The Power of Asking for Help During Difficult Workshops | Jelena Vucinic
Oct 14, 2024
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In a captivating discussion, Jelena Vucinic, an optimistic and introspective facilitator, shares her journey in managing a challenging workshop in Zurich with 50 participants. She emphasizes the power of adaptability and the necessity of asking for help when workshops veer off course. Jelena explores the emotional dynamics of group frustration, urging the need for open dialogue and realistic goal-setting. She advocates for applying agile principles to enhance workshop effectiveness, highlighting the importance of iterative feedback to foster collaboration.
Self-reflection is crucial for Scrum Masters to adapt their approaches and foster collaboration by understanding team dynamics deeply.
Embracing flexibility and an agile mindset is essential for effectively facilitating workshops, allowing for adjustments based on real-time team feedback.
Deep dives
Embracing Self-Reflection
The importance of self-reflection in the role of a Scrum Master is emphasized through the experience of a facilitator reflecting on their journey. A Scrum Master should not only focus on problem-solving but also on understanding team dynamics and individual contributions. By asking open-ended questions and fostering an environment for discussion, they can encourage collaboration and shared responsibility within the team. This approach underscores the belief that every individual can have a meaningful impact on a team's success.
Learning from Failures
Experiencing failure is valuable in personal development, especially in high-pressure situations like facilitating workshops. One story illustrated how an overly ambitious goal led to frustration instead of productive outcomes, highlighting the need for realistic expectations. By acknowledging failures and understanding the emotions involved, a Scrum Master can adapt and grow from these experiences, leading to improved workshop facilitation in the future. This emphasizes the philosophy that learning from setbacks is crucial for continuous improvement.
Value of Flexibility and Agility
The discussion emphasizes the necessity of maintaining flexibility and adopting an agile mindset within one's own work. Embracing a less rigid approach can enhance creativity and efficiency, particularly in workshop facilitation, where iterative processes can lead to more effective outcomes. Being open to adjusting plans based on team feedback allows for a more engaging and productive environment. The concept of applying Agile principles not just to projects, but also to personal practices, is highlighted as fundamentally transformative.
Jelena Vucinic: The Power of Asking for Help During Difficult Workshops
Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.
In this episode, Jelena shares a challenging story of facilitating a large internal workshop in Zurich, where 50 people participated in activities like story mapping, magic estimation, and release planning. Despite her preparation, the event quickly became difficult as participants grew frustrated, wanting to dive deep into details that could not be addressed. Jelena reflects on how she learned to adapt her approach, embrace agility even in preparation, and ask for help when needed.
Self-reflection Question: How can you recognize when your workshop expectations are too ambitious and need adjustment? Leave your answer in the comments, let’s get this conversation started!
About Jelena Vucinic Jelena is a self-conscious perfectionist and an everlasting optimist. She is deeply curious about the way people interact. After listening attentively, she likes to ask open questions that often help to reflect and improve collaboration. Jelena believes that every single person makes a difference, and she is dedicated to helping teams and leaders unlock their potential. You can link with Jelena Vucinic on LinkedIn.
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