Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

How Small Signs of Cynicism Can Destroy Agile Team Cohesion | Richard

Apr 15, 2025

Richard Brenner, a seasoned technology leader and Agile Coach, discusses the dangers of cynicism in Agile teams. He shares a revealing story of dysfunction starting from a seemingly minor cynical comment during a retrospective. Richard emphasizes how small negative behaviors, like tardiness, can destroy team cohesion. He advocates for early conflict resolution protocols and encourages open feedback to address underlying issues before they escalate. A self-reflection question prompts listeners to consider harmful signals they might be ignoring in their own teams.

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ANECDOTE

Cynical Remark in Retrospective

Richard Brenner moderated a retrospective with multiple agile teams and their manager.
A team member made a cynical remark towards the manager, revealing underlying tension.

ADVICE

Address Cynicism Directly

Address cynicism and "elephants in the room" immediately.
Ignoring small dysfunctional behaviors allows them to escalate into larger problems.

ANECDOTE

Passive-Destructive Stand-up Behavior

Richard observed a team member consistently arriving late to stand-ups and disengaging.
This passive-destructive behavior negatively impacted the entire team's mood.

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Richard Brenner: How Small Signs of Cynicism Can Destroy Agile Team Cohesion

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.

Richard shares a powerful story about how team dysfunction often starts with small steps. During a joint retrospective with three agile teams, Richard witnessed a moment where a team member made a cynical comment toward a manager who was attempting to participate. This revealed a damaged relationship between management and the team, creating tension that Richard initially chose to ignore. Looking back, he would now immediately address such comments and tackle the "elephant in the room." Richard explains how seemingly minor behaviors like cynicism or passive-destructive actions (such as consistently being late to stand-ups) can significantly impact team health. He recommends establishing conflict resolution protocols early and using impact feedback without judgment to address these issues before they escalate.

In this segment, we refer to Lysa Adkins’ conflict resolution protocol.

Self-reflection Question: What small signs of dysfunction might you be overlooking in your team that could develop into larger problems?

Featured Book of the Week: Solution Focused Coaching for Agile Teams

Richard recommends "Solution Focused Coaching for Agile Teams" by Ralph and Veronika. This book describes the solution-focused approach to many common situations that Agile coaches face in their work. Richard values this resource for its practical guidance on addressing challenges through a positive, solution-oriented perspective rather than dwelling on problems.

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About Richard

Richard is a versatile technology leader with experience as a Software Engineer, Product Owner, and Agile Coach. Passionate about building software that excites, he thrives at the intersection of technology, change, and leadership. Lately, he's focused on Collaborative Modeling, bridging disciplines to drive innovation and create meaningful impact.

You can link with Richard Brenner on LinkedIn.