Jim Broshar

Apologies for being insensitive   I know I’m often talking about how to improve Scrum. Many people interpret this as me saying “Scrum sucks.” I've meant it as "there are better ways to do Scrum." With a little learning and effort it can be adjusted to make it easier and more effective to get the results desired. I call this Amplio Team since it’s technically not Scrum anymore.   My messaging has been intended for practitioners. I’ll admit to being surprised at the reception my messages often get with them. Today, I finally understood why.   I understand why Scrum trainers would take my messages adversely – some say I threaten their livelihood. But I don’t threaten the livelihood of Agile coaches. I’ve always thought they could just adjust how they coached. But this presumes people are willing to change. Many don't see an easy path. And ego is also involved. So change can be scary. I also hear people say, “I am a Scrum Master” or “I am an Agile coach.”   But those are roles, not people. However, people identify with what they do. And saying there are better ways to work feels threatening. So now I understand the reaction. I therefore apologize for unintentionally causing angst. In the future I’ll make it clear you don’t have to give up anything. I’m just trying to create an opportunity for improvement. Few in the Scrum community talk about the things I do. I forget the angst I had when I migrated off Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe for various reasons. The first time I moved from an approach was terrifying. I thought what I had built my company on was no longer as good as it needed to be and that I was not an expert in what I saw as better. But after a few days, I realized I just had to do the best I could and not worry about it. And as I learned, things got better. Each time this happened, it got easier.   We can hold onto our comfort zone, or we can decide to move forward.   With the industry changing, not moving forward is a significant risk. I don’t like to talk about burning platforms to evoke change, but there is little doubt there are a few burning platforms in Agile now—and it’s going to get worse. People sticking to current methods that people are getting disillusioned with are going to find themselves in a stagnant or shrinking market. One that’ll dismiss those with less experience.   But there is an opportunity here. The path to improvement is not as difficult as many leading “authorities” would have you believe. With the physics of flow that I call Amplio Foundations, people can learn faster and leapfrog those with more experience but less understanding. I have expanded my Amplio Community of Practice and provide a FREE guided self-study program with live events almost every week. If you’re having trouble with Scrum or any team Agile method, check out the Amplio Team track on the Amplio Community of Practice. It will take you step by step to significant improvement. I’m adding more each week. See the attachment for more. 

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I'm seeing hundreds of people who have become recently unemployed. I'm aware many of the people looking for work would value getting CSM or CSPO. If you're out of work use the code UNEMPLOYED-2024 for a CSM or CSPO training in the rest of the year. If price is your only consideration, then you will always find someone who charges a few dollars less. My focus is on helping people succeed with Scrum over the long term. I provide support through a shared community (3Percent Better) and group coaching calls. I'm planning on setting up a bi-weekly accountability group for the unemployed. We will meet for up to an hour a week, for people to share what they're planning to do and what has worked. My goal is to help people find satisfying work. Unfortunately, our Events tool EventEpresso doesn't allow to me share a link with the discount baked in. (We asked and they don't think the feature is a priority. Fair enough, I ask product owners in our workshops to give a clear now, I can't complain when I get one). To register and receive the special offer pricing, please:  — Go to the course registration page for the preferred dates: https://lnkd.in/eWhWwzdu  — Select “Regular" ticket (this is important as it won't work otherwise)  — Apply this code during checkout to receive the special discounted rate: UNEMPLOYED-2024 Caveats:  - If you've not worked in technology before, neither certification will be enough on its own to help you get into the technology world. - many orgs are looking for people with a blend of skills I.e. a ScrumMaster who can also work as a team member. Being multi-skilled is a win. - If you're employed please pay the regular price so I can subsidize those who need help

