In this conversation, Jim Sammons and Rich Visotcky discuss various aspects of team dynamics, particularly focusing on Scrum Masters and the importance of engagement and interest in work. We explore the expectations placed on Scrum Masters, the significance of caring about the work being done, and how to navigate conflicts within teams around their work, tool choice, communication patterns, and more.

Key highlights include:

• Interest in work drives better performance and outcomes.
• Navigating conflict requires understanding the context.
• Caring about the work leads to better results.
• Frustrations in work often stem from organizational decisions.
• Shifting mindsets from tool dependency to problem-solving is crucial.
• Different teams require different types of support and skills.

Chapters

00:00 Intro 

00:16 Should Scrum Masters Be Interested? 

01:23 Do Process People Need to Grasp The Backlog? 

04:48 Do Care and Interest Go Hand in Hand? 

08:14 Marker 4 

08:14 Did the Creators of Agility Expect People to Care? 

10:56 Do You Need to Know How the Sausage is Made? 

13:41 The Legend of "Json the Troublemaker" 

18:25 It's Not Them, It's You 

21:39 The Way of Working 

26:30 What Gets You Riled Up? 

29:49 It Makes Sense, and it Makes Me Angry 

34:52 The "User" Will See You Now 

37:03 What Riles Rich Up? 

42:35 Part of the Solution? 

46:29 On the Next Episode... 

Connect with Product Fields:

📢 Follow the podcast for more inspiring stories
💬 Join the conversation on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/company/mastering-agility 

📩 Contact us for trades or sponsorships

👉 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear it!

Connect with our hosts:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/richvisotcky/

Check out our sponsors:

https://www.xebia.com

https://www.wiserbees.com

https://www.jointinsights.com

https://www.productfields.com

Gil Broza joins our hosts, Jim Sammons and Rich Visotcky, for the first episode of the Product Fields podcast in 2026!  In this conversation, we discuss the evolving landscape of agility and product management in the age of AI. Together, we explore how AI has transformed product delivery, the importance of accountability, and the need for leaders to adapt their strategies to ensure effective team dynamics. Too often, we have seen companies go full-on into AI without any strategy or understanding of the consequences. Through our discussion, we dive into the balance between leveraging AI for efficiency while maintaining critical thinking and human oversight, and the need for a thoughtful approach to integrating AI into work processes.

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:04 Agility Beyond Tech: Adapting Principles for Non-Tech Teams 

00:03:44 The Relevance of the Agile Manifesto, Values, and Principles 

00:08:44 AI's Impact on Product Delivery and Management 

00:12:15 Going Back to Principles in the Age of AI 

00:16:52 Accountability in the Age of AI 

00:28:03 The AI Industrial Revolution: Trust and Human Connection 

00:33:58 The Atrophy of Skills in the Age of AI 

00:35:07 The Impact of AI on Communication and Authenticity 

00:45:38 The Dangers of Over-Reliance on AI 

00:47:27 Fundamentals in the Age of AI 

00:50:45 The Danger of Agency and AI 

00:53:01 The Future of Work and AI Integration 

00:57:46 Quantity vs. Impact 

01:01:20 Closing 

Connect with Product Fields:

📢 Follow the podcast for more inspiring stories
💬 Join the conversation on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/company/mastering-agility
📩 Contact us for trades or sponsorships

👉 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear it!

Connect with our guests:

Gil Broza: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilbroza

Subscribe to Gil’s newsletter: https://3pvantage.com/subscribe-newsletter/

Attend Gil’s course, “Leading AI-Enabled Product Teams”: https://3pvantage.com/leapt/

Check out our sponsors:

https://www.xebia.com

https://www.wiserbees.com

https://www.jointinsights.com

https://www.productfields.com

For questions or requests that you would like us to check on, please drop a message on LinkedIn or join the Mastering Agility Discord community!

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Tricia Broderick

Are you struggling to lead your teams toward success during these chaotic times?

Tricia Broderick, co-author of Lead without Blame, focuses on this specific challenge. She is a leadership and organizational advisor. With over twenty-five years of experience, her transformational leadership ignites the growth of leaders and teams to deliver quality outcomes. Tricia boldly role models putting people first. Her aim is to create inclusive connections and collaborations that challenge and support people in an authentic, vulnerable, and engaging way. She is a highly-rated trainer, coach, facilitator, and motivational keynote speaker.

In 2022, she co-authored with Diana Larsen, Lead without Blame. A detailed framework for leaders to move past outdated workplace blame and shame strategies to cultivate resilient teams capable of facing adversity and setbacks confidently.

Sander Dur

Sander Dur is a Professional Scrum Trainer at Scrum.org, podcast host of Mastering Agility, Professional Scrum Master and Lead Agile Consultant, and trainer at Xebia. Besides this, he's an avid writer for predominantly Serious Scrum on Medium.com. Sander has a major passion for the human side in complex domains. Ensuring a high level of psychological safety, therefore, is a critical part of his work. Organizations in complex domains can only survive when innovating. Innovation can only take place with the right balance between low social friction and high intellectual friction. While most organizations now understand how to apply Agile frameworks, they struggle with the delivery of value. Psychological safety is the next step in this evolution and Sander has a huge drive to help organizations reach that step.
 
  Sander is enthusiastic, open-minded, and ambitious. He finds interpersonal relationships and intrinsic motivations very important in team dynamics. Besides his work, Sander loves to spend time with his family, enjoys sports and eating healthy, barbecuing, riding his motorcycle, and traveling.

Jim Sammons

My passion is helping people to:

• Do more of the right work (and less of the wrong work).
• Create more actual teams than just groups of people who work together.
• Learning how to improve themselves, their team, and their organization incrementally.
• Understand that less, not more, is usually part of the answer to some of the hardest questions we all face.
• See their workplaces, teams, and their sphere of influence as something that is evolving, which requires an evolution of all of its parts to adapt.

Throughout my career, I have worked with clients of all sizes, industries, and technologies.  Whether it’s leading a transformative strategy at a Fortune 100 or helping a new startup understand its unique value proposition the common focus I bring to each role is “making people better.”

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Abstract:

Any agile transformation can be incredibly challenging. Complexity is sky high, and so is risk. Talk through some of these challenges, accompanied by all his experience he condensed into his highly anticipated new book The 6 Enablers of Business Agility (released June 1st). Adopting the latest and greatest agile tools and practices won’t be enough to respond to rapid market change. But if that’s not the case, what can we do?! Join us now for some great advice and words of experience by this world-leading business agility and leadership consultant!

What you’ll discover in this show:

-        Implementing new roles for everyone alone is not going to cut it
-        We can learn from giants like Microsoft, Netflix, and Apple
-        It all falls back to having engaged employees
 
 

Speakers:

Karim Harbott

Business Agility and Leadership consultant, entrepreneur, author, and international keynote speaker

Karim Harbott is a world-leading business agility and innovation coach. He is a serial entrepreneur and founding partner of Agile Centre, a global agile training and consulting firm, and the Business Agility Academy, the leading international business agility certification body. He is also a non-executive director of the Scrum Alliance, the world’s first, and largest, agile certification body. 

 Contact Karim Harbott:
https://www.karimharbott.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karimharbott/?originalSubdomain=uk
https://twitter.com/karimharbott?lang=en

Sander Dur (host)

Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”

Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product developme

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

"I don’t like the phrase 'meet people where they are.' If you only do that, it’s too easy for everyone to settle. Instead, I try to meet them a half-step ahead—and take them on a field trip to what’s possible."

In this episode, Jim and Sander talk about the pursuit of mastery, how to inspire growth, and why being too comfortable can kill progress. From Van Gogh's late start to corporate energy vampires, this conversation is part therapy, part stand-up, and -as usual- fully human.

