How to Introduce Data-driven Decision Making to Skeptical Agile Teams | Marina Lazovic
Mar 26, 2025
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Marina Lazovic, a Scrum Master and Kanban Trainer from Belgrade, shares her experience with introducing data-driven decision-making to Agile teams. She emphasizes starting with basic metrics like velocity, gradually moving to more complex data points. Marina discusses how to foster open conversations around data to uncover hidden issues, enabling self-driven solutions within teams. Her focus on simplicity and collaboration helps teams leverage historical data for better sprint planning, ultimately overcoming skepticism about data use in Agile.
Introducing data-driven decision making gradually helps Agile teams uncover bottlenecks and fosters meaningful conversations about workflow improvements.
Leveraging historical performance metrics for sprint planning enables teams to make more realistic estimates and enhances overall productivity.
Deep dives
The Power of Data-Driven Decisions
Using data effectively can significantly enhance decision-making processes in Agile teams. An example shared highlights the importance of tracking how long work items spend in various states, such as 'in progress' or 'waiting for feedback.' By analyzing this data, teams can identify bottlenecks and discuss possible resolutions, leading to improved workflow and problem-solving. This approach encourages team members to engage in conversations regarding obstacles, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Enhancing Planning Through Historical Data
Leveraging historical data forms a critical element in effective Agile planning. Instead of relying solely on story points for estimating delivery capabilities, the methodology discussed emphasizes analyzing past performance metrics like cycle time and throughput. This data-driven approach helps product owners to better forecast future deliverables over longer periods, optimizing their planning processes. By grounding estimations in historical performance, teams can increase their productivity and achieve more realistic planning outcomes.
Fostering Team Collaboration
Creating an environment where team members can discuss issues openly is vital for Agile success. Using focused questions related to specific performance data allows teams to identify underlying problems without overwhelming them with complex metrics. This collaborative method led to one team realizing the need to break down larger tickets into smaller, manageable tasks, enhancing their workflow. Encouraging teams to discuss challenges based on data fosters ownership and can lead to self-driven solutions that enhance team dynamics.
Marina Lazovic: How to Introduce Data-driven Decision Making to Skeptical Agile Teams
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.
Marina describes her experience introducing data-driven decision making to help teams improve their processes. Starting with basic metrics like velocity, she gradually expanded to more sophisticated data points such as how long items remain in specific workflow states. She emphasizes the importance of introducing these concepts naturally into daily work and using the data to spark meaningful conversations with both the team and Product Owner. By examining why items were stuck and for how long, the team uncovered underlying issues they could address. Marina also explains how she used historical data to inform sprint planning, making estimates more realistic. Her approach focused on simplicity—introducing one data point at a time, avoiding jargon, encouraging teams to discover problems themselves, and empowering them to develop their own solutions rather than imposing answers.
Self-reflection Question: What single data point could you start tracking that might reveal the most important improvement opportunity for your team?
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.