Stakeholder Management Rhythms for Successful Scrum Masters | Deniz Ari

Summary

Podcast Summary: Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast – "Stakeholder Management Rhythms for Successful Scrum Masters" with Deniz Ari

Host: Vasco Duarte, Agile Coach, Certified Scrum Master, Certified Product Owner
Guest: Deniz Ari
Release Date: May 22, 2025
Episode Title: Stakeholder Management Rhythms for Successful Scrum Masters

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Introduction

In this insightful episode of the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast, host Vasco Duarte engages in a deep conversation with Deniz Ari, an experienced Scrum Master and Agile Coach. The discussion revolves around effective stakeholder management rhythms and what defines success in the role of a Scrum Master. Deniz shares practical strategies, personal experiences, and valuable insights aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of Scrum Masters in their daily workflows.

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Favorite Retrospective Format: The "Worst Retro"

Deniz kicks off the conversation by discussing her preferred retrospective format, intriguingly named the "Worst Retro." This unique approach incorporates humor to facilitate open and honest dialogue within the team.

Deniz Ari [01:27]: "My favorite retrospective format... I like to do 'worst retro'. We start with a mood checker, then dive into three sections: what do you remember from this sprint, how to make next sprint worse, and decide what to do next."

Key Features of the "Worst Retro":

• Mood Checker: Initiates the session by gauging the team's current emotional state, helping to set the tone.
• Three-Part Structure:
  1. Sprint Reflection: Discussing memorable moments from the sprint.
  2. Humorous Critique: Deliberately brainstorming ways to worsen the next sprint, allowing team members to highlight challenges humorously.
  3. Action Items: Transitioning from the humorous critique to actionable steps for improvement.

Deniz emphasizes that this format uses humor to address serious issues without making the conversation feel burdensome, thereby encouraging transparency and fostering a safe environment for candid discussions.

Deniz Ari [03:16]: "I like to talk more and voice, analyze, and say it loud. I think this is more helping for everyone."

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Defining Success as a Scrum Master

The conversation shifts to what constitutes success in the role of a Scrum Master. Deniz provides a comprehensive definition that centers around team dynamics, communication, and empowerment.

Deniz Ari [04:56]: "As a Scrum Master, success means positive team dynamics, people can talk to each other easily, navigate issues, and focus on continuous improvement."

Core Elements of Success:

• Positive Team Dynamics: Ensuring harmonious interactions and effective collaboration among team members.
• Open Communication: Facilitating an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas and concerns.
• Empowerment and Self-Management: Cultivating a team that can manage itself, make decisions, and take ownership of their work.
• Trust and Transparency: Building a foundation where team members trust each other and are transparent about challenges and mistakes.
• Continuous Improvement: Encouraging ongoing reflection and adaptation to enhance team performance.

Deniz underscores the importance of creating a "safe place to fail," where both Scrum Masters and team members can admit mistakes without fear, thereby promoting a culture of trust and continuous growth.

Deniz Ari [04:56]: "The biggest evidence for Scrum Master's success, if you ask me, is task managing the team and fostering transparency and trust."

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Maintaining Focus and Accountability

Deniz shares her strategies for staying focused and accountable to her success metrics, highlighting the importance of constant observation and regular communication with leadership.

Deniz Ari [07:17]: "I keep observing how they are talking with each other, how they deal with problems, and I have catch-up calls with higher management a couple of times a day."

Strategies for Focus and Accountability:

• Continuous Observation: Monitoring team interactions and identifying any signs of friction or blockers in real-time.
• Regular Check-ins with Leadership: Maintaining a cadence of meetings with higher management to align on team progress, discuss challenges, and receive feedback.
• Feedback Loops: Implementing systems for constant feedback from both the team and stakeholders to ensure alignment and address issues promptly.
• Active Participation: Being actively involved in team discussions and activities to stay attuned to the team's pulse and needs.

Deniz emphasizes that these practices not only help in maintaining focus but also in building strong relationships with both the team and organizational leadership, which are critical for sustained success.

Deniz Ari [09:24]: "Regular catch-ups and constant feedback help me keep focused and ensure that the team’s needs are met effectively."

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Conclusion

In this episode, Deniz Ari provides valuable perspectives on managing stakeholder relationships and defining success as a Scrum Master. Her innovative approach to retrospectives, combined with a clear understanding of the core elements that drive team success, offers actionable insights for Scrum Masters aiming to elevate their practice. Additionally, her strategies for maintaining focus and accountability underscore the importance of continuous engagement and transparent communication with both teams and leadership.

Listeners gain a deeper appreciation for the multifaceted role of a Scrum Master and are equipped with practical tools to foster effective team dynamics and stakeholder management. Deniz's experiences and methodologies serve as a compelling guide for Agile practitioners seeking to enhance their impact within their organizations.