In this heartfelt and candid episode, Sander and Jim meet up at the Xebia studio for a conversation that blends humor, vulnerability, and inspiration. They unpack what it means to pursue mastery, how creativity emerges in unlikely places, and why many of us wrestle with the pressure of "starting too late."

The dynamic duo reflects on Jim's experiences from the Van Gogh Museum, shares personal goals like writing a book and dives deep into what success truly means—especially when you feel like time is slipping away.

They also tackle workplace dynamics, including how to deal with energy vampires on teams, giving and receiving feedback effectively, and staying authentic even when the work gets tough.

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

💡 Description:
In this thought-provoking episode of Mastering Agility, Jim and Marge sit down with Phil Agnew, host of the UK’s #1 marketing podcast, Nudge. Together, they explore the fascinating world of behavioral science, revealing how subtle nudges shape our decisions, from marketing campaigns to everyday life.

Discover the psychology behind why we choose one option over another, the ethical considerations of influence, and how businesses (and individuals) can apply these principles for positive change. Whether it’s anchoring on menus, using loss aversion to boost performance, or avoiding the pitfalls of overused marketing tricks, this episode is packed with actionable insights and real-world examples.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• The role of behavioral science in marketing and decision-making.

• Why ethical influence is more critical than ever.

• How businesses and individuals can use nudges to drive behavior.

• The power of anchoring, loss aversion, and social proof.

• Surprising examples of influence—from handwritten notes to painted flies on urinals!

Connect with Phill on LinkedIn: (10) Phill Agnew | LinkedIn

Check out Phill's podcast Nudge: Nudge Podcast

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

ScanAgile 2025 - ScanAgile

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The conversation explores the concept of simplicity and its challenges in various contexts. It delves into the importance of feedback, organizational and cultural change, and the friction between doing the thing right and doing the right thing. The difficulty of simplicity is discussed, along with the power of simple solutions. The conversation explores the importance of simplicity in product development and the challenges organizations face in achieving it. The three main drivers in the workforce are identified as community, cause, and compensation, with their importance varying depending on career stage. Perks and benefits, such as ping pong tables and beer on tap, are no longer sufficient to attract and retain talent. The focus should be on creating work that matters and providing employees with a sense of purpose. Short-term focus and financial stress can hinder organizations and individuals from achieving simplicity. It is crucial to let go of unnecessary tasks and amplify the value of the work being done.

Takeaways

• Simplicity is the antithesis to complexity and is essential in various domains, including software development and product design.

• Feedback is crucial in achieving simplicity and ensuring that the right solutions are developed.

• Organizational and cultural change are necessary to foster simplicity and create an environment that values simplicity.

• There is often a friction between doing the thing right (craftsmanship) and doing the right thing (meeting customer needs and business goals). Balancing these two aspects is essential.

• Simple solutions can be powerful and effective, and often the simplest solution is the best one. The three main drivers in the workforce are community, cause, and compensation, with their importance varying depending on career stage.

• Perks and benefits are no longer sufficient to attract and retain talent; the focus should be on creating work that matters and providing employees with a sense of purpose.

• Short-term focus and financial stress can hinder organizations and individuals from achieving simplicity.

• It is crucial to let go of unnecessary tasks and amplify the value of the work being done

Check out our sponsors:
www.wiserbees.com
www.xebia.com
www.scrummatch.com
www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

For questions or requests that you would like us to check on, please drop a message on LinkedIn or join the Mastering Agility Discord community!

Participate as an audience member
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Mastering Agility merch

Sander Dur

Sander Dur is a Professional Scrum Trainer at Scrum.org, podcast host of Mastering Agility, Professional Scrum Master and Lead Agile Consultant, and trainer at Xebia. Besides this, he's an avid writer for predominantly Serious Scrum on Medium.com. Sander has a major passion for the human side in complex domains. Ensuring a high level of psychological safety, therefore, is a critical part of his work. Organizations in complex domains can only survive when innovating. Innovation can only take place with the right balance between low social friction and high intellectual friction. While most organizations now understand how to apply Agile frameworks, they struggle with the delivery of value. Psychological safety is the next step in this evolution and Sander has a huge drive to help organizations reach that step.
 
Sander is enthusiastic, open-minded, and ambitious. He finds interpersonal relationships and intrinsic motivations very important in team dynamics. Besides his work, Sander loves to spend time with his family, enjoys sports and eating healthy, barbecuing, riding his motorcycle, and traveling.

Jim Sammons

My passion is helping people to:

• Do more of the right work (and less of the wrong work).
• Create more actual teams than just groups of people who work together.
• Learning how to improve themselves, their team, and their organization incrementally.
• Understand that less, not more, is usually part of the answer to some of the hardest questions we all face.
• See their workplaces, teams, and their sphere of influence as something that is evolving, which requires an evolution of all of its parts to adapt.

Throughout my career, I have worked with clients of all sizes, industries, and technologies.  Whether it’s leading a transformative strategy at a Fortune 100 or helping a new startup understand its unique value proposition the common focus I bring to each role is “making people better.”

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Sprint Goals provide the single objective, the single focus, for the Sprint when we're talking about what's the most important thing to do. Often it's a misunderstood or hard thing to create. Why do we need one? Can we really create only 1, we're working on so many things?! Maarten Dalmijn is here to talk to us about why Sprint Goals are so important and how to deal with these questions. There is so much to say about it that he's even writing a book on this specific topic!

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Summary

In this conversation, Sander Dur and his guest Riina Hellstrom explore the evolving role of HR in organizations, emphasizing the shift from traditional "resource management" to a more agile, empowering approach. They discuss the importance of adopting an agile mindset in HR practices, the impact of AI on the workforce, and the necessity for continuous learning and adaptation in the face of change.

Riina shares insights on how HR can create value for employees, the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need for leaders to prioritize initiatives effectively. The conversation highlights the importance of co-creating change with employees and fostering a positive work environment that encourages engagement and fulfillment.

takeaways

• HR should empower employees to succeed.

• Agile mindset is crucial for modern HR practices.

• Value streams in HR can enhance employee experience.

• AI will significantly impact HR roles and functions.

• Continuous learning is essential for career development.

• Leaders must prioritize initiatives effectively.

• Co-creating change with employees fosters engagement.

• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted HR's importance.

• HR needs to adapt to technological advancements.

• A positive work environment enhances employee satisfaction.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Technical debt is one of those things that can really bite your ass when you're not taking care of it. Tech debt sneaks in and before you know it, you’re spending more time repaying that debt rather than delivering actual value. But not all tech debt is wrong. And not everything that is perceived as tech debt is actually that. What about undone work? And what can we do to prevent this from accumulating? To what extent do we need to be transparent about it? Steve Porter, Scrum.org’s Professional Series Manager and developer at heart, joins us in this episode of Mastering Agility to discuss this.

What you’ll discover in this show:

-        Introducing tech debt might be a good thing

-        There is a difference between tech debt and work that is just not done

-        Estimation of effort is still needed. Also discussing what has been done to remove it could be good to do during Sprint Reviews
 
 Speakers:

Steve Porter

Supporting the Professional Scrum Trainer community

Steve Porter works with the Scrum.org team of experts and its wider trainer community to create and maintain its Professional Series of courses and assessments. Steve guides this collaborative process to ensure training is current and meets the needs of the professional Scrum community. Before joining Scrum.org, Steve was the product owner for TeamPulse, Telerik’s agile project management tool. He has also provided application lifecycle management (ALM) consulting services for organizations around the globe. At his core, Steve is still a developer. He taught himself how to code at an early age and has spent years turning ephemeral ideas into functioning software. It's the joy of this craft that Steve brings to all his interactions at Scrum.org.

