Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

Context Diagramming, Helping Agile Teams See Their Complex Communication Network | Zvonimir Durcevic

6 snips

Apr 1, 2025

Zvonimir Durcevic, an Agile product development expert, shares valuable insights on improving team communication through context diagramming. He recounts a tale of a five-person team delivering quality work yet struggling with stakeholder engagement, ultimately labeled as 'difficult.' By mapping their communication network, Zvonimir helped them recognize the detrimental effects of isolation. This transformative process allowed the team to illustrate their challenges to stakeholders, enhancing collaboration and understanding. He also recommends the book "Agile Transformation" for further insights.

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ADVICE

Systems Thinking

Use different lenses to analyze complex systems, such as teams and organizations.
Consider perspectives like organizational structure, culture, and individual team dynamics for deeper insights.

ANECDOTE

Team Communication Breakdown

A five-person team, proficient in product development, struggled with external communication.
Despite delivering quality work, stakeholders perceived them as "difficult" due to limited interaction.

INSIGHT

Complexity as a Catalyst

Visualizing communication complexity can be a wake-up moment for teams.
It helps them understand the impact of cutting off connections and encourages re-engagement.

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Zvonimir Durcevic: Context Diagramming, Helping Agile Teams See Their Complex Communication Network

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.

Zvonimir shares a story about a five-person team developing an important product who maintained good internal dynamics but limited their interaction with the rest of the organization. Despite delivering quality work, they were viewed as a "difficult team" by stakeholders. When Zvone joined, he conducted assessments and introduced context diagramming to map the team's relationships and dependencies. This exercise revealed the complexity of their communication network and helped the team understand that cutting off relationships with stakeholders was counterproductive. The breakthrough came when the team began using the context diagram to explain their situation to others, helping stakeholders recognize how organizational factors were affecting the team's work.

Self-reflection Question: How might mapping your team's communication network reveal disconnects that are affecting your effectiveness?

Featured Book of the Week: Agile Transformation by Michael Spayd

Zvonimir recommends "Agile Transformation" by Michael Spayd as a resource that helped him understand how to examine systems through different lenses. The book provides multiple perspectives for gaining deeper insights into the systems we work with. Zvone particularly values the book’s ability to help practitioners look beyond surface-level issues and understand underlying dynamics in organizations undergoing Agile transformations.

In this section we talk about the Integral agile transformation framework.

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About Zvonimir Durcevic

Zvonimir has worked in agile product development since 2005, holding roles such as Scrum Master, Agile Coach, IT Project, and R&D Manager. He works with teams to co-create tailored solutions to increase engagement and improve customer focus and effectiveness, enabling accelerated value delivery and rapid adaptation to change.

You can link with Zvonimir Durcevic on LinkedIn.