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Rachael Wilterdink

Rachael Wilterdink

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Retrospectives

In Scrum, Agile Retrospectives performed at the end of each Sprint represent THE key inspect and adapt opportunity for the team. Don’t let it get boring.

How to Scrum without a Scrum Master

January 12, 2024 by Rachael
paper boats on solid surface

Can Scrum Teams exist and operate at their best sans a Scrum Master? Maybe. Here are a few experiments you can try to get by without one.

Categories Accountabilities, Agile, Retrospectives, Scrum, Scrum Guide, Scrum Master, Scrum Team, Sprint Planning, Sprints

Help! My Team’s Sprint Backlog is Out of Control!

July 7, 2023July 6, 2023 by Rachael
photo of sticky notes and colored pens scrambled on table

Mystery stories? No points, no details, no naming conventions, technical tasks, ad hoc requests… Help! My Sprint Backlog is out of Control!

Categories Agile, Daily Scrum, Product Backlog, Product Ownership, Retrospectives, Scrum Master, Scrum Team, Sprint Backlog, Sprint Planning, Value

More Agile Great Debates, Part 8

May 23, 2023 by Rachael
The word "done" with a checkmark under it

This time on “More Agile Great Debates”: incomplete backlogs, improvements, “special” Sprints, people swapping, and cross-functionality.

Categories Agile, Product Backlog, Product Ownership, Retrospectives, Scrum, Scrum Guide, Scrum Master, Scrum Team, Sprint Backlog, Sprints

More Great Agile Debates, Part 6

May 16, 2023 by Rachael
a man and a woman having a business discussion

Hear five more agile great debates: time-boxes, Scrum Masters, Managers at Retros, Scrum Teams staying together, and is Scrum for everything?

Categories Agile, Product Ownership, Retrospectives, Scrum, Scrum Master, Scrum Team

My Scrum Team Doesn’t Want to do some Events

April 19, 2023 by Rachael
photo of people holding each other s hands

Each event of Scrum has a specific audience and purpose. While skipping some might be tempting, you might want to read this before doing so.

Categories Agile, Daily Scrum, Retrospectives, Scrum, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, Sprints, Stakeholders, User Stories

More Great Agile Debates, Part 2

May 23, 2023March 22, 2023 by Rachael
people in silhouette debating

In the second part of my blog series on “Agile’s Great Debates,” learn about five more agile topics that people argue about and disagree on.

Categories Agile, Product Ownership, Retrospectives, Scrum, Scrum Team, Sprint Review, Sprints

More Great Agile Debates, Part 1

May 15, 2023March 14, 2023 by Rachael
woman shouts on man using megaphone

My previous “Great Agile Debates” have proven extremely popular, so I thought I would add to this body of knowledge with a new blog series.

Categories Agile, Daily Scrum, Product Backlog, Product Goal, Product Ownership, Retrospectives, Scrum, Scrum Guide, Scrum Master, Scrum Team, Sprint Backlog, Sprint Goal, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, Vision

What Happens if Your Scrum Team isn’t Trained?

December 8, 2022 by Rachael
gray wooden computer cubicles inside room

Scrum Teams without formal training are apt to make tons of mistakes because they don’t have experience or guidance. Here’s what can happen.

Categories Accountabilities, Agile, Retrospectives, Scrum, Scrum Guide, Scrum Team, Sprint Goal, Sprint Review, Sprints, Stakeholders

What happens if you don’t deliver a “Done” Increment?

November 29, 2022 by Rachael
crop man writing on whiteboard in modern office

Not delivering a “done” increment at the end of a Sprint can cause many negative consequences. It’s a bad habit and won’t make anyone happy.

Categories Agile, Product Backlog, Retrospectives, Scrum, Scrum Team, Sprint Backlog, Sprint Goal, Sprints, Stakeholders

There are no “Special” Sprints in Scrum

November 3, 2022 by Rachael
athletes running on track and field oval in grayscale photography

There should be no “special” Sprints in Scrum. The goal of every iteration is to create a working increment that is potentially releasable.

Categories Agile, Product Backlog, Product Goal, Product Ownership, Retrospectives, Scrum, Scrum Guide, Scrum Team, Sprint Goal, Sprints
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