 Contact Steve Porter:
https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog?uid=119

https://twitter.com/stevevrporter

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevevrporter/

Sander Dur (host)

Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”

Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/
https://agilitymasters.com/en
https://sander-dur.medium.com/

Additional resources: 

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this conversation, Jim talks to Sander, and Ryan about their book 'Solving for Value', exploring its motivations, tone, and the importance of authenticity and empathy in consultancy. They delve into the complexities of work relationships, the significance of critical thinking, and the shared struggles many face in their professional lives.

The discussion also touches on the challenges of measuring success beyond monetary ROI and the personal reflections that come with being business owners, culminating in a light-hearted exchange about their favorite holiday movies. In this engaging conversation, Jim, Sander and Ryan discuss a variety of themes ranging from holiday movie favorites to the impact of social media and nostalgia. They discuss the allure of big cities, the dangers of apathy in the workplace, and the importance of critical thinking. The conversation wraps up with reading recommendations and reflections on the writing process.

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, the Mastering Agility Podcast-team discusses various misunderstandings and misapplications of Agile practices, particularly how Agile is often reduced to a set of tools or deadlines rather than its core principles of flexibility and value-driven work.

Key points include:

• Agile can be misused to push unfinished work or prioritize speed over quality.

• Many companies dehumanize employees by treating them as "resources" or "tools" rather than people.

• It's necessary to challenge the status quo and question whether certain processes or features are necessary .

• Innovation within organizations requires more than hackathons and "innovation days"

• Agile is about responding to change, not just completing work faster. True agility requires the ability to stop work and pivot if needed.

  
  

The episode also touches on themes like trust within teams, the pitfalls of bureaucratic decision-making, and how large corporations struggle to implement true Agile principles compared to smaller, nimble organizations.

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Professional Agile Leadership is vastly different from traditional management. In fact, management does not mean leadership by default. However, quite often managers are looked upon to be leaders in an Agile organization, while they are rarely involved.

But what should Professional Agile Leadership look like? Join Sander Dur and Joanna Plaskonka to find out!

  What you’ll discover in this show:

–        Leadership means leading; showing by example, paving the way forward
 –        Massive changes are needed in our university system in order to set future leaders up for success
–        Leaders ensure psychological safety

 Speakers:

Joanna Plaskonka
Agile Coach, Consultant, and Professional Scrum Trainer

Agile Coach, Visual Facilitator, and Part-Time Illustrator!
 
 My educational background is related to Control Engineering and Robotics. I did not become an engineer automating a chocolate factory (like most children would dream to be), however, I learned a lot and finished my Ph.D. studies in Robotics with honors.
 
 My professional career started in the field of Software Configuration Management. It quickly turned out to be that supporting people in creating effective processes and valuable products is what propels my career positively. My adventure with Scrum and Agile began in 2010 and continues to this day. I am currently a Professional Scrum Trainer, Agile Coach, and consultant. My mission is to deliver the best learning experience and have a positive impact on people and organizations.

 
 Contact Joanna:
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-plaskonka/

 
 Sander Dur (host)

Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”

Sander Dur is a Professional Scrum Trainer at Scrum.org, podcast host of Mastering Agility, Professional Scrum Master, and Lead Agile Consultant and trainer at Xebia. Besides this, he’s an avid writer for predominantly Serious Scrum on Medium.com. Sander has a major passion for the human side in complex domains. Ensuring a high level of psychological safety, therefore, is a critical part of his work. Organizations in complex domains can only survive when innovating. Innovation can only take place with the right balance between low social friction and high intellectual friction. While most organizations now understand how to apply Agile frameworks, they struggle with the delivery of value. Psychological safety is the next step in this evolution and Sander has a huge drive to help organizations reach that step.
 
 He gained experience as a Scrum Master, Agile Coach, and Leadership consultant in many different top-tier organizations, including Nike and ASML.
 
  Sander is enthusiastic, open-minded, and ambitious. He finds interpersonal relationships and intrinsic motivations very important in team dynamics. Besides his work, Sander loves to spend time with his family, enjoys sports and eating healthy, barbecuing, riding his motorcycle, and traveling.
 
 Let’s connect! Sander is always up for new connections and discussions!
 
 Masteringagility.org
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur
h

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

"Refinement is about gathering enough information to get started, not pre-cooking the entire task."

In this episode of Mastering Agility, Jim and Sander explore the concept of Refinement in agile teams, discussing its purpose in creating shared understanding, adding details, and aligning on goals. Refinement isn’t about perfect planning but ensuring teams have enough information to start effectively.

The hosts highlight the evolving role of the product owner, the importance of continuous communication, and practical strategies to avoid common pitfalls like over-refinement and meeting overload. Their key advice: focus on the five W’s and the how, empower teams to take ownership, and maintain flexibility in the refinement process.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Summary

The conversation covers karaoke, the Finnish Agile community, bad agile practices, agile transformations, fear, and personal advice. Sander Dur and his guests Sally and Aley Sloley discuss their dislike for karaoke and share stories about karaoke experiences. They praise the Finnish Agile community for their commitment and investment in creating a high-quality conference. They also discuss the negative impact of bad agile practices and the importance of sticking to true agile principles. The conversation delves into the concept of agile transformations and the need for continuous improvement rather than a definitive end state. They address the fear and resistance to change that often hinders agile adoption. They share personal experiences and offer advice on embracing experimentation and overcoming fear. The conversation concludes with a discussion on their mission to stop bad agile practices and the importance of staying true to one's beliefs. They also talk about using birds as metaphors in Sally's work and the importance of happiness in their careers. They share their fears and the impact of Agile on their lives.

Takeaways

• The Finnish Agile community is committed and invested in creating high-quality events.

• Bad agile practices, such as fake agile playbooks and op models, can be harmful and should be avoided

• Agile transformations should focus on continuous improvement rather than a definitive end-state

• Fear often hinders agile adoption and experimentation

• Staying true to one's beliefs and principles is important in the face of resistance

• Agile has had a positive impact on Sally's and Alex' lives and has given them hope and fulfillment.

  
  

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Trust is built at the coffee machine. At the walk to our cars. At the lunch table. But it’s hard to create that foundation of teamwork when all of our precious time is being spent in continuous only-work-related meetings in the virtual world that the pandemic has created. But there are other options for that!

Tom Suter, a co-founder of the CoffeeCall app, takes part in today’s discussion on how his idea can help bridge that gap that started to exist at the beginning of this challenge. 

  What you’ll discover in this show:

-        Informal chats were, and are, highly missed
  -        Network building is challenging in a virtual world
  -        CoffeeCall is a great tool to have an informal chat while being timeboxed

 
 Speakers:
 Tom Suter

Co-Founder CoffeCall

I’m Tom Suter, co-founder of CoffeeCall and a huge fan of Agile and Lean methodologies preferring Scrum. I have a strong belief that every team can achieve astonishing results, become hyper-performing while having great fun. The key element for this is giving and getting trust. For the last 15 years, I’ve been fortunate to help a wide range of great teams and companies.

Contact Tom:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsuter/

Sander Dur (host)

Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”

Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. 

Masteringagility.org
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/
https://agilitymasters.com/en
https://sander-dur.medium.com/ 

Additional resources: 

https://www.coffeecall.com/

Leave us a review on Podchaser:
  https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/mastering-agility-1727952 

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Summary

In this conversation, Sander Dur and Agavni Jessaijan discuss her diverse creative skills and her journey to self-employment. They explore the importance of communication and the belief that everything is possible. Agavni shares her experiences as an entrepreneur and the challenges she faced during the pandemic. They also discuss her participation in a special forces TV show and the lessons she learned from it. The conversation highlights the importance of autonomy, mastery, and purpose in motivation and the need for trust and teamwork. Agavni reflects on her experience on the TV show 'Kamp van Koningsbrugge' and how it taught her the importance of speaking her truth and staying true to her core. She discusses her physical and mental challenges during the show and how they helped her overcome her insecurities. Agavni emphasizes the need for compassionate communication and the integration of the head, heart, and gut brains in personal leadership. She also talks about her upcoming book, 'No Matter What,' which shares her personal journey and offers insights and wise questions for personal growth and development.

