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Agility tips (87 Article)
5 Ideas for Sprint Retrospectives Your Team Will Love
As a psychologist and Scrum Master, I probably have an unusual view of Sprint Retrospective ideas. I have a slightly stronger focus on the "soft" side of continuous improvement. You could also talk...
My 7 All-Time Favorite Agile Retrospective Templates
In my team, we conduct an agile retrospective more often than average: every Friday, i.e. once a week. And you won't believe it - thanks to the many super agile retrospective templates, among other...
How can you improve communication in a remote software development team?
There are various measures and approaches to improve communication in virtual or remote engineering teams of software developers and software engineers. It is irrelevant whether they are front-end,...
DORA & SPACE Metrics: 2 Team Workshops to improve them
If you're a tech leader, you probably want to know how well your team is delivering software and how you can improve it. You may have heard of the DORA metrics and the SPACE framework, two powerful...
Working Agreements: 10 Examples, Samples & Templates
Effective collaboration in teams is crucial for success, especially in the context of agile methods such as Scrum. Working Agreements play a crucial role in creating a clear framework for collabora...
Checklist for Team Leads: 10 key Tasks (incl. PDF)
As a team lead, you take on a lot of responsibility for your employees and your team. This checklist for team leads will make it easier for you to keep an overview and ensure that nothing goes wron...
The Scrum Master as Servant Leader: 8 Tips & Thoughts
As an experienced psychologist and Scrum Master, I understand the challenges that team leads face in agile environments. Finding the balance between agility and leadership is no easy task. In this...
Not Every Scrum Team Is Agile: Fake Agile
Fake Agile: Is every Scrum team agile? No, unfortunately not every Scrum team is actually agile. Let me explain: A Scrum team is defined by working according to the Scrum framework: So it has sprin...
Fix Zombie Scrum in 3 Steps
What is Zombie Scrum? Zombie Scrum describes teams that have retained the Scrum structure (rituals, roles, etc.) but have lost the actual core – customer benefits, values and continuous improvement...
Product Manager Performance Goals: 5 Examples & Tips
Product managers play a crucial role in the development and marketing of products. To be successful, they need to set and pursue clear product manager performance goals. This article looks at some...
The Secrets of Effective Sprint Retrospectives: A Real-World Example
Want to improve the effectiveness of your sprint retrospectives?\ In this article, we'll dive into the secrets of conducting highly effective sprint retrospectives using a real-world example. Wheth...
What are Scrum Master Tools? Tips and tricks
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to write without a pen and paper or a digital device? Probably not, because we don't have to think about these types of tools as they are a given....
Lessons Learned vs Retrospective (The Differences)
As a startup that develops software for team development and retrospectives, we are often confronted with interesting definitions of retrospectives - for example "<InternalLink page="sprint-review-...
Sprint Review vs. Retrospective: Simply explained with Image
Difference Between Sprint Review and Retrospective We defined in the last article, <InternalLink page="was-ist-eine-retrospektive"what a retrospective really is</InternalLink. We also talked about...
Product Manager to Developer Ratio: Rule of Thumb & Tips
In the dynamic world of product development, the product manager is at the forefront of ensuring that a product's vision is successfully realized. A critical component of this role is to communicat...
Team Lead facilitates agile Retrospective? 10 Key Tips
Hey dear team leads of agile crews! As a psychologist and Scrum Master, I'm sharing some essential tips today on moderating agile retrospectives when you're not in the Scrum Master role yourself, b...
Agile Retrospective in the Leadership Team: 7 Tips
A strong leadership team forms the heart of a successful company. In this blog post, we dive into the world of leadership workshops and offer tried-and-tested tips for design and implementation. Fr...
The 5 tasks of Scrum Masters in retrospectives
As a trained psychologist and experienced Scrum Master, I regularly face a question that may concern many of you: How can Scrum Masters make a decisive contribution to the success of their teams in...
How to be a better Scrum Master? 7 Great Tips
Agile teams are only as strong as the Scrum Masters (or Agile Coaches) develop them. You may be wondering how to become a better Scrum Master. Here are some practical food for thought and tips that...
People Management Course (Free): Psychology That Works
In this people management online course, you will learn practical knowledge about managing your team from a psychologist - and in an entertaining way.
Scrum Master for mechanical engineering: 10 tips
In the dynamic world of mechanical engineering, the effective application of agile methods is crucial to successfully mastering constant technological progress, complex product life cycles and inte...
