Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches Vasco Duarte, Agile Coach, Certified Scrum Master, Certified Product Owner

Patty Aluskewicz: The Leap of Faith, How Business Coaching Redefined A Career Path Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.
Have you ever felt stuck in the monotony of a job, simply "punching the clock"? This episode follows Patty's journey from a traditional classroom teacher to an innovative business owner and coach. Witness how a simple decision to leave the education sector led Patty to explore the realms of entrepreneurship and personal growth. What triggers someone to leave a stable job and venture into the uncertain world of business? How did embracing coaching transform Patty's approach to work and life? Dive into her story of transformation, the trials of building a business from scratch, and the invaluable lessons learned from hiring a business coach.
 
[IMAGE HERE] Recovering from failure, or difficult moments is a critical skill for Scrum Masters. Not only because of us, but also because the teams, and stakeholders we work with will also face these moments! We need inspiring stories to help them, and ourselves! The Bungsu Story, is an inspiring story by Marcus Hammarberg which shows how a Coach can help organizations recover even from the most disastrous situations! Learn how Marcus helped The Bungsu, a hospital in Indonesia, recover from near-bankruptcy, twice! Using Lean and Agile methods to rebuild an organization and a team! An inspiring story you need to know about! Buy the book on Amazon: The Bungsu Story - How Lean and Kanban Saved a Small Hospital in Indonesia. Twice. and Can Help You Reshape Work in Your Company.
 
About Patty Aluskewicz
Patty Aluskewicz is an Agile Coach for PwC and the founder of Agile Mindset Consulting. With over 15 years of experience, she assists businesses and their employees in building fundamental Agile and Scrum skills, improving team dynamics and communication, and successfully implementing organizational change.
You can link with Patty Aluskewicz on LinkedIn.

BONUS: Transitioning from Non-Tech to Tech Roles with Mariana Trigo, A Guide For Scrum Masters, and Agile Coaches Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.
In this episode, Mariana Trigo, a pioneer in assisting professionals transition from non-tech to tech roles, shares stories about transitioning from non-tech to tech jobs.
Starting the Transition "It’s all about realizing that your career is not moving forward and finding out what will work for you in the tech industry."
Mariana began her journey in the tech world in 2021, identifying a significant demand for professionals seeking to pivot their careers into technology. She observed that despite having good jobs, many were dissatisfied and felt their careers stagnated. This led her to found Tekya, a company dedicated to aiding professionals in moving to tech without a coding background and leveraging their careers to build their dream life.
"Conquering the mindset that you can perform even if you are not tech-savvy is the first step towards building a career that truly gives you the life you want."
One of the first hurdles Mariana noticed was the limiting beliefs held by individuals. Many feel inadequate and struggle to convince hiring managers of their worth due to a lack of tech-specific skills.
Essential Skills for Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches "Hire for character, train for skills. Focus on small improvements to continually develop both yourself and your teams."
Mariana stresses the importance of soft skills such as communication, conflict resolution, and servant leadership. These skills are pivotal for anyone aspiring to roles like Scrum Master or Agile Coach.
"Understanding and mastering the hard skills of your chosen tech role will not only improve your confidence but also build trust with your team."
Hard skills are equally crucial, with Mariana emphasizing the need to understand the Scrum framework, Agile methodologies, organization, metrics, and engineering best practices. She also mentions the importance of becoming familiar with the tech vocabulary specific to each company.
For learning these essential skills, Mariana suggests starting with understanding the day-to-day routine of a Scrum Master or Agile Coach. She recommends finding courses that cover both soft and hard skills necessary for these roles.
"Changing your mindset is crucial. Be prepared to invest time and some money into structured learning paths like those offered by Tekya."
Building a Professional Identity "Showcase how your past experiences have prepared you to add value in the tech industry."
Mariana advises starting immediately to tailor your LinkedIn profile and other professional materials to reflect your new career path, emphasizing past experiences and how they relate to your future in tech.
"The support from a professional community can be the most comforting part of your transition journey."
Networking is vital in the tech industry. Mariana encourages speaking with those already in the role and participating in communities like Tekya to find mentors and expand your professional circle.
"Understand the mission of the company and align it with your values to increase your chances of getting hired."
When it comes time to apply for jobs, Mariana recommends focusing on companies whose mission and products you are passionate about. Ensuring your LinkedIn profile and cover letters are top-notch will help you stand out.
Further Learning and Resources "Real stories from real people can provide the motivation and roadmap for your own career transition."
For those eager to learn more about this employment transition, Mariana suggests listening to success stories from individuals who have successfully made the transition.
About Mariana Trigo Mariana Trigo's professional journey began in

Peter Müller: How a Product Owner Can Foster Agile Team Success with Collaboration and Inspiration Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.
The Great Product Owner: How a PO Can Foster Agile Team Success with Collaboration and Inspiration In this segment, Peter celebrates the qualities of an exemplary Product Owner who champions shared ownership and visionary leadership. Peter explains how a confident and forward-thinking Product Owner can significantly impact a team’s performance and satisfaction. He also shares examples of how such Product Owners facilitate a proactive environment, encourage stakeholder engagement, and lead by envisioning a collective future. 
The Bad Product Owner: Transforming the Micro-Manager, How Scrum Masters can Help PO’s This segment unveils the challenges and setbacks of a micro-managing Product Owner. Peter examines how such behaviors can demoralize a team, stifle creativity, and lead to a passive work environment. Through various anecdotes, he illustrates the pitfalls of excessive control and the importance of fostering a shared ownership culture within agile teams. We also discuss some possible strategies that can help Product Owners overcome the urge to micromanage and instead build a collaborative team dynamic.
 