Takeaways

• Diverse skills and experiences can lead to personal and professional growth.

• Effective communication is essential for success, both personally and within organizations.

• Believing that everything is possible can lead to innovation and problem-solving.

• Entrepreneurship requires risk-taking and the ability to adapt to challenges.

• Motivation is driven by autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

• Trust and teamwork are crucial for achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. Speaking your truth and staying true to your core is essential in personal leadership.

• Physical and mental challenges can help you overcome insecurities and develop resilience.

• Compassionate communication and integrating the head, heart, and gut brains are key in personal leadership.

• Asking wise questions can lead to personal growth and development.

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

People are complex. When we work with other people for a while, the probability that some form of conflict will arise goes up. Conflict can be truly uncomfortable. However, no progress is without conflict. It’s the way we handle it that creates that progress. Constructive disagreements with the right support can be very powerful. Communication is key. But it could go sideways real fast, too.

In this episode of Mastering Agility, Tricia Broderick (leadership and organizational advisor, founder at Ignite) is passionately open about what conflict does to her, how teams and organizations can use it, and a whole lot more! 

What you’ll discover in this show:

-        The difference between drama and conflict

-        Conflict, when handled correctly, is useful in your evolution as a team

-        What to do with feedback that’s not that clear

 
  Speakers:

Tricia Broderick

Founder at Ignite insight + innovation 

Tricia Broderick is a leadership and organizational advisor. Tricia has over twenty years of experience in the software development industry. Her transformational leadership, at all levels of an organization, ignites the growth of leaders and high-performing teams to deliver quality outcomes.  Tricia boldly role models putting people first.  Her aim is to create inclusive connections and collaborations that challenge and support people in an authentic, vulnerable, and engaging way. As a result, she is a highly-rated trainer, coach, facilitator, and motivational keynote speaker.  In 2020, she founded Ignite Insight + Innovation.

When not traveling to experience the world, Tricia lives in Denver with her family.

Contact Tricia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tricia-broderick/
https://igniteii.com/

Sander Dur (host)

Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”

Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. 

Masteringagility.org
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/
https://agilitymasters.com/en
https://sander-dur.medium.com/

Additional resources: 

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In a previous episode, Lyssa Adkins spoke highly of Luke Hohmann and FirstRoot. FirstRoot lets students work with an actual budget, to come up with ideas, and make those ideas a reality. What do they need to make that concept come to life? What happens when it’s created, who’s going to clean up?

Luke Hohmann joins us today to talk about FirstRoot, and what the impact and potential are of participatory budgeting. But by giving away budget, does FirstRoot not impact its own business model? Listen to this week’s episode to hear Luke’s insights on business models, too!

What you’ll discover in this show:

-        Participatory budgeting gives a whole new impulse to students and financials
  -        FirstRoot is a generationally timely company, that would not have worked in the past
  -        Designing business models could use a makeover

Speakers:
 Luke Hohmann

Founder at FirstRoot

Founder and CEO of FirstRoot, Inc. Our mission is to create the next generation of impact investors. Our unique go-to-market strategy supports all stakeholders as youth use participatory budgeting to invest real money in their schools. Youth learn the 5 C's of modern education: creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and civics as they experience true agency and stewardship over their futures, learning through their own experiences how money really works.
  
 The author of four books, numerous articles and cited as an inventor on more than a dozen patents, Luke is an internationally recognized expert in Agile Software Development. Luke co-organized the first Agile conference in 2003, has served on the Board of the Agile Alliance and in partnership with the Scrum Alliance produced the "Collaboration at Scale", the world's largest monthly webinar devoted to helping organizations with 10 or more Scrum teams in 2 or more locations scale agility.
  
  Luke is a highly sought after speaker has as keynoted such conferences as the Agile Alliance conference, Agile Australia, Lean-Agile Scotland, Agile New Zealand, the Austrian Innovation Forum, the CXPA and the SAFe Summit.

Contact Luke:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukehohmann/ 

Sander Dur (host)

Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”

Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. 

Masteringagility.org
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/
https://agilitymasters.com/en
https://sander-dur.medium.com/ 

Additional resources: 

https://firstroot.co/ 

Luke’s book “Beyond Software Architecture”:

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Summary

In this conversation, Amber shares insights on leading change and higher performance within teams. She emphasizes the importance of inspiring action rather than commanding action, drawing parallels between sports teams and product development teams. Amber also discusses the power of debriefing and learning from failure, as well as the need for effective communication and understanding of technical concepts for different audiences. She highlights the value of asking the right questions to assess baseline knowledge and prioritize information. Amber concludes by expressing her interest in seeing more discussions on talent development and the growth of individuals in the workplace.

Takeaways

• Inspire action rather than command action to lead change and drive higher performance within teams.

• Debriefing and learning from failure are essential for continuous improvement and success.

• Effective communication involves understanding and translating technical concepts for different audiences.

• Asking the right questions helps assess baseline knowledge and prioritize information.

• Talent development is crucial for individuals to elevate their knowledge, skills, and abilities in the workplace.

Check out our sponsors:
www.wiserbees.com
www.xebia.com
www.scrummatch.com
www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Summary In this conversation, Teresa Torres discusses the importance of product discovery and how it differs from product development. She emphasizes the need to focus on building the right things and highlights the value of talking to customers regularly. Torres provides practical tips for engaging customers in the discovery process, including how to conduct effective interviews and use data to enhance the conversation. She also addresses organizational resistance and offers strategies for bridging the gap between product and sales teams. Overall, the conversation highlights the significance of customer-centricity in product development. In this conversation, Teresa Torres discusses various aspects of the discovery process in product management. She provides insights on dealing with unwilling participants in interviews, the use of recordings to involve the entire team, and the role of AI tools in synthesis. Torres also shares her perspective on roadmaps in the discovery process and how they can be adapted to represent ambiguity and uncertainty. Additionally, she shares a story about discovering the team was building the wrong thing and highlights the workplace depicted in the TV show 'The West Wing' as an ideal environment.

Takeaways

• Product discovery focuses on building the right things, while product development focuses on how to build them.

• Regularly talking to customers is essential for understanding their needs and building the right products.

• Effective customer interviews involve asking open-ended questions and collecting specific stories about past behavior.

• Overcoming organizational resistance requires starting small, building rapport with stakeholders, and demonstrating the value of customer insights.

Find out more about Teresa's content:
The book: https://www.producttalk.org/
The blog: https://www.producttalk.org/blog/
The course: https://learn.producttalk.org/home

Check out our sponsor: www.scrummatch.com
www.xebia.com

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

"The way we have been working for the last 20 years with standard frameworks and methodologies, we're going to leave behind." 

Summary In this conversation Sander Dur, Jim Sammons and their guest Jurgen Appelo explore the impact of the current crisis on the agile community and the need for adaptation and learning new skills. They discuss the concept of agile being dissolved rather than dead, and the changing nature of the agile world. They emphasize the  importance of being a lifelong learner and continuously adapting to new technologies and ways of working. The conversation also touches on the need for individuals to invest in their own development and the challenges of finding new opportunities in a rapidly changing landscape. The conversation explores the potential impact of AI and LLMs on various aspects of work and life. Together with Jurgen, the hosts discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by these technologies, including the potential for job displacement and the need for continuous learning. They also touch on the concept of creative disruption and the importance of challenging complacency in large organizations, as well as the ethical implications of AI and the evolving boundaries of ethics. They conclude with reflections on their personal ambitions and the future of work.

key takeaways

• Agile is not dead, but it is dissolved and evolving in response to changing circumstances.

