Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

The Solution-Focused Retrospective for Agile Teams, Turning Problems Into Goals | Zvonimir Durcevic

Apr 3, 2025

Zvonimir Durcevic, an Agile product development expert, delves into transforming challenges into actionable goals for Agile teams. He emphasizes the importance of a structured retrospective format that allows teams to acknowledge problems while quickly shifting to envisioning solutions. Zvonimir discusses the balance Scrum Masters need to achieve in fostering collaboration without causing burnout. He also provides insights from the upcoming Global Agile Summit, highlighting innovative approaches that can rejuvenate Agile practices.

17:48

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Episode guests

Zvonimir Durcevic

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

A successful Agile retrospective emphasizes transforming problems into goals, fostering a proactive mindset and collaborative solutions within teams.

Scrum Master success is defined by enhancing team effectiveness through feedback mechanisms and nurturing individual growth for sustainable performance.

Deep dives

Effective Agile Retrospectives

A successful Agile retrospective format focuses on transforming problems into goals, allowing teams to openly discuss their challenges without dwelling too much on negativity. This approach involves recording team-shared issues on one side of a flip chart while encouraging them to articulate desired outcomes on the other side. By validating their problems and shifting the focus to achievable goals, teams can collectively decide on specific targets to improve. This method fosters a proactive mindset and helps teams leverage past experiences to find solutions and deepen their collaborative efforts.

Intro

3min

Transforming Problems into Goals for Agile Teams

4min

Shifting Focus from Problems to Future Solutions in Agile Teams

2min

Defining Success for Scrum Masters

4min

Exciting Insights from the Global Agile Summit

5min

Zvonimir Durcevic: The Solution-Focused Retrospective for Agile Teams, Turning Problems Into Goals

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 defines Scrum Master success as being explicit and intentional about defining and achieving goals. He references Richard Hackmann's model of team effectiveness as a framework to evaluate whether he's helping teams become truly effective. For Zvone, success comes from creating structures that provide teams with feedback about their performance and being explicit about the team's purpose through practices like chartering. By focusing on these elements, Scrum Masters can help teams build the foundation for sustainable success.

Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Problems Are Disguised Goals

This solution-focused retrospective format, inspired by the work of Ralph Miata and Veronika Jungwirth, allows teams to briefly acknowledge problems before pivoting quickly to what they want to achieve instead. Zvonimir explains that while teams need space to express challenges, the format redirects energy toward envisioning a better future through solution-focused questions. The process includes validating problems, using scale questions (0-10) to assess current status, reviewing past attempts at reaching goals, and designing small experiments to move toward desired outcomes. This approach helps teams shift from problem-orientation to goal-orientation.

Self-reflection Question: How might reframing your team's persistent problems as goals change your approach to addressing them?

[Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

🚀 Global Agile Summit 2025

Join us in Tallinn, Estonia, from May 18th – 20th, 2025, for an event that will inspire, challenge, and equip you with real-world Agile success stories.

🌍 Connect with global Agile leaders.

💡 Learn practical strategies for impact.

🔥 Break free from Agile fatigue and become a Pragmatic Innovator.

Check Full Program

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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.

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