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Have you noticed there are many different interpretations of Product Ownership? The Product Owner is probably the most misunderstood of the three Scrum accountabilities. Based on experiences of our Chief Org Whisperer, Ravi Verma (PST, CPCC, CRP), we’d like to share a series of weekly posts highlighting the 14 Stances of Highly Effective Product Owners. Stance #1 Chief Inspiration Officer: Scrum teams work best when they are passionate and inspired. Unfortunately, Developers sometimes feel disconnected from the impact of the work they are doing. They are unable to see the consequences the increment is having on the lives of their users, which can create disengaged or demotivated order-takers who may be doing what they are told—no more, no less. An effective Product Owner must be able to inspire Developers towards a greater purpose that aligns with their personal purpose. They must be truly inspired by their product and radiate a contagious passion and energy every waking moment! Do your teams feel inspired by the work they are doing? #14Stances #OrgWhisperers #ProductOwner

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Well thanks to a post, it reminded me I needed to update my certification. Maybe it's a money grab (often certifications and "badges" are), but I think for me, it is worthwhile. Maybe I have a very different view of what Agile is to many of the Agile purists, but SAFe is a great framework to use as a basis for something. Unfortunately, I think many companies reduce the effectiveness of Agile by not listening to those who understand the why, not what box to tick. So when they roll out (Insert framework here), they tick every box and don't really understand why it needs to be flexible.

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🚦Accreditation Delays Got You Stuck in 'Waiting Mode'? ☠️ We've all been there – applying for accreditation to offer Scrum/Agile certifications, only to be left endlessly waiting... and waiting. The challenge is real: lengthy approval processes, complex requirements, and endless follow-ups can stall your go-to-market strategy and keep your potential impact in limbo. If you’re a training/consulting company trying to break into the Agile/Scrum certification market, you know the pain. It’s frustrating to wait for months, wasting precious time and resources while potential revenue slips by. Imagine a world where you can focus on delivering value, not waiting for approval. Here’s the good news: SCRUMstudy - Accreditation Body for Scrum and Agile offers a streamlined, efficient path for organizations and trainers ready to hit the ground running. Through our partnership program, we eliminate the waiting game, empowering training companies, consulting firms, and individual trainers/consultants with a rapid go-to-market strategy and support at every step. 🚀 ✅ 💡 Ready to escape the endless wait? Let’s talk about partnering up and getting you accredited without the bottleneck! 🚀 Visit www.scrumstudy.com or DM me for more details. 👍 #Accreditation #SCRUMstudy #TrainingPartnership #GoToMarket #ScrumCertification #AgileCertification #CLevelInsights #TrainingExcellence #ConsultingPartners #FasterGTM #CEO #ExecutiveLeadership #AgileTraining #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #FutureOfWork #ProfessionalDevelopment #ExecutiveNetworking #DigitalTransformation #Innovation #LeanAgile #EnterpriseAgility #AgileTransformation #CorporateTraining #AgileLeadership #ProjectManagement #LearningAndDevelopment #CareerGrowth #AgileCoaching #TrainingAndCertification #SkillUp #StrategicPartnerships #BusinessExpansion #PartnershipOpportunities #SuccessStories #GlobalReach #InternationalBusiness #WorldwideGrowth #ScrumAlliance #SAFe #PMI #Certiprof #ScaledAgille #CSM #PSM #PMP

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Level up your CSM Exam Prep! This week we dive into Scrum Theory with sample questions & insights. Stay tuned for more in our series exploring Scrum Roles! Get ahead of the game - read now! https://lnkd.in/ghBS2EU5 Suresh Konduru, CST #agile #scrum #scrummaster

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4 days until book release! The eBook is already available for preorder - https://lnkd.in/eNxNHtZX Today’s ScrumMaster Application and Interview Process Tip of the Day! Applying is not enough… making a human connection is vital! #scrummother #scrummaster #scrum #agile #moveyourownneedle