• The focus should be on outcomes rather than rigid frameworks and methodologies.

• Continuous learning and adaptation are crucial in the face of technological advancements and changing job markets.

• Individuals should take responsibility for their own development and invest in their skills and employability.

• Controversial opinions and diversity of perspectives are essential for progress and innovation. AI and LLMs have the potential to significantly impact various aspects of work and life.

• Job displacement is a concern, but there are also opportunities for continuous learning and personal growth.

• Creative disruption is important for challenging complacency in large organizations.

• Ethical considerations and the evolving boundaries of ethics are crucial in the development and use of AI.

• Reflection on personal ambitions and the future of work is essential for navigating the changing landscape.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this conversation, the Sander Dur and Jose Casal discuss finding happiness in everyday life and the importance of incremental achievements. They also explore the role of leaders as organizational gardeners and the need to create environments for people to thrive.

The definition of business agility is examined, along with the future of Agile and business agility. Jose shares insights on the evolution of work and hierarchy, the need for better incentives, and the surprises of change and transformation.

Sander and Jose discuss the future of large organizations and the concept of a federation of micro businesses. The conversation concludes with a focus on dynamic team formation and the importance of cleaning up legacy products and services.

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

 If you have questions or requests that you would like us to check on, please drop a message on LinkedIn or join the Mastering Agility Discord community!

Mastering Agility Mural

Sander Dur (host)

Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”

Sander Dur is a Professional Scrum Trainer at Scrum.org, podcast host of Mastering Agility, Professional Scrum Master and Lead Agile Consultant, and trainer at Xebia. Besides this, he's an avid writer for predominantly Serious Scrum on Medium.com. Sander has a major passion for the human side in complex domains. Ensuring a high level of psychological safety, therefore, is a critical part of his work. Organizations in complex domains can only survive when innovating. Innovation can only take place with the right balance between low social friction and high intellectual friction. While most organizations now understand how to apply Agile frameworks, they struggle with the delivery of value. Psychological safety is the next step in this evolution and Sander has a huge drive to help organizations reach that step.
 
 He gained experience as a Scrum Master, Agile Coach, and Leadership consultant in many different top-tier organizations, including Nike and ASML.
 
  Sander is enthusiastic, open-minded, and ambitious. He finds interpersonal relationships and intrinsic motivations very important in team dynamics. Besides his work, Sander loves to spend time with his family, enjoys sports and eating healthy, barbecuing, riding his motorcycle, and traveling.
 
 Let’s connect! Sander is always up for new connections and discussions!
 
Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

Jim Sammons

My passion is helping people to:

• Do more of the right work (and less of the wrong work).
• Create more actual teams than just groups of people who work together.
• Learning how to improve themselves, their team, and their organization incrementally.
• Understand that less, not more, is usually part of the answer to some of the hardest questions we all face.
• See their workplaces, teams, and their sphere of influence as something that is evolving, which requires an evolution of all of its parts to adapt.

Throughout my career, I have worked with clients of all sizes, industries, and technologies.  Whether it’s leading a transformative strategy at a Fortune 100 or helping a new startup understand its unique value proposition the common focus I bring to each role is “making people better.”  I strive to help those around me improve through mentorship, training, workshops, or just grabbing a coffee and lending an ear to their experiences.  This focus on continuous improvement and servant leadership is why I love what I do each day.  

In my spare time, I enjoy making things out of wood, metal, and other materials (like coffee).  I also enjoy hiking, board games, jigsaw puzzles, and playing with my Golden Doodle puppy Roxy (agile is her middle name), and I am usu

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Summary

In this conversation, Sander Dur and his guests discuss the biggest lessons learned during the week and the importance of user feedback in the release strategy. They introduce Scrum Match, a platform that connects companies with true Scrum Masters who can deliver business value. They highlight the need for true Scrum Masters who can use Scrum as a means to an end and differentiate them from Scrum Masters in name only. The hosts also discuss the future of Scrum Match and the scaling of the platform. They emphasize the importance of focus and the value of feedback for both Scrum Masters and employers. In this conversation, the hosts discuss the importance of sponsorship in podcasting and share insights on building and maintaining relationships with sponsors. They emphasize the need to deliver value to sponsors and measure the success of sponsorships. The conversation also covers negotiation strategies for sponsorship deals.

Takeaways

• User feedback is crucial in determining the best release strategy and ensuring that clients and users can absorb and work with new features.

• The industry has produced many Scrum Masters who fail to deliver business results, leading to a lack of trust in the Scrum framework.

• There is a need for a profession for Scrum Masters to separate those who can deliver value from those who cannot.

• Scrum Match aims to connect employers with true Scrum Masters who have the practical experience and skills to deliver business value.

• The future of Scrum Match involves scaling the platform, building partnerships, and expanding beyond just Scrum Masters.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

"When people say Agile is dead, most of them have never seen it really working."

In this insightful episode, Sander sits down with Arie van Bennekum, one of the co-authors of the Agile Manifesto, to discuss the current state of Agile, common misconceptions, and the evolving nature of agile practices in modern organizations. Arie shares his thoughts on why Agile is far from dead and how many organizations still struggle to truly implement it. They also discuss the importance of leadership in agile transformations and how to anchor agile practices for long-term success.

Connect with Arie:

Arie van Bennekum

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

"Origin stories create die-hard fans. Once your story and your product are inseparable, you win."

In this powerful episode of Mastering Agility, Jim and Sander sit down with storytelling strategist Osita Ifezue to explore how strategic storytelling can reshape the way agile teams operate, connect with customers, and innovate beyond the status quo. Recorded at ScanAgile 2025, Osita shares how organizations like LEGO, Apple, Nike, and IKEA use storytelling to drive customer loyalty, enhance internal alignment, and navigate change.

Connect with Osita: (31) Osita Ifezue | LinkedIn

Check out Think About It! With Osita Ifezue Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2idqtZvGCMswcqIPvQMDCa?si=oQhfzXDkRFCYRDtW16PkUg

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Summary

In this conversation, Jim, Sander, and their guest Yuval discuss various topics including SAFE, lean portfolio management, and OKRs. They explore the misconceptions and polarizing nature of SAFE, the difference between a traditional PMO and a lean portfolio, and the challenges of managing different ways of working within a global organization. They also delve into the concept of OKRs, the importance of setting realistic goals, and the potential pitfalls of tying incentives to OKRs. The conversation concludes with a discussion on metrics and the value of thinking in bets.

Takeaways

• SAFe is often misunderstood and polarizing, but it has valuable ideas and good information on its website.

• Lean portfolio management focuses on managing different types of work within an organization's portfolio and measuring different things for different investments.

• OKRs should be specific and motivating, but too many goals can be confusing and demotivating.

• Tying incentives to OKRs can lead to unintended consequences and the wrong behavior.

• Metrics such as lead time, cycle time, and customer satisfaction are important for measuring progress and making data-driven decisions.

• Thinking in bets and adopting a VC mindset can help make better decisions and navigate uncertainty in business.

  
  

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Do you know how most organizations and frameworks advocate for keeping stable teams? Where there is little change in team composition? Today we’re talking about doing the exact opposite. Where a change in team structure is welcome.

Heidi Helfand, the author of the book Dynamic Reteaming, sits down with us to discuss the benefits that could be achieved by having more occurring change, rather than keeping things the way they are.
 
