL;DR: Agile's emphasis on incremental development with working software mitigates risks efficiently by validating real-world use early and continuously.

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Risk Management Risk Agile Lean 122

Scrum.org

OCTOBER 3, 2023

Recently, I found myself drawing parallels between one of my favourite autumnal activities, mushroom foraging, and the principles of agility. Similarly, in our professional endeavours, sometimes we need to take calculated risks, to delve deeper, to truly innovate and achieve exceptional results.

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Agile Consulting Innovation SCRUM 166

Scrum.org

MAY 10, 2022

As Scrum.org professionals, we have coached, trained and mentored thousands of Scrum Masters and consulted the organizations they work with, and we’ve consistently encountered similar issues that not only limit Scrum Teams from thriving, but also restrict empiricism from working. That’s Mechanical Scrum.

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SCRUM Agile Leadership Influencer 235

Scrum.org

NOVEMBER 26, 2023

TL, DR: The Scrum Trap Scrum is a purposefully incomplete framework. And then there are others — the Scrum trap. Let’s look at what practices and tools for collaboration and team building are not helpful when used with Scrum. ? Preorder the Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide book now for delivery in January 2024! ?️

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SCRUM Technical Review Innovation 2024 161

Scrum.org

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

Embraced across industries, Agile frameworks offer a flexible approach for delivering complex products. At the heart of successful Agile implementation lies a delicate equilibrium between autonomy and guidance - a balance that Agile leaders must master. Strategies for Striking the Balance 1.

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Leadership Agile Sustainability Innovation 167

Scrum.org

AUGUST 14, 2023

In the realm of agile methodologies, Scrum stands as a guiding beacon, promoting flexibility, collaboration, and incremental progress. Central to Scrum is the delivery of value in small, usable increments. Scrum teams deliver value incrementally. Scrum thrives on the concept of inspect and adapt.

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Defining SCRUM Innovation Risk Management 157

Scrum.org

MARCH 7, 2023

Since I became a Professional Scrum Trainer in November, I have been asked a lot about the current state, and the future perspectives, for Scrum and agile development in Japan, where I’ve worked for the last six years. So much so that many consider the paper to be part of the roots of Scrum. Why is that?

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Underperforming Technical Team SCRUM Agile Software Engineering 131

Scrum.org

JANUARY 31, 2023

I was an analyst for Forrester research on a panel at the Agile conference in Orlando. After the conference, I bought Eric Ries’s book - Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. The idea that Scrum is meant to be purely used at the end to build something is misleading.

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Lean SCRUM 2016 Executing 236

Scrum.org

APRIL 1, 2022

Although some issues might have been fixed, I rarely see the full potential of a Scrum Team being achieved. Agile implementations shift culture, yet many organizations limit themselves to the bare minimal execution of a framework and call that Agile. Agility is necessary for survival. Agility is necessary for survival.

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Underperforming Technical Team SCRUM Innovation Leadership 217

Scrum.org

MARCH 5, 2024

Agility is supposed to be about enabling people to do their best and most creative work. And yet, we often see so-called agile practices and frameworks being used in ways that are more about trying to control outcomes and people. And then we say that we are agile and open to change, so it’s all good.

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Agile Innovation Controlling Leadership 183

Scrum.org

AUGUST 3, 2023

The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as described in the Scrum Guide. The Scrum Master is a teacher, coach, impediment remover, change agent, mentor, and facilitator. They lead by example and they serve the Scrum team, the organization and the Product Owner.

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SCRUM Software Review Technical Review Innovation 142

Scrum.org

JULY 17, 2023

Agile has become more than just a buzzword in our complex world. Agility is a mindset, a skillset, a culture, and a driving force behind successful, flexible, and responsive organisations. The Agile Leader's commitment goes beyond mere lip service to the Agile Manifesto. In the Agile world, this couldn't be truer.

