Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Letting Teams Own Their Process Through Working Agreements

Guest: Prabhleen Kaur
Host: Vasco Duarte
Release Date: February 9, 2026

Main Theme

This episode centers on empowering Agile teams to take ownership of their processes, particularly by fostering working agreements collaboratively rather than imposing best practices. Prabhleen Kaur (Certified Scrum Master and Agile Coach) shares personal stories and advice rooted in practical experience, focusing on how Scrum Masters can facilitate team-driven improvement and genuine engagement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Prabhleen’s Journey to Becoming a Scrum Master

[02:10]

• Prabhleen began her career at a startup, unexpectedly stepping into a PM role due to good communication skills after the previous PM left.
• Grew into Agile through self-learning, on-the-job experimentation, and a deepening appreciation for the people-centric nature of the role.
• Background in psychology (Master’s degree) influences her work, particularly in understanding team dynamics.

Quote:
"I absolutely understand that this is a people's job and how good of an impact it can have when you see people around you happy and, most importantly, motivated because they are doing a great job. So it's a very fulfilling role."
— Prabhleen Kaur, [02:50]

2. Initial Failure: Imposing Best Practices

[04:11] Fail Monday Segment

• Prabhleen shared a formative mistake: joining a new team and immediately prescribing “best practices” without context or team buy-in.
• Result: The team felt burdened, disengaged, and reduced Agile practice to “just following the rules.”
• Realized through one-on-ones and retrospectives that her approach stifled team ownership and understanding.

Quote:
"I ended up giving the best practices to a forming team without realizing that they are not understanding where am I coming from. [...] It was more of following the rules and the help broke loose."
— Prabhleen Kaur, [04:15]

3. Shift in Approach: Coaching, Not Teaching

[06:37]

• Now invests time in understanding how teams have functioned before intervening.
• When working with new or forming teams, starts by identifying challenges together.
• Facilitates collaborative discussions on process, inviting team perspectives and ideas.
• Frames issues as shared challenges to solve, not directives to follow.

Quote:
"I make sure that I sit down to explain them what the situation is... I voice it out so that I can understand how the team wants to take that up. So when that becomes a conversation, you get the best practices, of course, but then also you get the team members who are willing to do it because they voiced it out."
— Prabhleen Kaur, [06:51]

4. Creating Working Agreement Sessions for Team Ownership

[09:09]

• Emphasizes that people shape the process—they must create the rules, not just follow them.
• Formal working agreement sessions are opportunities for the team to design their process, including:
  • Rules for communication channels
  • Definitions of “Ready” and “Done”
  • Scheduling, time zones, and daily routines
• Encourages question-based facilitation rather than instruction, allowing diverse perspectives to surface and fostering psychological safety.

Quote:
"Everybody comes from a different space of mind. They have different experiences [...] So, when we sit down for conversation, half of the problem is solved."
— Prabhleen Kaur, [09:25]

5. Scrum Master's Role: Facilitator, Not Enforcer

[11:32]

• When joining a pre-existing team, making immediate changes can create unnecessary conflict.
• Instead, position oneself as a collaborator, asking: "What do you want to solve? What do you want to improve?"
• The difference between teaching and coaching: Coaching is about guiding teams to their own solutions.

Quote:
"If we go there and start challenging, we are creating conflict immediately. But if we go there and ask them, what do you want to solve, what do you want to improve? Then we are creating collaboration."
— Vasco Duarte, [11:38]

Memorable Moment:
"There's always difference between teaching somebody and coaching them. So our part is to coach them."
— Prabhleen Kaur, [12:03]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Empowering Teams:
  "It's about coaching the team, not teaching them."
  — Prabhleen Kaur, [05:44]

• On Process Ownership:
  "People make the process. [...] if I'm going to sit down where I want them to follow a certain process because that's how the team is formed, it's never going to work because it brings resentment."
  — Prabhleen Kaur, [09:10]

Important Timestamps

• [02:10] — Prabhleen’s unique entry into Scrum Mastery and her people-centric approach
• [04:11] — Failure story: Imposing process and its repercussions
• [06:37] — How she shifted to inviting team input
• [09:09] — The philosophy and practice of team-owned working agreements
• [11:32] — Framing the Scrum Master’s role to create collaboration over conflict
• [12:03] — Distinction between teaching and coaching in Agile

Conclusion

This episode underscores the importance of allowing Agile teams to own their processes through participatory working agreements and collaborative problem-solving. Prabhleen’s journey exemplifies the paradigm shift from enforcing best practices to coaching teams, inviting dialogue, and enabling real ownership—a mindset that builds not only stronger teams but also more resilient and adaptable Agile organizations.