Product Owner Guide: 10 tips for ambitious POs
You are a Product Owner (PO), maybe you have even just started your journey? In this blog post or Product Owner Guide, I will try to answer your most burning questions and give you 10 thoughts for...
The 10 most popular Agile and Scrum methodologies with examples
Agile and Scrum methodologies are designed to promote flexibility, collaboration, and iterative development, and can be particularly effective in complex and rapidly changing environments. Scrum, i...
Agile vs. Traditional Leadership: Differences & 5 Tips
Many companies are changing their leadership principles and transforming from classic traditional leadership to agile leadership of their employees. But what are the differences and what does it me...
The typical Job Description of a SAFe Agile Coach
In an increasingly agile business world, the number of different roles is becoming more and more confusing. For example, what is a SAFe Agile coach and what might their job description look like? S...
Role of a Chief Scrum Master: Overview & Tips
In the dynamic world of agile software development, the role of the Chief Scrum Master is becoming increasingly important in practice. This key figure can not only take responsibility for an indivi...
The difference between Product Manager & Product Owner?
In the agile world, Product Manager and Product Owner are two key roles that are often confused with each other. Both play a crucial role in the development and management of products, especially i...
What Are Retrospectives and What Are They Good For? (Simply Explained)
Retrospectives have been widely used for years, especially in agile software development teams. But what exactly are retrospectives and what are they good for? In this article, we explain retrospec...
The #1 hardest question in a Scrum Master job interview
There are dozens of websites with interview questions for Scrum Masters. But from my point of view, there is only 1 interview question for Scrum Master’s that is crucial. And if you as an applicant...
Scaling Agile Training: The 7 Best Providers
Agile at Scale embeds agile principles, mindsets, values and practices at all levels of your organization. This way, not only employees, but also portfolios, programs, IT and culture are agile. The...
What does a Scrum Master do? Key Responsibilities & Roles
Are you working in an agile environment and wondering what the core tasks and key responsibilities of a Scrum Master actually are? I can answer this question for you. Let's take a look at the key r...
Giving Scrum Masters Feedback: 10 tips with Examples
As a trained psychologist and Scrum Master, my goal today is to give you valuable insights on how to give effective feedback to your Scrum Masters. We will focus on five key performance KPIs to ens...
What is Value Stream Mapping? An Ice Cream Parlor Example
Product development is like a labyrinth. You know there is one exit – that is the end product. But you only know roughly how to get there. Because you have no idea which way is the fastest. This is...
Product Manager Role: Definition & Tips
So, what is the role of the Product Manager in Agile? In this text I will give you a definition of the role of the Product Manager – a key figure who steers the success of a product from strategy d...
In an interview with Christoph Kühnapfel from the "Future catch-up" podcast
We are happy in the podcast "To catch up in the future" of Christoph Kühnapfel to take part! Find out how you can hold Echometer specialists and form successful teams that change the world! https:/...
Scrum Master as Manager? Role differences & tips
The role of the Scrum Master in agile teams sometimes raises questions regarding its position in the organizational chart. The consideration of whether a Scrum Master should simultaneously function...
Amazon's "Always Day 1" Culture: Introduction Guide
At its core, the "Day 1 Culture" embodies a mindset of continuous innovation, agility, and customer centricity. It goes back to Amazon's founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, who famously emphasized the imp...
Amazon's Agile Leadership Principles: Customer Obsession
Probably most companies claim to work in a "customer-oriented" manner - but how many companies would describe themselves as obsessed with the customer? Well, Amazon does just that in its leadership...
Business Analyst & Scrum Master at the same time? 9 thoughts
In the dynamic world of agile software development, business analysts and scrum masters can play a key role. This blog article explores the challenges and opportunities that arise when considering...
Agile Delivery Lead vs. Scrum Master: Can you do both?
Agile Delivery Leads and Scrum Masters are both roles in agile work environments, but they have different responsibilities and What are these differences and what is the background to the two roles...
Soft Skills Managers - Development in a New Work Context
Soft skills of managers - Why managers today are or should be coaches, designers and consultants at the same time.
Product Owner in the Daily Scrum: When? Thoughts & Tips
The daily Scrum meeting, also known as the Daily Scrum, is a central element in the Scrum framework. It offers team members the opportunity to discuss the Sprint Goal, obstacles, and other relevant...
Scrum Master vs. Agile Coach: The 5 key differences
A question that sometimes comes up: What is the difference between Scrum Master and Agile Coach? Let's shed some light on this together. Scrum Master vs. Agile Coach - What are the differences? Dif...
