Imagine you are in the kitchen, preparing your favourite meal. You have a recipe, but you realise you are out of a key ingredient as you cook. Instead of giving up, you adapt, using a substitute or altering the recipe slightly. This ability to adjust on the fly to improve the dish while it is being made is similar to the principles of Scrum in project management.
In this article, Maria Starishko, Scrum Master/Agile Coach at the SOFTSWISS Affilka team, with over five years of experience, shares her insights from working with more than 20 Scrum teams. Her journey began uniquely – transitioning from an English teacher searching for her true calling to realising her potential as a Scrum Master after identifying with a job description that matched her personality more than her professional experience.
The Foundation of Scrum
Team Workflow Optimisation | SOFTSWISS CareersScrum: Agile in Action
Among the various methodologies and frameworks under the Agile umbrella, Scrum stands out as the most adopted. Scrum transforms the abstract principles of Agile into concrete practices and roles. It is designed for teams of ten or fewer members, who break their work into goals that can be completed within timeboxed iterations, called Sprints, lasting no more than one month.
The Role of a Scrum Master
Team Workflow Optimisation | SOFTSWISS Careers These include being a Servant Leader, Coach, Facilitator, Teacher, Mentor, Manager, Impediment Remover, and Change Agent. Being a Scrum Master is about adapting to these roles, depending on what the team needs at any given moment. Team Workflow Optimisation | SOFTSWISS CareersPractical Insights and Real-Life Application
Maria’s experiences have also led her to develop training programs for aspiring Scrum Masters, focusing on practical, real-life applications of Scrum principles. She highlights the importance of understanding the Scrum Guide’s responsibilities and how to interpret and apply them effectively in diverse situations.
One of her key messages is that Scrum Masters must work in environments where they are valued and understood rather than merely acting as team secretaries. She believes that for Scrum to be effective, it requires buy-in from all levels of an organisation, ensuring everyone understands and embraces the Agile mindset.
Revamping Communication: The ‘Catch Up with Beer’ Conference
The bi-monthly internal conference dubbed ‘Catch Up with Beer’ is a standout initiative introduced by Maria Starishko and the Head of Affilka team. This event was born from a need to overhaul outdated communication processes between the account management and technical teams.
The informal conference setting, with drinks and mini-presentations, encourages open dialogue and sharing among team members. While beer is not mandatory for these gatherings, the relaxed atmosphere helps even the most reserved team members engage actively.
During these sessions, team leaders present recent project data and achievements, introduce new team members, and share customer feedback. Affilka’s Catch Up conference has effectively addressed collaboration between business representatives and technical teamsThis initiative keeps the team aligned with the overall product strategy. It strengthens their unity and team identity, critical in growing remote teams where face-to-face interactions are limited.
Facilitating Change Through Engagement and Reflection
Maria Starishko’s approach to change management is characterised by her dual strategy of engagement and facilitation. She focuses on highlighting challenges and fostering opportunities for the team to identify and address these themselves. An example of this approach is the regular team Retrospectives, where the team reflects on past actions and decides on future improvements.
Her strategy is to walk alongside the team, responding to challenges collectively rather than dictating changes. This collaborative approach is quintessential to the Scrum Master’s role as a facilitator and coach, emphasising the Scrum pillars of Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation.
Data-Driven Insights and Performance Tracking
Another critical aspect of Maria’s role involves rigorous data analytics. Each Sprint, she updates and reviews the team’s performance metrics. These reviews are not about accountability at all. They are designed to prompt discussion and self-reflection, allowing the team to recognise areas for improvement independently.
Maria also regularly acts as an observer, assessing processes’ efficacy and determining whether they serve the team’s needs or have become obsolete. This continuous evaluation helps ensure that practices remain relevant and become ingrained in the team’s identity, enhancing their effectiveness and cohesion.
The successful implementation of Scrum at the SOFTSWISS Affilka team shows how it can evolve from a project management tool into a lifestyle, promoting flexibility, responsiveness, and continuous improvement. If you are inspired to work in such a dynamic environment, explore job opportunities on the SOFTSWISS careers page, where you can apply to roles that reward innovative thinking and a team-oriented mindset.