Distributed ScrumMasters & the art of digital facilitation

@davidjbland#Agile2010

Collocated & Distributed Teams

Tech Startups & Enterprise Organizations

financial – saas - ecommerce - counter terrorism

Introduced to Agile Software

Development in 2002

ScrumMaster & Agile Coach

Distributed Scrum is painful*

*especially for unprepared ScrumMasters

Vanilla flavored Distributed Scrum

is a myth

Training often focuses on collocation

Effective ScrumMasters in collocated teams can be…

…ineffective for distributed teams

Tips that will help you find your way with Distributed Scrum

Virtual Scrum Boards

(Free Google Drawing Template pictured above)

DistributedScrum is not

an AgileLifecycle

Management tool.

Complex tools can raise your barrier to adoption

Teams will channel their frustrations

into the tool.

You’ll steer around the

usability flaws

individuals and interactions…

http://agilemanifesto.org/

… over processes and tools

vs.

Find the right balance of tools for your team

Lightweight & low cost experience

Cross the chasm before worrying about scale

Try a lightweight

virtual scrum board

tool for 2 to 3

iterations

You’ll place the focus backonto your team

DistributedCommunication

Distribution generatesmore documentation

Planning & Preparation

Iteration Info/Goals

Daily Scrum Recaps

Documenting Impediments

Reviews & Retrospectives

“I haven’t even opened my email today”

- Anonymous Developer

Online Text Chat

(8:00am) ScrumMaster:Yt….(8:01am) ScrumMaster:You there?

(8:02am) ScrumMaster:hello?

(8:03am) ScrumMaster:HI

(8:04am) ScrumMaster:Ping me

(8:05am) ScrumMaster:yt?

(8:06am) ScrumMaster:what’s up

(8:07am) ScrumMaster:hi there…

(8:08am) ScrumMaster:YT?

Phone

Body languageis important

Video

Fight for the video conference room

Setup 10 to 15minutes early

Stand Up

What did you do yesterday?What will you do today?What is in your way?

3 Questions(maximum overlap)

What did you do today?What will you do tomorrow?What is in your way?

3 Questions(minimum overlap)

Removing impediments

while the team is asleep

Feedback loops10 minutes

vs. 10 hours

Humanize the distributed teamexperience

Being a mirror for distributed teams

is difficult

Hone yourperception skills

Cultureaffects your distributed

team

Chicken & Piglabels do not

translate wellacross cultures

Establish trust with

retrospectives

Team membersare not

resources

“Metrics are people too”- Eric Ries

Put names with faces

Organize group outings

Be thechampion for your team

To Recap

- Start with a lightweight virtual scrum board

- Use video chat whenever possible to communicate

- Humanize the distributed development experience

Questions?

You are the glue that holds distributed teams together

#Agile2010@davidjbland

Don’t give up!

(thank you)