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Notable Quotes:

• Deniz Ari [01:27]: "I like to do 'worst retro'... It allows us to talk about serious problems without feeling like the world is about to end."

• Deniz Ari [04:56]: "As a Scrum Master, success means positive team dynamics, people can talk to each other easily, navigate issues, and focus on continuous improvement."

• Deniz Ari [07:17]: "I keep observing how they are talking with each other, how they deal with problems, and I have catch-up calls with higher management a couple of times a day."

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and practical advice shared by Deniz Ari, making it a valuable resource for Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches looking to enhance their stakeholder management and overall effectiveness.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Hello everybody.

[A]

Welcome to our success Thursday, the big.

[B]

Question of the week of course this week with Deniz Ari. Hey Denise, welcome back.

[C]

Hi. Hello.

[A]

So Denise, on Thursday we talk about.

[B]

What success means for for Scrum Masters. But before we dive into that, share with us what's your favorite retrospective format and why?

[C]

My favorite retrospective format, it sounds a little bit dark but I like more fun stuff. I like to do versed retro. I don't know if you ever heard about it.

[B]

Can you describe that for us?

[C]

Yes, of course. I use muralboard and for retrospective session because half of the team joining virtually and I'm preferred face to face retrospective sessions is really good. I don't know. I'm fan of face to face retros. Worst retro it's we are starting generally with retros mood checker or energy checker. You know that we have some graph and everyone's putting the icon how they feel, how they feel your day energy, you know the day moods. And after we dive in three sections. First section, what do you remember from this sprint? Second one, how to make next sprint worse. Which is interesting one, isn't it? And the other section is decide what to do next. Literally we are just saying what do you remember from last sprint? What? How can we make the next sprint sprint more words and decide what to do next? It's up to if you're having like a very difficult time difficult sprints and I am just trying to a little bit make fun and I don't want to be normalized what. What's not working. But they are real, isn't it? They are there. If you don't want to touch, if you're not gonna talk about it and it's. They're just gonna stay there. I don't like to be avoiding not to talk to problems. I like to talk more and visit, analyze and say it loud. I think this is more helping for everyone.

[B]

And actually the worst retrospective actually is a great way because we can use humor and humor allows us to talk about difficult topics without necessarily feeling like they're a big problem. Right. Like we can talk about really serious problems, we can mention them, we can bring them to our conscience but without feeling that oh, the world is about to end. Right. And I think that having that ability to bring humor into the conversation can really kind of shift the energy.

[C]

Yes, definitely. And especially doesn't matter retros or any if there is an intense meeting, you know the. Of course I can't use the humor at any time. But this is retro is. You know, the informal is just. I'm just trying to make people relax and say loudly and encourage them time to time. I know it's not good to. I'm part of it. You know the raising tickets on the sticky notes on the retros. But I'm just saying oh how about this? You totally forget about it or how about that or you remember how was the you know the. Or maybe more encouraging things like you know, the what went well bits. You know, the encourage people appreciate the achievements, you know, the. As a team, as a person. But. But yeah, I'm using humor on this worst retro bit.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. And of course we do this retros because we want to help the team succeed and we want ourselves to succeed. But before we can do that we need to define what that success means. So Denise, for you, how do you define success as a Scrum Master for yourself?

[C]

Okay, as a Scrum Master I think you know that we need to positive team dynamics. We need to see people can talk each other easily to navigate each other and asking help freely focus continuous improvements. You know, there was a value of what we are delivering and especially empowering and empowering and self managing team which is the. I think this is the biggest part of the evidence for the what is Scrum Master's success if you ask me and the trust and being open if people can speak freely and can easily to work with you know, the team members, other team members and if something's wrong they can easily to reach out to Scrum Masters or anyone and can trust you know the being there was a trunk if there is a transparency and and then other things easily say oh it was wrong. You know, we did doom or we buggered or something like that, you know. Oh it's we did something wrong. Oh okay. Let's have a look. And I'm always keep as a scrum master I'm always keep to remember the people this is the team safe place to fail. You know I can easily to admit my mistakes. I think it's helping me either you know the but as a successful Scrum master biggest evidence I think task managing team and transparency and trust.

[B]

Yeah and one of the things that we need to do of course is to kind of keep our mind and our focus in looking at those aspects that you mentioned like keeping the trust and allowing the teams to or the team members to communicate well and to coordinate well the work between them and you know making sure that the team is a safe place to fail as you called it. Which I think is a brilliant way to describe it. How do you on the day to day or maybe at the end of the week reflection. I don't know how you do it but how do you keep your focus and your mind in those items. Right. Because success doesn't just happen. It's something we need to build over time. So how do you keep yourself focused and always accountable for those aspects of success that you just described?