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The Agile Translator: 10 Terms to Transform Your Business Conversations They don't get it. You're talking about sprints and MVPs, and they're hearing about rushed work and cut corners. But what if... What if we could change the conversation? What if we could make them lean in instead of push back? Here's a secret: It's not about changing what we do. It's about changing how we talk about it. 10 translations that might just change everything: 🌊 "Agile" → "Adaptive" Negative interpretation: "Constantly changing direction without a clear plan?" Positive reframe: "Flexibly responding to market demands and opportunities for competitive advantage!" 🚀 "Minimum Viable Product" (MVP) → "Earliest Deliverable Product" Negative interpretation: "We're paying for less?" Positive reframe: "We get what we need sooner!" 💎 "Minimal Releasable Features" → "Soonest Valuable Release" Negative interpretation: "You're cutting corners?" Positive reframe: "We're prioritizing the most impactful features!" 🎯 "Limit Work in Progress (WIP)" → "Maximize Focus on Priority Items" Negative interpretation: "You're doing less work?" Positive reframe: "We're ensuring efficient delivery of key objectives!" 🔄 "Sprint" → "Delivery Cycle" Negative interpretation: "Why are you rushing?" Positive reframe: "Regular, predictable value delivery!" 👥 "User Story" → "Customer Needs" Negative interpretation: "Are we just guessing what customers want?" Positive reframe: "We're addressing real, specific customer requirements!" 🏗️ "Technical Debt" → "Quality Debt" Negative interpretation: "Why are we talking about finances in tech? Did we borrow money for these features? What does this even mean?" Positive reframe: "We're highlighting areas where product quality needs investment!" 🔍 "Product Discovery" → "Due Diligence"* Negative interpretation: "Why are we still discovering? Shouldn't we know the product by now?" Positive reframe: "We're conducting thorough market and product research to mitigate requirement risks!" 🧪 "Validate Assumptions" → "De-risk Requirements" Negative interpretation: "You're just guessing and checking?" Positive reframe: "We're proactively identifying and addressing potential project risks!" ⚡ "Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment" (CI/CD) → "Accelerated Value Delivery Pipeline" Negative interpretation: "What the heck does that mean????" Positive reframe: "Streamlined process for faster, lower-risk delivery of value to customers!" The words we choose create the world we see. Choose wisely. *Hat tip to Peter Dudka for the "Due Diligence" inspiration. #AgileTranslator #BusinessAgility #ProductDevelopment #AgileLeadership #TechCommunication #InnovationLanguage #AgileMindset #BusinessStrategy #SoftwareDevelopment #CorporateCommunication

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Ted Lasso could be the best Scrum Master in the World! Apple TV's Ted Lasso gained millions of fans when we got introduced to the lovable, patient, wise and charasmatic football coach main character, Ted Lasso. After binge watching the show; I realised that Ted Lasso's personality and lessons he used in the show could be a benchmark for how a Scrum Master should behave and coach their teams... SPOLIER ALERT; This talk would showcase snippits of the show; so go and watch all three seasons before the the talk next week so that you would appreciate the references! (You can thank me later!!). But its okay if you did not watch the show: I would show enough snippets to make the reference relatable…. 😉 Come and learn the 11 Lessons Ted Lasso can teach you as a Scrum Master.

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Yesterday, Ryan B. and Sander Dur were guested in the Scrum.org webcast series. They talked about some common antipatterns and dysfunctions in product-focused organizations and covered some potential remedies to get rid of them. Thanks for hosting Lindsay Velecina! In case you missed it, you can find the recording right here: https://ow.ly/zI3T50Ulnm4 #Webinar #ProductManagement #LeadershipInsights #ValueCreation #SolvingForValue #PSTInsights

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We still have quite a few seats open for our Dysfunction Mapping course on June 3-4. If you are seeking ways to make yourself more effective as a Scrum Master, Agile Coach, Team Leader (of any team), this class is for YOU! https://lnkd.in/gGFZFPGJ If you are looking for helpful classes that deliver SEU's and PDU's, this gives 8 of both! #Agile #Scrum #Dysfunction #DysfunctionMapping #Leadership #Training

