Cherishing micro-moments - 10 ways how to learn and grow as a Scrum Master or an Agile Coach.
Useful in many other professions too!
Throughout my 10+ year career as a Scrum Master and Agile Coach I had my fair share of learnings. Some were pretty, others not so much. What connected many of them was that they happened in structured micro-moments or, should I say, opportunities.
What are micro-moments? ⏱️
They are structured opportunities to learn, shorten or improve feedback loops. I call them “micro” because they generate those “aha!” moments. They will definitely give you things to think about if used wisely. Why structured? Instead of waiting for serendipity you take charge and make your own luck.
Structured micro-moments you can use to grow 🪄
Daily debrief - together with other change agents, at the end of the day, meet to recap successes, share learnings and any emotions flying around so you can go home a little bit lighter, closing the day’s work.1 This can help you in getting a new perspective or some ad hoc guidance.
Shadowing - following and observing each other during work. This usually happens in meetings but can also extend to the “in between”. You can observe how others approach the same aspects of work. Don’t forget sharing feedback on a debrief sessions afterwards.2
Team tourism - changing for another team for a sprint or two. This changes the dynamic and gets you out of the daily grind.3 I’ve seen developers do that in the same department with great success of being able to contribute more in their team, transfer practices or improve their quality of PR comments.
Facilitate an event - instead of coming for the whole sprint, lead one of the events. Retrospectives might be tricky as people don’t know you that well. If you frame it correctly at the beginning it might do wonders.4 Focus on providing the team value instead of creating more noise.
Observe and share your feedback - this is a variation of shadowing for teams without a SM. It’s more of a consulting work upon team’s request. You come, make notes, share them and make recommendations if asked.
Switch teams entirely - it’s healthy to change teams every now and then.5 It adds to your experience. Best done when your team is doing good enough in terms of self-organisation and there is a more pressing need somewhere else.
Working in pairs - on a specific broader change in the organisation. When I was working in a team of 24 SMs we collaborated in duos or trios on topics serving several teams whether in a department or on topics such as, for instance, more stable testing environments.
SM Reviews - work in your own sprint or just hold reviews each two weeks or a month showcasing to the organisation the improvements you made as a team, gather feedback and ask what is important right now to solve.
Gather feedback about your team - in a survey or set of interviews to shed a light on how others find collaborating with them. This can show shortcomings which you can talk through with the team as well as appreciate what the they have already achieved. Potential sources: other teams in the setup, stakeholders, clients.
Mentoring - the easiest and the hardest. A great mentor focuses on you achieving your results. They invest in you becoming the best version of yourself and growing in the trenches. Read more here and here.
I tried all of the above, learned a ton and there are some❗️Safety measures to take into account:
Before entering a team - always ask them if they want you there and are okay with whatever you are proposing.
Don’t come unannounced or surprise people. This shows lack of respect.
Always share the intention with which you come and what will you do with the observations, information or knowledge gained.
Vegas rule should be always in place.
The above is basically a quick contract you make with a team before doing anything in their space.
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Do not mistake this with emotional dumping that others need to carry. Think more of a support group. The responsibility to handle your emotions is always yours.
If you participate in team meetings it might be a good idea to share your perspective on things you noticed during the meeting. Ask before doing so.
Do not do this when the team is quite fresh or under a lot of pressure at the moment.
Framing it well can mean, for instance, sharing why you’re there, what is your intention and introducing yourself, being curious what the team needs in the moment. This builds trust as the team starts to look at you as somebody who is focused on them, not yourself.
When exactly is now and then? It’s a topic for a separate article yet some things to ponder upon: are you providing value to the team? are they already self-sufficient enough so you can support a less mature team? what are their expectations? do you feel stuck in a rut for longer than few weeks?