Scrum.org’s Post

My scrum certifications with Scrum Alliance expired this week. I was hesitant to allow this to happen, but decided that spending the money to renew these certifications was not worth it considering that I have advanced certifications with Scrum.org. Some may see this as a no brainer, but here are some reasons for my hesitation: - Scrum.org doesn't have a trainer footprint in South Africa. This means all trainings need to be done through international partners. This makes training very expensive due to exchange rates. (I've had the privilege to obtain my certifications through my employer) - Scrum community gatherings in South Africa are affiliated with Scrum Alliance. For some reason I feel like an intruder attending these events without a valid certificate with Scrum Alliance. The renewal price could be seen as a small price to pay. (I've convinced myself to 'intrude' regardless 😆 ) - I'm all for furthering my learning and I know certificates alone don't make one competent, but I do like to get a new badge every now and then. With a good trainer network for Scrum Alliance in South Africa this would be more cost effective way to go about this (even including the renewal fees). - Last but not least, these were the certifications that facilitated me getting my first job as a scrum master, so there was some sentimental connection. 😥 These were just some of my thoughts, perhaps you've been in the same boat and have some additional wisdom to share. #scrum #certifications #growth #scrumalliance #scrumorg

🔥Day 4/20 of 20DaysinPMWithAA Africa Agility Foundation THE SCRUM MASTER: UNLEASHING TEAM POTENTIAL As a Scrum Master, you play a vital role in unlocking your team's potential and driving success in product development. But what makes a great Scrum Master? Here are the essential skills and core competencies: 1. Facilitation: Skilled in facilitating team meetings and workshops 2. Coaching: Able to coach team members on Agile principles and practices 3. Communication: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 4. Problem-solving: Skilled in identifying and resolving impediments 5. Agile knowledge: Deep understanding of Agile frameworks and methodologies 6. Leadership: Ability to lead by example and empower team members 7. Adaptability: Adaptable and flexible in a fast-paced environment 8. Emotional intelligence: High emotional intelligence to navigate team dynamics As a Scrum Master, your role is to serve and support your team, enabling them to self-organize and deliver high-quality products. Let me know in the comments: What other skills or competencies do you think are essential for a Scrum Master? How do you embody these qualities in your own role? Dr. Aanu Gopald Mercy Holumidey Moyinoluwa Adetola Mishkin Berteig Mauricio Robles #GIT20DaysChallenge #GITbootcamp #GITBootcampCohort #GirlsinTech #AfricaAgility #AfricanGirlsInTechBootcamp #GITBootcampCohort7 #GITBootcampC7Challenge #20DaysinPMWithAA

If you haven't done any agile training before, or if you need to get recertified, I highly recommend this training: you'll have fun, acquire surprising self-knowledge, and learn lifetime-lasting lessons about how to work together to get things done.

Day12of20. Let's talk about the responsibilities of the scrum master to the developers. The Scrum Master has several key responsibilities towards developers to ensure the Scrum framework is effectively implemented and the team operates efficiently.  By fulfilling these responsibilities, the Scrum Master enables the development team to work more efficiently, maintain high morale, and consistently deliver high-quality products. These responsibilities include: Facilitation and coaching, removing impediments, ensuring focus and productivity, facilitating scrum events, promoting self-organization, servant leadership, ensuring transparency, continuous improvement, conflict resolution, and protecting the team. The role of the Scrum Master is vital in fostering an environment where developers can thrive, innovate, and deliver exceptional results. As I continue my learning journey, diving deeper into Scrum and agile methodologies, I'm excited to see how these principles can transform team dynamics and project outcomes. Embracing these responsibilities not only empowers the team but also drives continuous improvement and collaboration. Africa Agility Foundation Dr. Aanu Gopald Moyinoluwa Adetola  #20DaysinSMwithAA  #Git20dayschallenge  #GirlsinTech  #Gitbootcamp  #AfricaAgilty  #AfricanGirlsinTechbootcamp