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The Agile Testing Coaching Cards, a deck of 99 cards: Agile testing mindset, values, principles, and practices. buff.ly/3MGY9xJ Suggestion for using them is included, but agile teams, coaches, Scrum masters, and test consultants, can also use their own coaching technique

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Are you a Scrum Master looking for the next step in your career? Join me in this webinar - today August 20th at 1pm EST (10am PST). We'll discuss: Expand your role as Scrum Master Develop skillset in Mentorship, Facilitation, and Coaching Learn how to coach Product Owners Grow your career and become an Agile Coach Coach and support Leadership and Management Identify common challenge and overcome obstacles Here is the recording: https://lnkd.in/ejrhYQPC Tags: #Scrummaster #agilecoach #career

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We need to attend to quality technical practices. David Scott Bernstein and I are working on a simple path forward. You don't need to be extreme to get the results of XP. The problem when you make things optional is that people likely won't do them. When Scrum leaders decided not to say how to do technical practices it would have been useful if the detailed what objectives needed to be met. Many people who adopt Scrum do it because they are attracted to its "follow" aspect. But when you don't tell people the objectives of quality tech practices they tend not to do anything about it. The focus on Scrum has been to enable it to work anywhere - software involved or not. But the world is more and more digital. Ignoring tech practices so it can work everywhere makes it work less well in software development.

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I'm excited to share the latest episode of "Quality Conversations" where I had the pleasure of speaking with Stephen Platten, Principal Consultant at Inspired Testing. I love healthy competition, and it's always great to learn about other QA shops. 🎙️ In this episode, we discuss: 1. Stephen’s journey into Stoicism and its impact on QA 2. The concept of self-sufficient QA 3. Stephen’s philosophy that life cycles matter more than context Whether you're a QA professional, aspiring to join the field, or in a leadership role, this conversation is filled with valuable insights and actionable takeaways. I especially enjoyed our deep dive into Stoicism and its relevance to QA. Tune in now to gain new perspectives and enhance your QA practices! 🎧 Watch the episode here: https://lnkd.in/eNiMtA8d Your feedback and thoughts are welcome, so feel free to comment and share your views! #QualityConversations #QA #Stoicism #Leadership #InspiredConsulting #LoopQA #Podcast Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more insightful episodes.

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TIP: Only use the job title #ProductOwner if there's company-wide agreement to practice Scrum fully and diligently. (And in my experience, that's a very rare circumstance.) Otherwise, just use #ProductManager and end the debate about the definitions/differences in these terms.

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🚫 **Scrum Anti-Pattern Alert!** 🚫 🔄 When a ScrumMaster starts acting as a Project Manager, it undermines the principles of Scrum. Instead of fostering a self-organizing team, they end up micromanaging tasks and making decisions for the team. 🚫👩‍💼👨‍💼 🤝 The true role of a ScrumMaster is to serve the team, remove impediments, and facilitate collaboration. Let's empower our teams to self-manage and thrive! 🌟💪 📢 Remember: The strength of Scrum lies in its ability to create empowered, autonomous teams. Let’s stay true to the framework and avoid this common pitfall! 🚀 #ScrumMaster #Agile #Scrum #Leadership

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Before you ask the AI ​​for a summary... here it is: ➡️ Agile was initially a promising framework for software teams, but it was exploited and ruined by consultants and advisors. ➡️ They turned Agile into a universal cure-all, over-engineered it, and sold it as a magic bullet, just as they did with other management tools. ➡️ The obsession with quick wins and scalable frameworks led to the downfall of Agile, leaving it as a stale set of rituals and overused tools. Moving Forward: ➡️ The question is not whether Agile can be revived, but how to evolve its core principles for the AI-driven future. ➡️ The industry needs new methodologies built around human-AI collaboration, ethics, and sustainable innovation. ➡️ This is an opportunity to rethink, retool, and reinvent ourselves, rather than trying to resurrect a flawed approach. You're welcome. #flowintelligence