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Agile Underperforming Technical Team Innovation Leadership 131

Scrum.org

APRIL 9, 2023

I have been working on agile projects for the past 10 years. A couple of years ago, I asked by an executive how he would know if the money they invested on setting up these agile release trains was working? He was essentially asking me to prove the “ROI” for agile and to measure delivery of value.

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Agile Innovation Executing Sustainability 212

Scrum.org

MAY 23, 2021

TL; DR: Scrum Failure Culture: A Requirement to Be Successful. There are plenty of failure possibilities with Scrum. Given that Scrum is a framework with a reasonable yet short “manual,” this effect should not surprise anyone. Join Stefan in one of his upcoming Professional Scrum training classes !

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SCRUM 2021 Innovation Agile 230

Project Pulse Journal

APRIL 15, 2024

By: Hajime Estanislao, PMP, CSM The quest for methodologies that offer efficiency and agility has never been rockier. Agile methodologies stand at the forefront of this quest, providing the blueprint for rapid, responsive, and customer-centric project execution. Agile methodologies offer a path to mastering these challenges.

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Software Review Technical Review Agile SCRUM 52

Scrum.org

OCTOBER 28, 2022

Join the Mastering Agility Discord community. Although some issues might have been fixed, I rarely see the full potential of a Scrum Team being achieved. Agile implementations shift culture, yet many organizations limit themselves to the bare minimal execution of a framework and call that Agile. To survive.

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Underperforming Technical Team SCRUM Innovation Leadership 171

Scrum.org

MAY 15, 2023

TL; DR: 60 ChatGPT Prompts for Agile Practitioners ChatGPT can be an excellent tool for those who know how to create prompts. The following article offers a primer to creating ChatGPT prompts for Scrum practitioners to get you started running. Are you planning to hire a new Scrum Master? ? ? ?? Yub, that works, too.) ??

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ChatGPT Technical Review SCRUM Artificial Inteligence 192

Scrum.org

JUNE 7, 2021

TL; DR: Essential Agile Failure Patterns — When Noise Interferes with Signal. There are plenty of failure possibilities with Scrum. Given that Scrum is a framework with a reasonable yet short “manual,” this effect should not surprise anyone. Join Stefan in one of his upcoming Professional Scrum training classes !

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SCRUM Agile Technical Review Software Review 189

NimbleWork

MARCH 7, 2024

As the Agile project management framework reaches adoption maturity at lean, progressive and disruptive startup firms, many teams at established organizations are struggling to fully embrace the Agile project management framework at scale. How to migrate from Traditional PM to Agile?

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Agile Software Review Technical Review Leadership 114

Scrum.org

JUNE 23, 2023

Back in 2012 when I was on the path to becoming a Scrum.org Professional Scrum Trainer, I travelled to Boston to attend a PSM course run by Ken Schwaber (the co-creator of Scrum and Chairman/Founder of Scrum.org). This Scrum thing sounds great, but there’s quite a lot to it. The benefits that this brings to Scrum are as follows.

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SCRUM 2012 Agile Risk 153

Scrum.org

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

"There's no predictability/commitment in Agile/Scrum". Product Management keeps telling me in this Agile way of doing things there is no committed scope, no plan, only 'Responding to change'. They are either already victims of "Bad Scrum" or are basing their concerns off of a lot of "Bad Scrum" going on out there.

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Underperforming Technical Team Risk SCRUM Executing 130

Scrum.org

OCTOBER 15, 2021

Scrum - The Leader’s Perspective. If you’re leading Scrum Teams or generally are a leader in an organization that’s leveraging Scrum? Are you feeling a bit left out after reading the Scrum Guide ? The Scrum Guide describes the leadership required by the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers.

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SCRUM Leadership Risk Management Governance 239

Scrum.org

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Many organizations nowadays have an urgency to adopt Agility. Fast changing markets increase the risk to miss opportunities, which uncovers that organizations are often too slow. The required innovation speed also puts continuous pressure on product quality and the ability to deliver something valuable. Agile immaturity.