Scrum Master plays many roles to help the team succeed. One of the most important roles is being a Teacher. A Scrum Master is not just a guide, they educate the team, stakeholders, and the whole organization about Agile and Scrum principles. Teaching the team is an essential part of the Scrum Master's job. They help team members form good habits that improve productivity and effectiveness. To educate the team, the Scrum Master starts by identifying areas where the team needs guidance, and then develops a learning plan involving workshops, materials, exercises, and feedback. Pay attention to how well the concepts are being understood and be ready to explain things differently if needed. Over time, as team members master the concepts and start teaching each other, you know your job as a teacher is done. As the Scrum Master, you have to be patient and provide explanations repeatedly until everyone in the team gets it. You also have to be a good listener to understand knowledge gaps and tailor your teaching to meet the needs of your specific team. Day 16 of #GIT20DaysChallenge. Dr. Aanu Gopald Moyinoluwa Adetola Africa Agility Foundation #GilrsinTech #AfricaAgility #Scrummaster #20DaysinSMWithAA #GITBootcampCohort7

There are a few simple things that can help propel individuals, teams, and organizations forward on their agile journey. Much as the first value in the Agile Manifesto alludes to, "interactions first" is a requirement, in my humble opinion. And you need to *experience* agile by doing. Not by reading about it or by talking about it. But by doing it. And doing it in a mindful way (vs. a mindless approach that simply follows a rote process). That's why I do not do training as folks are left wondering how to apply it in their context. I often say that you can start with a process from a book or a course, but if 6 or 12 months later you are doing the same thing, you are likely underachieving. Instead, when we help teams experience agile, it is all about doing so in your context. What we do is help you learn how to build a culture, mindset, and process that works for your real world.

As a scrum master looking out for your team and ensuring the team is improving is one thing but keeping up with that improvement is another. Why should you be striving to keep your team at the top? This is to increase team productivity, innovation, quality product development, etc. What is Continuous Improvement? Continuous Improvement, or Kaizen, is a fundamental principle of Agile methodologies. It involves regularly reflecting on processes, identifying areas for enhancement, and implementing changes. This practice is often formalized in sprint retrospectives, where the team discusses what went well and what can be improved. The Scrum Master fosters a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging experimentation, learning from failures, and celebrating successes. By continuously refining their processes, the team can increase efficiency, adapt to changing circumstances, and consistently deliver higher-quality products. Day 16 of the #20daysContentChallengewith the Africa Agility Foundation cc: Mercy Holumidey Dr. Aanu Gopald Moyinoluwa Adetola #AfricaAgility #GITBootcampCohort7 #AfricanGirlsInTechBootcamp #GITBootcampC7Challenge #GirlsinTech #continuousimprovement #scrummaster #scrumteam #GIT20DaysChallenge #20DaysinSMWithAA

Trendsetters on the rise   PMI_South Africa Chapter would like to congratulate our chapter member Preciosa Langa on staying ahead of the curve. This trendsetter recently obtained their Disciplined Agile Scrum Master certification with Project Management Institute.   According to research by PMI, agile is fast becoming the go-to approach, which makes the DASM an extremely valuable certification. It teaches the fundamentals of agile and lean, and how you can practically use both approaches to produce value for your teams.   #Agile #lean #Scrumaster #PMI #PMISouthafrica #ProjectManagement

Another question from my last Certified Scrum Product Owner course… How to incorporate all the learnings. Well... you don’t have to incorporate all the learnings and techniques. Or any of them for that matter. But if you do, start small. And go meta – to the principles supporting a technique to think about why you want to use it. Because using a new technique is not miraculously going to improve delivery. But minding the gap might serve you better. As Jon Kern, one the authors of the Agile Manifesto, said in his keynote at the Regional Scrum Gathering in Cape Town this year – mind the gap... between building something and getting feedback on it. And that feedback may lead you to introducing a technique, something you may have learned in the CSPO training, that’s going to help you with this. So… start with principles and then see where it leads you. #practicalagile #agilecoaching #productownership #certifiedscrumproductowner #cspo #scrum #agile agile42 South Africa