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.
Marina Lazovic: Measuring Agile Team Success Through Stable Delivery Flow
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Marina reflects on how her understanding of Scrum Master success has evolved, noting that delivery optimization is an aspect she previously undervalued. For her, success means supporting teams to deliver in an optimal way with stable flow. She emphasizes that since software is built for users, delivery is the ultimate measure of value creation. Marina recommends discussing with teams what "delivery" actually means in their context and focusing on aspects within the team's control. She suggests using the "circle of influence" concept to define what constitutes delivery and to identify actionable improvement options during retrospectives. By concentrating on sprint-level delivery metrics, teams can establish a concrete definition of success that ties directly to value creation.
Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Lean Coffee
Marina prefers keeping retrospectives simple and direct, recognizing that developers typically appreciate getting straight to the point. She particularly recommends the Lean Coffee format, which provides structure while allowing teams to focus on what matters most to them at that moment. What makes this format effective is its adaptability and efficiency. Marina emphasizes the importance of asking teams which retrospective formats they prefer rather than imposing a particular structure. To make retrospectives actionable, she insists on specifying WHO will do WHAT and by WHEN for every action item, ensuring clear accountability and follow-through on improvement initiatives.
Self-reflection Question: How clearly defined is "delivery success" for your team, and what specific flow metrics could you introduce to make it more concrete?
About Marina Lazovic
Marina is a Scrum Master and Kanban Trainer from Belgrade, Serbia, with nearly a decade in the IT industry. Though not from a technical background, she is passionate about helping development teams and organizations optimize processes and build great products using Agile. She thrives on driving efficiency and fostering collaboration.
You can link with Marina Lazovic on LinkedIn.
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