[C]

My you know the. The biggest another very and very tiring activity day to day even every day. You know just like so many times you know to keep observing be you know to stick with the team and be part of the discussions and just like be part of it. You know doesn't matter how technical the conversation but what I am monitoring or what I am observing how they talking with each other. You know the how they dealing with the problem when we have any blockers and how they tackling with the issues. This is the thing and I am lucky every day we have so many things going on not that much quite environment. That's why easy to I keep be part of it and generally I have a catch up calls with the higher management couple of times in a day and Dave really cares about the peoples of the people's doing in the team and this is really good because what I'm. I'm getting questions. How are you getting what's disturbing you? You know what's your focus today which is really helping me focus again every day. You know the early calls and I can if I'm having. If I start early if I have like this kind of offline chat with the higher management a couple of times in a week and this keep me focused and or constant feedback. You know the when I Observe anything.

[B]

Yes, sorry, yeah, I was just going to say that one example that you just gave, like having this regular catch up or lunch conversation with leadership. I think this is one of the aspects that is really important for us as Scrum masters, which is to create kind of this cadence that allows us to communicate what's going on with the team to the decision makers, but also to get constant feedback and direction from the decision maker so that we can have a dialogue. Right. Like here's what we're seeing, here are some obstacles, kind of raising impediments that we might need help with. And I think keeping that, that cadence is really important. Making sure that you have access to the people who are making decisions 100%.

[C]

And doesn't matter how the observation small or individual because this is bring visual, you know, the visibility for the higher management, how the things works and what's lacking in my area and how they support it as an organization, you know, the wider organization. Yeah, generally regular catch up, constant feedback for anyone, anyone's situation person doesn't matter, including myself, time to time. But yeah, this is helping me to keep focus.

[B]

Yeah, setting up that conversation routine is really important. Thank you for sharing that, Denise.

[C]

No worries.

[A]

Hey friend. Thank you for staying here. Is all you need to know about the Global Agile Summit. If you've ever suffered or know people who are suffering from agile fatigue, this event is for you. Agile fatigue is that feeling that settles in when we can't really see a light at the end of the tunnel. We get discouraged, especially when conversations revolve, revolve around the same old frameworks, the same old buzzwords and theories. We don't feel that energy anymore. Well, the Global Agile Summit is a different kind of event. We're bringing you real life first person stories of Agile succeeding out there in the real world that will inspire you to take action and transform the way you work. The Global Agile Summit will happen In Tallinn, Estonia, May 18th. That's the workshop day and then 19th and 20th, the conference day. And Tallin, Estonia is one of the most innovative tech hubs in Europe. The Global Agile Summit is hosted together with Latitude 59, which is kind of a citywide celebration of software startups and groundbreaking ideas. And we'll have a shared ticket for you to attend attend those events as well. So who will be speaking? Well, we've got an incredible lineup of thought leaders in software and agile. For example, Clinton Keith, the person who wrote, literally wrote the book on game development with Scrum and is busy bringing Agile to the world of game Development, you must check his session. The very famous and well known Jurgen Apello, author of Management 3.0, will be talking and exploring about AI's impact on leadership. We also have Goiko Adsic, who's taking an unconventional look at product growth with his Lizard Optimization keynote. Other speakers include, for example Sven Dietz, who's challenging everything we know about software development by ditching, literally ditching contracts and estimates. Can you imagine his teams deliver software before their competitors are even done with the contract negotiation? How agile is that? But there's more. We'll cover engineering practices in our developer track with talks on, for example AI assisted test driven development, developing products in minutes with a different approach to how we develop, configure, deploy platforms and much more. We also have a product track where we cover cutting edge ideas around product discovery, delighting customers with product delight frameworks. We'll have a talk about that. And we also have an Agile business track where we will talk about, for example Open strategy, a very agile approach to managing organization organizations and delivering software faster to clients faster than you can even write a contract.

[B]

Literally.

[A]

I mean, I already told you about Svendeet's story is amazing. It definitely is a must see. I'm sure you'll be inspired and get a lot of ideas for your own software projects and software delivery. Now, whether you're a business leader, a product innovation innovator or a developer, you'll definitely find value in our three focused tracks. That's Agile Business for those working with businesses and organizations, Agile Product for product managers, product owners and innovators and Agile Developer for the builders making Agile work in practice. The coders, the testers, the designers, the producers, the Scrum masters, you name it. If you join, you will meet over 200 agile professionals from all over the world. People who just like you, want to grow, want to share and want to learn by challenging the ideas that don't work anymore. At the Global Agile Summit, you'll get new connections, fresh ideas and the energy to take your own Agile to the next level level. And who knows, maybe even find your next career opportunity. So don't miss out. Check out the full program and grab your ticket now@globalagile summit.com I'm really looking forward to seeing you all in Tallinn, Estonia in May.

[B]

I'll see you there.