SAFe Scrum Master role responsibilities in Agile: 5 Areas
As a trained psychologist and Scrum Master, I know that understanding the responsibilities of agile roles is often a bit of a challenge. Also, when it comes to the Scrum Master role in the scaled A...
Scrum Master & Product Owner as the same person? 3 Options
You are faced with the question: "Can a Scrum Master be a Product Owner, can the same person take on the two jobs?" Let's explore this dilemma together and help you find the best option for your ag...
Amazon's "two pizza" rule: A team workshop as an exercise
Amazon was one of the first companies to apply agile working methods on a large scale - without relying on Scrum or other agile frameworks. A core element for agile teams at Amazon was the “Two Piz...
Scrum without Scrum Master: A short Guide & 3 Tips
Let's be honest: Many organizations cannot or do not want to afford a Scrum Master due to the associated financial constraints. But Scrum without a Scrum Master - is that even possible? Can you run...
Ambitious Scrum Master Goals & OKRs: 5 Examples & Tips
As a trained psychologist and experienced Scrum Master, I know that setting clear, short and long-term goals is key to effective (agile) team leadership. In this blog post, I will address the quest...
The Retro without a Scrum Master? 5 Tips & Templates
You are used to the Scrum Master leading the retrospective, but what happens if he is not available? Don't worry, we have some tips and templates for you here to successfully organize the agile ret...
6 Fun Thanksgiving Retrospective Ideas for Agile Teams
Celebrate the 'Festival of Gratitude' with a Thanksgiving retrospective even in the work team? Actually a good idea, because after all, the basic idea fits well with an agile retrospective: Pause,...
Parabol Alternative Echometer: User Compares Best Software Tools for Sprint Retrospectives (Interview)
In the following video, we interviewed Sharon Burns about Echometer vs. Parabol, who previously worked as Director of Engineering and Operations and now works as a Product Owner, where she has also...
The Psychology of Agility (Video)
In their keynote as part of the BeAgile Meetups, the founders explain why psychological security is so important for successful agile teams ...
What managers don't understand: Sustainable Pace in Agile Teams
Anyone who has ever run a marathon knows why Sustainable Pace is a critical success factor: once you've gone too fast, it takes a disproportionate amount of time to recover from exhaustion. Sustain...
Employee survey anonymous or not? - Good participation rates
What measures can I implement so that a large number of employees take part in the employee survey? We have tips for you!
Scrum Product Owner Roles: Responsibilities & Metrics
In the dynamic world of product development, Scrum Product Owners (PO) face the challenge of juggling complex tasks and roles. From user satisfaction to time to market, various metrics are possible...
Difference Agile Coach vs. Product Owner: Can I do both?
When discussing the roles of Agile coaches and product owners in agile environments, it becomes clear that both are key roles but have different focuses and responsibilities. While Agile coaches pr...
Scrum Master responsibility: An overview & 5 tips
The Scrum Master is a key figure in the agile development process. His or her role as a servant leader significantly influences the success of the scrum team. From conflict resolution to promoting...
Can a developer be a Scrum Master? A few Pros and Cons
Agile teams are the backbone of modern project development. But the question remains: Can a developer also be an effective scrum master? Or the other way around: Can a scrum master also be a develo...
DORA & SPACE metrics: 2 templates, questions & 1 tool
Agile teams face the challenge of finding metrics that not only quantify progress, but also help to strengthen the team, improve collaboration and focus on customer needs. The so-called DORA DevOps...
What is part of the role of the Scrum Master? A short Reply
As an experienced psychologist and certified Scrum Master, I am sometimes asked what specific tasks are part of the Scrum Master's role. Here's the short answer: The Scrum Master ensures that Scrum...
Scrum Master in new teams: 7 helpful tips
As a trained psychologist and experienced Scrum Master, I understand the challenges you may face as an agile team lead in a new team. In this article, we will look at some helpful tips on how to su...
What is the purpose of Scrum Masters? 5 Thoughts
As a Scrum Master, I sometimes encounter the questions: "What is the purpose of Scrum Masters? Why is a Scrum Master important, or even necessary? How does the Scrum Master help the team?" These qu...
23 Agile Statistics: How relevant are Agile Frameworks?
The goal is clear: to develop better products and services faster. However, the path to this goal is anything but clear. Therefore, companies are constantly trying out new approaches to outpace the...
Scrum Master and Project Manager: Can you do both?
In the ever-evolving world of project management, professionals are sometimes faced with the challenge of combining agile methods such as Scrum with traditional approaches. The consideration of bei...