[IMAGE HERE] Are you having trouble helping the team work well with their Product Owner? We’ve put together a course to help you work on the collaboration team-product owner. You can find it at bit.ly/coachyourpo. 18 modules, 8+ hours of modules with tools and techniques that you can use to help teams and PO’s collaborate.
 
About Peter Müller
Peter is a seasoned Agile coach and transformation consultant with extensive experience in fostering agile environments and enhancing team dynamics. His expertise in solution-focused coaching has helped numerous teams optimize their operational efficiency and adapt to agile methodologies effectively.
 
You can link with Peter on LinkedIn and connect with Peter on Twitter.

Peter Müller: From Guidance to Self-Governance, Cultivating Autonomous Decision-Making in Agile Teams Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.
When it comes to defining success, Peter focuses on the critical role of a Scrum Master in facilitating team autonomy and decision-making capabilities. Peter shares a success story where a team transitioned from dependency on external decision-makers to self-management. He discusses strategies for Scrum Masters to help teams recognize and overcome their own decision-making barriers. Listen to find out what makes a Scrum Master successful, and how they can foster a culture of self-awareness and proactive decision-making within their teams.
Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Scale retrospective based on Solution Focused Coaching In this week’s spotlight on retrospective formats, Peter introduces the Scale Retrospective, inspired by solution-focused coaching techniques. This format encourages team members to envision an ideal future state and explore the steps necessary to bridge the gap from their current position. Peter delves into the nuances of facilitating such sessions, emphasizing the importance of minimal preparation and targeted questions that foster deep reflection and actionable insights.
 
[IMAGE HERE] Retrospectives, planning sessions, vision workshops, we are continuously helping teams learn about how to collaborate in practice! In this Actionable Agile Tools book, Jeff Campbell shares some of the tools he’s learned over a decade of coaching Agile Teams. The pragmatic coaching book you need, right now! Buy Actionable Agile Tools on Amazon, or directly from the author, and supercharge your facilitation toolbox! 
 
About Peter Müller
Peter is a seasoned Agile coach and transformation consultant with extensive experience in fostering agile environments and enhancing team dynamics. His expertise in solution-focused coaching has helped numerous teams optimize their operational efficiency and adapt to agile methodologies effectively.
 
You can link with Peter on LinkedIn and connect with Peter on Twitter.

Peter Müller: Fostering Future Agile Leaders, An Inside Look at the Apprentice Program for Agile Coaches and Scrum Masters Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.
In this episode, Peter introduces us to an innovative “Apprentice Program” designed to cultivate accountability and enhance skills among developers, scrum masters, and product owners. This transformative initiative not only equips participants with practical agile skills but also fosters a cohesive agile community within the organization. By involving leadership and aligning learning objectives with organizational needs, the program sets a precedent for sustainable, organization-wide agile adoption. What can other organizations learn from this approach to develop agile leaders effectively? Learn how the Apprentice Program Peter and his colleagues set up can help you overcome a stalled Agile adoption.
 
[IMAGE HERE] As Scrum Master we work with change continuously! Do you have your own change framework that provides the guidance, and queues you need when working with change? The Lean Change Management framework is a fully defined, lean-startup inspired change framework that can be used as the backbone of any change process! You can buy Lean Change Management the book at Amazon. Also available in French, Spanish, German and Portuguese.
 
About Peter Müller
Peter is a seasoned Agile coach and transformation consultant with extensive experience in fostering agile environments and enhancing team dynamics. His expertise in solution-focused coaching has helped numerous teams optimize their operational efficiency and adapt to agile methodologies effectively.
 
You can link with Peter on LinkedIn and connect with Peter on Twitter.

Peter Müller: The Complacency Trap, And How Positive Disruptions Can Rekindle Agile Team Growth Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.
In this segment, Peter shares the story of a team that, despite success, lost its drive for learning and improvement, settling comfortably into familiar routines. What happens when the pursuit of comfort undermines the growth and dynamism of a team? This episode explores the dangers of comfort zones, the value of introducing positive disruptions, and strategies to rekindle a team’s passion for continuous learning. 
Featured Book of the Week: Solution Focused Coaching for Agile Teams by Veronika Jungwirth and Ralph Miarka This week’s featured book, Solution Focused Coaching for Agile Teams, offers a fresh perspective on the agile coaching landscape. In this episode, Peter discusses how the principles laid out in the book can transform team retrospectives and daily interactions. He emphasizes the power of focusing on solutions rather than problems, building on existing team strengths, and the critical role of positivity in fostering team success. How can agile teams benefit from a solution-focused approach to overcome their habitual focus on challenges? Listen to find out! 
 
[IMAGE HERE] Do you wish you had decades of experience? Learn from the Best Scrum Masters In The World, Today! The Tips from the Trenches - Scrum Master edition audiobook includes hours of audio interviews with SM’s that have decades of experience: from Mike Cohn to Linda Rising, Christopher Avery, and many more. Super-experienced Scrum Masters share their hard-earned lessons with you. Learn those today, make your teams awesome!  
 
About Peter Müller
Peter is a seasoned Agile coach and transformation consultant with extensive experience in fostering agile environments and enhancing team dynamics. His expertise in solution-focused coaching has helped numerous teams optimize their operational efficiency and adapt to agile methodologies effectively.
 
You can link with Peter on LinkedIn and connect with Peter on Twitter.