 What you’ll discover in this show:

-        How Dynamic Reteaming relates to the Tuckman model

-        What the effect is on the delivery of value

-        What potential could be missed when keeping teams the way they are

 
  Speakers:

Heidi Helfand

Author of Dynamic Reteaming

Heidi Helfand is the author of the book Dynamic Reteaming. She coaches software development teams using practical, people-focused techniques, with the goal of building resilient organizations as they double and triple in size.

Heidi is currently VP of Engineering Growth at Kin Insurance, which offers affordable coverage to homeowners in catastrophe-prone regions.  Her 20+ year career in SAAS launched Procore Technologies and AppFolio to IPO and Expertcity to acquisition by Citrix. She was on the original development team that built GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar. Heidi is based in Southern California. 

Contact Heidi
https://www.heidihelfand.com/

Sander Dur (host)

Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”

Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. 

Masteringagility.org
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/
https://agilitymasters.com/en
https://sander-dur.medium.com/

Additional resources: 

Find the book:

https://www.heidihelfand.com/dynamic-reteaming-book/

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

“I dream of a world where we don’t have managers — just autonomous, inspired teams.”

In this insightful episode of Mastering Agility, hosts Sander and Jim sit down with Laura Heikkurinen, Lead Transformation Coach at OP Financial Group, live at the Scan Agile 2025 conference. Together, they dive into the nuances of modern leadership, the tension between management and empowerment, and how organizations can create psychologically safe environments where everyone is empowered to lead — regardless of job title.

Laura shares powerful reflections from her experience leading enterprise transformation, explains why language matters when redefining leadership, and offers candid takes on navigating toxic leadership legacies, neurodivergent inclusion, and the delicate balance between pushing a change forward or letting it go.

Connect with Laura:

(18) Laura Heikkurinen | LinkedIn

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

"If you're going to write about Agile, you better work Agile."

In this special live episode, hosts Jim and Sander chat with Olina Glindevi and Ben Walder, the creative duo behind The Visual Agile Coach Playbook, at the ScanAgile 25 conference in Helsinki. They share the origin story of their book, their collaboration journey, and the power of visual thinking in agile coaching and team collaboration.

• The motivation and madness behind writing The Visual Agile Coach Playbook while juggling day jobs and family life.

• Using visuals as a serious and practical tool in agile work — not just as decoration or “fun stuff.”

• The creative friction between Ben’s structured writing approach and Olina’s visual process — and how they found agility in their collaboration.

• Why they believe trust, feedback, and staying in your lane can lead to stronger results when working in teams.

• The role of visual agile coaches and how visuals can unlock alignment, clarity, and engagement in teams.

• A sneak peek into their next project — a collaborative book on the future of work.

  
  

Get the book: https://a.co/d/1V11eSO

Connect with Olina & Ben (51) Olina Glindevi ✏️ | LinkedIn & (51) Ben Walder | LinkedIn

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, Ryan Brook brings his homework with him as he joins hosts Jim Sammons and Rich Visotcky for a vibrant Q&A session to answer questions from our viewers. Ryan flips the script, taking over emcee duties to extract key ideas and insights from Rich and Jim as they cover a range of topics from team autonomy and navigating roles to measuring outcomes and outputs to understand the impacts of agility.

Join us for a lively session answering your questions! Have a question you want answered in a future episode? Comment on this episode, or reach out to us.

00:00:00 Opening

00:00:29 Introductions

00:02:54 Question Setup

00:04:16 Navigating New Roles in an Organization

00:13:07 Coaching Leadership on Agility and Fixed Projects

00:20:09 Managing Dependencies in Agile and Waterfall

00:28:38 Metrics for Agile Progress

00:36:00 Creating a Culture of Experimentation

00:47:23 Measuring Outcomes vs Output

00:52:40 The Gantt Chart Debate

00:58:16 Tools for User Story Mapping

01:05:21 Balancing Team Autonomy with Organizational Goals

01:13:01 Change Management in UI/UX Handoffs

01:19:38 Managing Parallel Sprints

01:29:13 Closing

Connect with Mastering Agility

📢 Follow the podcast for more inspiring stories
💬 Join the conversation on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/mastering-agility
📩 Contact us for trades or sponsorships

👉 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear it!

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www.masteringagility.org

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“In both poker and business, humans are the biggest variable—and the biggest opportunity."

In this episode of Mastering Agility, Jim welcomes long-time friend and seasoned agile coach Stacy Oliver for a fascinating conversation that blends the worlds of poker, game theory, and agility. Drawing from decades of experience at the card table and in the corporate world, Stacy shares how concepts like expected value (EV), Game Theory Optimal (GTO) play, and the Independent Chip Model (ICM) can help leaders make better bets on their projects, teams, and portfolios.

Stacy and Jim explore how decision quality, not just outcomes, determines success, and how understanding your constraints, risks, and probabilities can help you maximize return on investment in any game you’re playing.

Connect with Stacy: (13) Stacy Oliver | LinkedIn

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

“You can build software with Excel. You can finish an Ironman on a cheap bike. But will it be enjoyable? That’s another question.”

In this inspiring and energetic episode, Sander and Jim sit down with Dana—Scrum Master, team lead, and passionate triathlete—just ahead of her session at the Online Scrum Master Summit. Together, they unpack:

• Dana’s journey into agile and what drew her to the Scrum Master Summit.

• How her dual passions—agile coaching and triathlon—intersect in powerful and unexpected ways.

• The surprising overlap between triathlon training and software delivery: focus, iteration, adaptation, and complexity.

• The value and limitations of tools—whether it’s JIRA or a $6,000 triathlon bike—and why mindset still trumps everything.

• The importance of coaching: in sports and in software. Do you really need to know how to code to be an effective coach?

  
  

Connect with Dana: (31) Dana Mykytiuk | LinkedIn

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Frequent listeners of the show know that throughout the episodes “engagement” has been a recurring theme. Engagement of employees, with the organization, with their work, and with themselves. Today’s show zoom in a little bit deeper on that. Lyssa Adkins, one of the most influential people out there when it comes to Agile coaching, joins us to talk about where she discovered her passion and what the impact of passion is.

What you’ll discover in this show:

-        Passion impacts your everyday life on a large scale

-        Lyssa discovered her impact by doing rather than defining upfront

-        Quality of work goes up when working with passionate people
 
  Speakers:

Lyssa Adkins

Coach. Facilitator. Teacher. Inspirer.

My current focus is improving the performance of top leadership teams through insightful facilitation and organization systems coaching.

Making difficult decisions faster and with clear alignment, unknotting challenging multi-department impediments, creating the conditions for smooth organizational delivery, helping leaders take up the “Agile transformation” that is theirs to make…this is where I thrive and help thrive.

My Agile community focus is amplifying women’s voices, which is why I am a founder of the TENWOMENSTRONG #WomeninAgile programs.

I have been pleased to serve the emergence of Agile Coaching as a profession. In 2010, I co-founded the Agile Coaching Institute which has developed over 10,000 people in the knowledge, skills, and being-ness needed to yield genuinely competent agile coaching. 

I am the author of Coaching Agile Teams which, as a top-ranking Agile book, was released as an audiobook in its 10th year.

I like to explore facilitating intense conflict, societal change, organizational change, the benefits and costs of being human in the workplace, agile coaching, agile transformation, adult human development, human systems dynamics, the role of nature, and books of all sorts. I tend toward a balance of the provocative and practical.

Contact Lyssa Adkins:
www.lyssaadkins.com  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyssaadkins/

Sander Dur (host)

Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”

Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/
https://agilitymasters.com/en
https://sander-dur.medium.com/

 Additional resources: 

Personal website:

www.lyssaadkins.com

Books:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=lyssa+adkins&crid=2JZ98CSO2E7V3&sprefix=lyssa+ad%2C

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

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DocDur Agile is an open office where Agile Practitioners can ask any question they encounter in practice situations and would like to have some advice or a different perspective. Think of it as seeing a regular doctor have a physical check-up.

