This book, written by Jeff Sutherland, one of the co-creators of Scrum, provides insights into the Scrum framework and its application in enhancing productivity. Sutherland draws from his diverse experiences as a fighter pilot, biometrics expert, and executive in technology companies to illustrate how Scrum can be used to achieve remarkable productivity gains. The book includes real-life examples, such as the FBI's use of Scrum to prevent another 9/11 and a friend using Scrum to organize a wedding, highlighting the versatility and effectiveness of the Scrum method.
Management 3.0, by Jurgen Appelo, is a comprehensive guide to agile management, focusing on the role of managers in fostering collaboration, self-organization, and continuous improvement within agile teams. The book emphasizes empowering team members, promoting a culture of learning and experimentation, and using data-driven approaches to enhance team performance. It provides practical tools and techniques for managers to adopt an agile mindset and effectively lead their teams in a dynamic environment. Management 3.0 challenges traditional management styles and promotes a more human-centric approach, emphasizing the importance of employee engagement and well-being. The book's practical advice and engaging style have made it a popular resource for agile practitioners and managers alike.
Chris Sims: When Terminology Creates Misunderstandings, The "Ideal Days" Story
Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.
In this insightful episode, Chris Sims shares a valuable lesson from his early days implementing XP and Scrum. Chris's team had established an effective workflow using relative estimation with "ideal days" rather than story points, achieving good predictability and velocity measurements. However, things took an unexpected turn when a skeptical VP discovered their tracking spreadsheet and misinterpreted their metrics as showing only 2.5 days of work per week. Despite Chris's best efforts to explain the concept of "ideal days," the misunderstanding tarnished the team's reputation. Chris emphasizes the importance of socializing your working methods with stakeholders and communicating in ways meaningful to leadership. Working "under the radar" can backfire, so transparency about your processes is crucial for organizational alignment and trust.
Self-reflection Question: How transparent are you about your team's estimation methods with stakeholders who might not be familiar with agile terminology?
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About Chris Sims Chris Sims is a scrum trainer, agile coach, and recovering C++ developer who helps organizations improve their productivity and happiness. Chris is the founder of Agile Learning Labs and the co-author of two best-selling scrum books: The Elements of Scrum and Scrum: a Breathtakingly Brief and Agile Introduction.
You can link with Chris Sims on LinkedIn.
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches 
