scrum master

Storms, Gophers and Groundhog Day...Can You Develop a High-Performing Team?

Storms, Gophers and Groundhog Day...Can You Develop a High-Performing Team?

If your team has ever gone through a personnel change, you can probably relate to Bishop Pickering in Caddyshack as he plays golf in a storm. Jim Kockler’s post walks through the challenges teams face and provides guidance on how to weather any storm, no matter how tumultuous.

Creating a Definition of Done

Creating a Definition of Done

At Hard Yards we work with a range of clients and teams across several organizations helping them in their journey towards Agile. One of the most important things a team can do when starting working together is create a shared Definition of Done. Yet, we rarely see this happen, or rarely see this formalized in a useful way. Here is a brief guide on how to create one.

The Four Stances for Scrum Masters

The Four Stances for Scrum Masters

As a servant leader, the Scrum Master “focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and…helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.” In order to maximize team and organizational performance, the Scrum Master will often choose different stances depending on the situation and desired outcomes.

"Split" personalities: teaching, coaching, facilitating, and mentoring

"Split" personalities:  teaching, coaching, facilitating, and mentoring

In order to maximize team and organizational performance, a leader will often choose different stances depending on the situation and desired outcomes. Let’s investigate how leaders can analyze the environment to serve as coaches, mentors, teachers, and facilitators.