Great ScrumMaster, The
#ScrumMasterWay
Addison-Wesley Signature Series (Cohn) Series

Drawing on 15 years of pioneering experience implementing Agile and Scrum and helping others do so, Zuzana Šochová guides you step by step through all key facets of success as a ScrumMaster in any context. Šochová reviews the ScrumMaster?s responsibilities, introduces her powerful State of Mind model and #ScrumMasterWay approach, and teaches crucial metaskills that every ScrumMaster needs.

Learn how to build more effective teams, manage change in Agile environments, and take full advantage of the immensely powerful ScrumMaster toolbox. Throughout, Šochová illuminates each concept with practical, proven examples that show how to move from idea to successful execution.

• Understand the ScrumMaster?s key role in creating high-performance self-organising teams
• Master all components of the ScrumMaster State of Mind: teaching/mentoring, removing impediments, facilitation, and coaching
• Operate effectively as a ScrumMaster at all levels: team, relationships, and the entire system
• Sharpen key ScrumMaster cognitive strategies and core competencies
• Build great teams, and improve teams that are currently dysfunctional
• Drive deeper change in a safer environment with better support for those affected
• Make the most of Shu Ha Ri, System Rule, Root Cause Analysis, Impact Mapping, and other ScrumMaster tools

Chapter 1: The ScrumMaster’s Role and Responsibilities 1

The Self-Organized Team 2

The ScrumMaster’s Goal 7

The ScrumMaster’s Responsibilities 9

Pitfalls of Combining Roles 9

Chapter 2: The State of Mind Model 19

Teaching and Mentoring 21

Removing Impediments 21

Facilitation 22

Coaching 23

Example: Starting Agile 24

Example: Impediments 25

Example: Stuck 26

Example: Responsibility 27

Exercise: State of Mind—Now 28

The Missing Piece of the Puzzle 29

Exercise: State of Mind—The Future 30

Chapter 3: #ScrumMasterWay 31

Exercise: #ScrumMasterWay 32

Level 1—My Team 33

Level 2—Relationships 35

Level 3—Entire System 36

The ScrumMasters’ Group 38

The Organization as a System 39

Cynefin Framework 46

Chapter 4: Metaskills and Competences 51

Metaskills 52

Competences 54

Core Competences 57

Chapter 5: Building Teams 61

Tuckman’s Group Development 62

Five Dysfunctions of a Team 65

Team Toxins 69

Focus on Responsibility 72

Organization as a Tribe 76

Choose the Right Leadership Style 82

Use Decentralization 84

Chapter 6: Implementing Change 87

Go for a Change 88

Change Behavior 90

Eight Steps for Successful Change 91

Chapter 7: The ScrumMaster’s Toolbox 97

Mastering Shu Ha Ri 98

System Rule 101

Positivity 104

Facilitation 106

Coaching 110

Root-Cause Analysis 112

Impact Mapping 115

Scaling Scrum 119

Kanban Insight Scrum Checklist 121

XP Practices Checklist 122

Product Owner Checklist 122

Chapter 8: I Believe . . . 125

The Great ScrumMaster 126

Don’t Know Whether Agile and Scrum Is for You? 126

Want to Transform Your Organization to Agile? 127

Don’t Know How to Build a Good Product Backlog? 127

Looking for a Way to Improve Your Team? 127

Want to Become a Great ScrumMaster? 127

Want to Become a Great Product Owner? 128

Want to Solve Conflicts? 128

Want to Have a Modern Agile Organization? 128

Want to Move Your Organization to the Next Level? 128

Zuzana Šochová—sochova.com 128

Zuzana Šochová is an independent Agile coach and trainer and a Certified Scrum Trainer with more than fifteen years of experience in the IT industry. She led one of the very first Agile international projects in the Czech Republic, focusing on distributed Scrum teams, working in different time zones between Europe and the USA. Now she is a leading expert on Agile and Scrum practices in both startups and big corporations. She has experience with Agile adoption in telco, finance, healthcare, automotive, mobile, and high-tech software companies. She has worked in various positions, starting as software developer for life and mission-critical systems, and continuing as a Scrum Master and director of engineering. She has been working as an independent Agile coach and trainer since 2010, specializing in organizational and team coaching, facilitations, and culture change using Agile and Scrum. 

• Filled with practical information, proven advice, and actionable tips for your ScrumMaster journey
• Reflects the author's pioneering 15-year experience teaching, coaching, and consulting on agile and Scrum in real-world environments
• Demonstrates practices, principles, and terminology that are foundational to success as a Certified ScrumMaster
• Identifies specific resources for resolving many difficult challenges
• The latest book in the renowned Mike Cohn Addison-Wesley Signature Series