 If you have questions or requests that you would like the Doc to have a check on, please drop a message on LinkedIn or join the Mastering Agility Discord community!

Sander Dur (host)

Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”

Sander Dur is a Professional Scrum Trainer at Scrum.org, podcast host of Mastering Agility, Professional Scrum Master and Lead Agile Consultant, and trainer at Xebia. Besides this, he's an avid writer for predominantly Serious Scrum on Medium.com. Sander has a major passion for the human side in complex domains. Ensuring a high level of psychological safety, therefore, is a critical part of his work. Organizations in complex domains can only survive when innovating. Innovation can only take place with the right balance between low social friction and high intellectual friction. While most organizations now understand how to apply Agile frameworks, they struggle with the delivery of value. Psychological safety is the next step in this evolution and Sander has a huge drive to help organizations reach that step.
 
 He gained experience as a Scrum Master, Agile Coach, and Leadership consultant in many different top-tier organizations, including Nike and ASML.
 
  Sander is enthusiastic, open-minded, and ambitious. He finds interpersonal relationships and intrinsic motivations very important in team dynamics. Besides his work, Sander loves to spend time with his family, enjoys sports and eating healthy, barbecuing, riding his motorcycle, and traveling.
 
 Let’s connect! Sander is always up for new connections and discussions!
 
Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur
https://sander-dur.medium.com/ 

Additional resources: 

Discord community:https://discord.gg/6YJamBJxUV

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

"Resilience isn’t about avoiding change; it’s about learning to thrive within it."

Join us for a special live episode of the Mastering Agility Podcast, recorded at the ScanAgile Conference 2025! Our guest, Tricia Broderick, is a leadership expert, coach, and passionate advocate for building high-performing and resilient teams. In this insightful conversation, we explore how leaders can foster true agility in their teams, navigate uncertainty, and empower individuals to drive innovation.

Tricia shares her experiences in leadership development, the key challenges she sees in agile transformations, and practical strategies for cultivating a culture of trust, resilience, and collaboration. Whether you’re a seasoned leader or an aspiring change agent, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways you won’t want to miss!

Connect with Tricia:

linkedin.com/in/tricia-broderick

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with Radhika Dutt, the mind behind Radical Product Thinking. Radhika challenges the conventional wisdom of product development, explaining why big, vague visions, shallow strategies, and blind iteration often lead teams astray. She introduces us to the Radical Product Thinking framework, which helps teams avoid common "product diseases" like HERO Syndrome, Pivotitis, and Obsessive Sales Disorder.

We also discuss the dangers of Silicon Valley’s "fail fast" mentality, how to balance vision vs. survival, and why spreadsheet-driven prioritization can be misleading. Plus, Radhika gives us a sneak peek into her next book on rethinking metrics, OKRs, and goal-setting—challenging another widely accepted business practice.

Connect with Radhika:

(22) Radhika Dutt | LinkedIn

Contact | Radical Product Thinking

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this podcast episode, Jim and Sander discuss the final stages of Sander and Ryan Brooks's upcoming book, Solving for Value: A Journey of Ambition and Stupidity. Sander shares his excitement around the book's December 1st release and the launch event. The book, originally focused on Scrum, evolved to address broader challenges around creating value in product management beyond just following frameworks.

Jim and Sander explore shifts in the industry toward product-centric models, noting the risks of adopting frameworks like Scrum without considering organizational context and the tendency for companies to prematurely abandon or restructure teams when products fail, disregarding the team’s accumulated knowledge and cohesion.

They discuss the rising use of AI in product management and workforce reductions tied to AI, cautioning that while AI has potential, it also brings significant ethical and operational risks. Jim and Sander question whether AI advancements could meet needs without fully replacing human roles and the broader impacts on industry and society.

The conversation touches on the potential impact of technologies like Neuralink and AI on future work and human life, noting ethical, social, and economic implications, including the challenges of accessibility to these advancements. They wrap up by promoting the book's storytelling approach, which mixes a business fable with real-life insights, aiming to deliver practical, relatable learning for those in product development and management.

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Summary

In this episode, David shares his experience of writing his book 'Untrapping Product Teams' and discusses the challenges and traps that product teams often face. He talks about the importance of resilience and a growth mindset for product managers. David emphasizes the need for a balance between discovery and delivery, stating that discovery is not an excuse to not deliver anything. He also highlights the value of evidence-based decision making and the importance of focusing on building the present and the future simultaneously. In this conversation, David shares his thoughts on writing more books and explores the challenges of being a product manager. He discusses the importance of creating a space where product teams can thrive and the need for unconventional product management. David also emphasizes the value of experimentation and creating an environment where product owners can experiment. He highlights the significance of building relationships with stakeholders and the importance of aligning with them rather than managing them. The key takeaway is that no matter where you are, you can drive change and take action for a better tomorrow.

Takeaways

• Resilience and a growth mindset are crucial traits for product managers.

• Discovery is not an excuse to not deliver anything; it should be balanced with delivery.

• Product teams should focus on learning faster than it takes to deliver.

• Building the present and the future simultaneously is essential for success.

• Evidence-based decision making is key to effective product management. Writing more books and creating additional content based on the book

• Creating a space where product teams can thrive

• The importance of experimentation and creating an environment for product owners to experiment

• Building relationships with stakeholders and aligning with them

• Taking action and driving change for a better tomorrow

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Summary

This conversation explores the concept of empathy and its importance in various contexts. Esther Derby gives valuable insights into defining empathy, the possibility of having too much empathy, and practical tips for practicing empathy. The conversation also delves into the role of empathy in product design, overcoming barriers to empathy, and effective communication. Additionally, it highlights the importance of creating a safe environment for empathy and discusses the challenges and benefits of empathy in virtual settings.

Takeaways

• Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.

• Having too much empathy can lead to over-indexing on others' emotions and neglecting one's own needs.

• Practicing empathy involves actively listening, asking open-ended questions, and seeking to understand others' perspectives.

• Empathy plays a crucial role in product design, customer satisfaction, and effective communication.

  
  

7 Rules for Positive, Productive Change: Micro Shifts, Macro Results

https://a.co/d/iUONUbZ

Check out our sponsors:
www.wiserbees.com
www.xebia.com
www.scrummatch.com
www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Summary In this conversation, Sander and Don discuss their journey in public speaking and share their experiences and insights. They talk about how they started doing public speaking, the challenges they faced, and the lessons they learned along the way. They emphasize the importance of having a supportive network, being open to feedback, and continuously improving their presentations. They also discuss the cultural differences they encountered at different conferences and the impact of their talks on the audience. They conclude by sharing their plans for the future, including exploring speaking opportunities outside of the agile community.

Keywords public speaking, journey, challenges, lessons, feedback, cultural differences, networking, improvement, future plans

Takeaways
Start doing public speaking by finding a supportive network and being open to feedback.
Continuously improve your presentations based on feedback and lessons learned.
Be aware of cultural differences at different conferences and adapt your approach accordingly.
Engage with the audience and create a dialogue during your talk.
Explore speaking opportunities outside of your comfort zone to gain new perspectives and experiences.

Check out our sponsors:
www.wiserbees.com
www.xebia.com
www.scrummatch.com
www.masteringagility.org

Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:00 Starting in Public Speaking 10:30 Supportive Network and Structure 13:20 Lessons Learned and Continuous Improvement 21:30 Choosing Conferences and Networking 25:40 Feedback and Integration 31:00 Future Plans and Topics

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

SummaryIn this conversation, David Ash discusses his book, The Agile Enterprise, and his experiences applying Agile principles across companies. He shares his initial hesitation about writing the book and his journey of self-discovery and overcoming imposter syndrome. David emphasizes the importance of leaders who think differently and the need for organizations to prevent and address fires rather than constantly firefighting. He also explores the role of AI and technology in augmenting work and the challenges of quantifying the costs of technical debt. The conversation concludes with a question for the next guest about the future of development and incorporating new technologies.

