David Lowe, Author at Scrum & Kanban

Scrum Guide quiz

by David Lowe
August 28, 2017August 25, 2017
3 min read

Chances are that you aced your CSM test (if you went on the 2-day course), but how well do you really know the Scrum Guide? I’m not talking about how well could you implement Scrum, just how well you know what is written on the 17 pages written by Ken Schwaber… Read More »Scrum Guide quiz

Our game … in Russian

by David Lowe
August 22, 2017September 1, 2017
1 min read

In February 2016, we launched our workshop game, Iterative Incremental Big Bang. Although our biggest market is the United Kingdom, over 60% of sales have been shipped elsewhere in the world (as far as Canada, Vietnam, New Zealand and Russia). Our friends at ScrumTrek in Russia liked the game so… Read More »Our game … in Russian

Scrum Master job descriptions

by David Lowe
August 17, 2017August 21, 2017
6 min read

As a Scrum Master, it’s never easy to know what a job is really going to be like before you start, but we’ve been looking out for what we think are bad smells in job offers. Please feel free to tell us your own in the comments. Job title of… Read More »Scrum Master job descriptions

How to listen like a hostage negotiator

by David Lowe
July 31, 2017July 15, 2022
5 min read

There’s a man in the house in front of you. He’s tied his wife to a chair, poured petrol over her and is threatening to set her on fire. “I’ve been at work all day. When I get home, I find her [his wife] on the phone, and she refuses… Read More »How to listen like a hostage negotiator

Role mapping

by David Lowe
July 19, 2017July 19, 2017
4 min read

We all know that “Individuals and interactions” are important. I believe that getting explicit agreement on how the team will work together is fundamental to a happy and performing team. One exercise I have run in various orgs, from fashion retailers to hospitals, is a simple mapping of roles but is… Read More »Role mapping

What makes a great Product Owner?

by David Lowe
July 6, 2017July 6, 2017
2 min read

I often get asked “What makes a great product owner?” My answer used to be that the PO needs to have both: knowledge (e.g. a good understanding of the vision / needs) and authority (i.e. being able to agree the team’s direction without it being overturned by someone else). The… Read More »What makes a great Product Owner?

What makes a great Retrospective?

by David Lowe
2 Comments
June 21, 2017June 21, 2017
4 min read

We often refer to the Retrospective as “the easiest meeting to run, but the hardest to do well.” So we decided to ask people what they thought made a good retrospective? What is a Retrospective? Before we get into the detail, let’s just clarify what we mean by a Retrospective.… Read More »What makes a great Retrospective?

Mural

by David Lowe
June 15, 2017June 28, 2017
2 min read

I know it’s not all about tools (or processes), but I’m quite liking Mural right now. There’s something about the flexibility and space to allow your mind to roam. Google’s offerings (i.e. docs, sheets, slides) are all very good when you’re trying to co-create some text or create a multi-entry… Read More »Mural

Grit is what you need

by David Lowe
1 Comment
June 1, 2017May 31, 2017
4 min read

“My brother got all the brains. I had to work really hard to get where I am.” ~ David Lowe, 1995 onwards That’s how I used to explain my successes. I thought I’d got the short straw at having to work much harder to get results. But it turns out that… Read More »Grit is what you need

What is the scientific method?

by David Lowe
May 22, 2017July 15, 2022
3 min read

My previous post about working like a startup mentioned the scientific method around which my favoured way of working revolves. In fact, with our small feedback loops and Bayesian planning (that is, taking new information and adjusting our plans), many agile teams are using this method without knowing it. So… Read More »What is the scientific method?

David Lowe