Agility Lead vs. Scrum Master: differences & tips
In an increasingly agile business world, the role of Agility Lead can also be found on one job portal or another. However, the titles Scrum Master and Agility Lead raise questions about the extent...
How many teams should a Scrum Master have? 10 tips
In the agile world, Scrum Masters are relatively often faced with the challenge of effectively managing more than 2 teams. Isn't that too much? How many Scrum Masters on how many teams makes sense?...
Scrum master versus Project Manager: Differences & Examples
Agile teams are at the heart of successful projects. Some projects are more agile, some less - it also depends on how the "servant leaders" of the team see themselves. For example, as Scrum Master...
15 Cool Product Manager Titles for any Corporate Culture
As an agile team lead, you may be aware of the variety of product manager titles. In some companies, work is carried out according to specific frameworks and there are defined titles with correspon...
Managers in Retrospectives? 5 Tips & Thoughts
The question of whether a manager should or may participate in agile retrospectives depends on various factors and there are different opinions in the agile community. But what if you have no choic...
Product manager facilitates Retrospective? 10 Key Tips
Agile Teams are sometimes faced with the question: Should the product manager moderate the retrospective? If so, what needs to be considered in such a situation? As a trained psychologist and Scrum...
Quality assurance as a project manager: 5 tips & thoughts
In the dynamic world of agile projects, project managers are often faced with the challenge of how we can implement quality assurance efficiently. As a Scrum Master, I'm sharing five tips and thoug...
Role of the Scrum Master: Tasks, Responsibilities and Skills
We are only strong if we work together: Agile frameworks distribute tasks and responsibilities to the whole team. The Scrum Master plays one of the leading roles. He or she is not a typical boss wh...
Obsolete, to replace? Do you really need a Scrum Master...
It doesn't happen too often, but the question still comes up: "Do we really need a Scrum Master? Are Scrum Masters obsolete? And will Scrum Masters eventually be replaced by AI?" The question can o...
Scrum Master One-on-One: 10 Good Questions & Tips
Ten good questions for Scrum Master one-on-ones plus tips, template and health check examples with Echometer.
Scrum Master job interview: 10 tips and tricks
Are you about to be interviewed for the position of Scrum Master and wondering how you can make a lasting impression? Don't worry, we have the answers for you. By the way, here's a question you can...
18 Alternative Titles for agile Scrum Masters
18 creative alternatives for the Scrum Master role – from classic options to playful titles, plus tips for 1:1 meetings.
Offshore Scrum Master - a good idea? 3 tips
As a trained psychologist and Scrum Master, I understand the challenges you face as an agile manager. One question that sometimes comes up is: Is it a good idea to hire an offshore Scrum Master? Le...
Agile Delivery Flow: 3 Steps to Deliver on Time Consistently
If you ask most managers about the "psychological safety" or "vision" (more on this: <InternalLink page="psychologische-sicherheit-in-agilen-teams"Psychological safety</InternalLink) of their agile...
How can I develop self-managed work teams?
The development of self managed work teams is a core objective of modern management philosophies. But how exactly do you develop self-organized teams in practice? - Here are the prerequisites and p...
Difference Agile Coach vs. Project Manager: Can I do both?
Agile Coaches and project managers usually have very different roles. But what exactly do they look like? There is also the question of whether the roles of Agile coach and project manager should b...
SAFe Scrum Master Cost: Certification, Salary, Tips
Agile methodologies and their manifestations, such as the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and Scrum, are very common in today's IT business world. From the compensation of SAFe Agilists to the import...
Differences Team Lead vs. Scrum Master: Can you do both?
Scrum Master vs Team Leader: A Scrum Master and a Team Lead have different roles and responsibilities in the agile context, although there may be some overlap depending on the organization and how...
Who can be a Scrum Master? A short answer
The Scrum Master is a key role in the Scrum framework, which is often used in agile software development. The Scrum Master role is not limited to a specific position or department in an organizatio...
The 20+ most important Scrum statistics for the year 2025
To successfully integrate agile methods into organizational structures, many companies opt for the Scrum framework. One of the decisive reasons: Scrum enables teams to work not only sequentially, b...
Employee survey and agility - do they go together?
How can you implement employee surveys in an agile way? A psychological perspective.
Free & direct: Online management seminar (2h)
In this online leadership seminar, you will learn practical knowledge about leading your team from a psychologist - in a short and entertaining way.
ChatGPT as an AI-based Agile Coach?
Artificial intelligence is making tremendous progress. ChatGPT by OpenAI has proven to be a capable conversationalist in many situations and has quickly gone viral, with ChatGPT having more than 1...