Takeaways

• Overcoming imposter syndrome is a common challenge, but recognizing one's expertise and unique perspectives can lead to valuable contributions.

• Applying Agile principles beyond software development can lead to success in various departments and stages of company growth.

• Leadership is not determined by job titles, but by individuals who take initiative and think differently.

• Preventing and addressing fires in organizations requires a balance between firefighting and proactive measures to improve processes and prevent future issues.

• AI and technology should be seen as tools to augment work and should be incorporated thoughtfully to enhance productivity and outcomes.

• Breaking the chain of technical debt requires a collaborative effort between technical teams and the business side of the company to prioritize and address issues.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Summary

In this conversation, Sander, Jim and their guest Fred Deichler discuss various topics related to public speaking, conferences, and agile practices. They explore the importance of creating a positive work environment and advocating for clear direction and autonomy in teams. Fred shares his journey as a speaker and the nervousness he still experiences before each talk. They also discuss the impact of conferences and the value of networking and building relationships with experienced speakers. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the power of storytelling in talks and the importance of tangible takeaways for the audience.

Takeaways

·         Advocate for a positive work environment that promotes clear direction and autonomy in teams.

·         Embrace nervousness as a speaker and use transparency to create empathy with the audience.

·         Build relationships with experienced speakers and learn from their experiences.

·         Name concepts and techniques to make them more memorable and easier to discuss.

·         Focus on education and providing tangible takeaways for the audience in talks.

• If you like our podcast, please leave us a review. This helps us to grow the show and bring in even bigger guests.

Sponsors:
ScrumMatch: https://scrummatch.com/en
Xebia Academy: https://xebia.com/academy/nl/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

SummaryThe conversation covers topics such as dealing with remote teams, clear communication in remote work, the future of remote work, managing information overload, maintaining structure in communication tools, the importance of facilitation in meetings, balancing autonomy and alignment, the danger of focusing on shiny new tools, the shift from output to outcome, optimizing what we build, measuring output, outcomes, and impacts, finding the balance between autonomy and constraints, funding and budgeting agile work, and balancing autonomy and constraints in product design. In this conversation, Cliff Hazell shares insights on Spotify's product development approach and the challenges of implementing change in organizations. He emphasizes the importance of empowering product owners and managers to make decisions and secure the necessary budget. Cliff also discusses the need to treat investments differently, depending on the desired outcomes. He highlights the cultural challenges of working in diverse teams and the importance of open communication and understanding. The conversation also touches on budgeting in government organizations and offers advice on how to increase the chances of getting hired at Spotify.

Takeaways

• Invest in good, clear, written communication in remote teams.

• Focus on outcomes rather than just output.

• Balance autonomy and alignment in organizations.

• Avoid over-focusing on shiny new tools and frameworks.

• Regularly review and measure the impact of the work being done.

• Create a balance between autonomy and constraints in product design.

• Consider a rolling window approach to funding and budgeting work.

If you like our podcast, please leave us a review. This helps us to grow the show and bring in even bigger guests.

Sponsors:
ScrumMatch: https://scrummatch.com/en
Xebia Academy: https://xebia.com/academy/nl/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Abstract:

When creating any sort of product, it's important to understand whether we are moving in the right direction. But how do we know that? How do we measure that? And what metrics do we use for that? Agile organizations know that frequent inspection of results limits risk and improves the ability to deliver value. Scrum.org created a complementary framework called Evidence-Based Management. Patricia Kong is here to talk about how we can use EBM to elevate our ability to deliver value.

What you’ll discover in this show:

-        You don’t need to apply the whole framework at once

-        The Evidence-Based Management framework provides a great set of metrics to start with

-        Four Key Value Areas help organizations and teams to gather quantifiable data in order to figure out what to do next
  

Speakers:

Patricia Kong

Organizational Agility, Innovation, Product Ownership | Speaker * Author * Coach * Instructor

Patricia Kong is co-author of "The Nexus Framework for Scaling Scrum" published by Pearson and a well-known public speaker and mentor. She is a co-developer of the Evidence-Based Management Framework for Business Agility and Nexus Framework for Scaling Scrum. Patricia helps organizations thrive in a complex world by focusing on enterprise innovation and leadership and teams. She is a people advocate and fascinated by organizational behavior and misbehaviors. She emerged through the financial services industry and has led product development, product management and marketing for several early stage companies in the US and Europe. Patricia is experienced working with 1$B+ clients focusing on business development and delivery engagements. Patricia lived in France and now lives in her hometown of Boston. Patricia is fluent in 4 languages.

 Contact Patricia Kong:
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-kong-2238232/
https://twitter.com/pmoonk88?lang=en

Sander Dur (host)

Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”

Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/
https://agilitymasters.com/en
https://sander-dur.medium.com/

 Additional resources: 

To learn more about Evidence-Based Management, check out the guide: https://www.scrum.org/resources/evidence-based-management-guide 

For Scrum.org’s EBM certification, check it out right here:
 https://www.scrum.org/assessments/professional-agile-leadershiptm-evidence-based-management-certification 

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Since the notion of business agility started, many different frameworks have arisen. Dave West, CEO of Scrum.org, is joining us on the first podcast in the series to talk about the evolution of the whole concept of business agility, what role Scrum has played in it, and gives us his thoughts on how the future of business agility will look like.

Contact us at:

Masteringagility.org
https://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-dur

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this podcast episode, Jim and Sander discuss the final stages of Sander and Ryan Brooks's upcoming book, Solving for Value: A Journey of Ambition and Stupidity. Sander shares his excitement around the book's December 1st release and the launch event. The book, originally focused on Scrum, evolved to address broader challenges around creating value in product management beyond just following frameworks.

Jim and Sander explore shifts in the industry toward product-centric models, noting the risks of adopting frameworks like Scrum without considering organizational context and the tendency for companies to prematurely abandon or restructure teams when products fail, disregarding the team’s accumulated knowledge and cohesion.

They discuss the rising use of AI in product management and workforce reductions tied to AI, cautioning that while AI has potential, it also brings significant ethical and operational risks. Jim and Sander question whether AI advancements could meet needs without fully replacing human roles and the broader impacts on industry and society.

The conversation touches on the potential impact of technologies like Neuralink and AI on future work and human life, noting ethical, social, and economic implications, including the challenges of accessibility to these advancements. They wrap up by promoting the book's storytelling approach, which mixes a business fable with real-life insights, aiming to deliver practical, relatable learning for those in product development and management.

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Summary

The conversation explores the overuse of the phrase 'it depends' and the importance of providing context and honesty in responses. The speakers discuss the value of understanding the starting point and the direction one is moving in. They also emphasize the need to optimize for value rather than efficiency and consider the broader impacts and trade-offs of decisions. The role of fun in retrospectives is highlighted, as well as the importance of finding a sustainable pace and taking care of administrative tasks. The conversation concludes with the question of the biggest learning for the year.

Takeaways

• Avoid overusing the phrase 'it depends' and provide context and honesty in responses.

• Understand the starting point and the direction one is moving in.

• Optimize for value rather than efficiency and consider the broader impacts and trade-offs of decisions.

• Incorporate fun into retrospectives to keep participants engaged and improve the quality of actions.

• Find a sustainable pace and take care of administrative tasks to avoid burnout.

• Continuously learn and adapt to improve and grow.

  
  

Check out our sponsor:
www.xebia.com

www.scrummatch.com

www.wiserbees.com

www.masteringagility.org

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.