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Agile SCRUM Innovation Risk Management 201

Scrum.org

OCTOBER 25, 2021

We started the Scrum Guide for Leaders series with a discussion of what Scrum means for you as a Leader. Next, we discussed the conditions where Scrum's Empiricism, Self-Management, and Continuous Improvement can thrive. Next, We are turning to the Scrum accountabilities/roles. Scrum Team. Product Owner.

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SCRUM Leadership Defining Risk Management 226

Scrum.org

MAY 14, 2020

So online tooling doesn’t guarantee productivity, let alone innovation or creativity. Management Innovation. Agile has been around for a while now, but many firms still see agility as a software development solution. It’s no secret that agile software teams see all sorts of performance gains. . Classical clockwork.

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Agile Technical Review Software Review Cadence 178

Scrum.org

APRIL 23, 2023

TL; DR: Self-Management Is self-management an essential building block on an organization’s path to business agility or a nice-to-have cultural twist to, for example, keep teams happy and attract new talent? You can sign up here for the ‘Food for Agile Thought’ newsletter and join 46,000-plus subscribers. ? ? ? ??

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ChatGPT 2023 Innovation SCRUM 180

Scrum.org

OCTOBER 18, 2021

TL; DR: My Top Ten Worst Scrum Anti-Patterns. I recently was invited to a Scrum.org Webinar, and I picked a topic close to my heart: the worst Scrum anti-patterns. So, without further delay, here are my top ten of the meanest, baddest Scrum anti-patterns I have experienced. ?? My Top Ten Worst Scrum Anti-Patterns.

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SCRUM Agile 2022 Governance 224

Scrum.org

JANUARY 17, 2023

TL; DR: ChatGPT Prompts for Scrum Practitioners. Last week, I ran an “interview” with ChatGPT as an applicant for a fictitious Scrum Master position based on questions from Scrum Master Interview Guide. Zur deutschsprachigen Version des Artikels: ChatGPT-Prompts für Scrum Master, Product Owner und Entwickler. ?

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ChatGPT Underperforming Technical Team SCRUM Technical Review 175

Project Pulse Journal

APRIL 11, 2024

Dive into the world of Scrum, the Agile framework that is revolutionizing project management across industries. With its core values of commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect, Scrum is not just a methodology— it is a pathway to creating highly effective, adaptive, and cohesive teams.

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SCRUM Technical Review Software Review Lean 52

Scrum.org

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

Many of us find it difficult to ask for help at work, which is a problem if you are part of a Scrum Team. Interdependence and collaboration are central to Scrum, but these practices don’t always come naturally to those new to the framework. Modeling asking for help as the Scrum Master also conveys that it’s OK and encouraged.

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Underperforming Technical Team SCRUM Innovation Energy 183

Scrum.org

MAY 26, 2021

There are plenty of failure possibilities with Scrum. Given that Scrum is a framework with a reasonable yet short “manual,” this effect should not surprise anyone. One failure symptom of a botched agile transformation is the frustrated Scrum Master. Join Stefan in one of his upcoming Professional Scrum training classes

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SCRUM Agile 2020 Innovation 202

Scrum.org

MARCH 16, 2023

Some time ago, I had an interesting conversation with an Agile Coach from a large car manufacturer in Germany. As an Agile Coach, he’s responsible for about 50 Scrum Masters. For about one hour we talked about how to be a servant leader for such a group of Scrum Masters. What are ways to lead, inspire, and guide them?

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SCRUM Leadership Consulting Defining 194

Scrum.org

JULY 9, 2023

Learn more about an oversized Product Backlog’s negative impact on innovation, your Scrum team’s ability to create value, and your relationship with stakeholders. ? The most popular discussion on LinkedIn last week was : What do you think is the best fit for Project Managers in Agile? ?

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