Unsolicited Advice

As a Scrum Master, I often have new ideas about the tune-up of a team. I further develop the ideas by reading books, listening to podcast channels, and working with the developers on actionable practices. As an Agile coach in a company with over 20 Scrum Masters, I occasionally present and discuss new ideas. If my idea is too controversial or niche to the Scrum Masters, half of them will feel uncomfortable and refuse to listen to my ideas. ...

Several weeks ago, there was a meetup at my company, targeting Scrum Masters to share their experience with their teams. A Scrum Master shared how several Scrum teams within his area work. “Let me give you some advice,” said one of the attendees, “You should do blah blah blah…” After the attendee’s advice, the presenting Scrum Master immediately denied the advice and explained a lot. Tension built up. The debate, filled with “No, I mean…”, lasted several minutes until the facilitator stepped in to end it. ...