Episode Overview

Podcast: Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast
Episode: The Dark Side of High-Performing Dream Teams | Natalia Curusi
Host: Vasco Duarte
Guest: Natalia Curusi
Date: December 16, 2025

This episode explores the unexpected challenges that arise within high-performing Agile teams, focusing on the darker side of tightly bonded groups. Natalia Curusi, an experienced Scrum Master, shares a candid story of how a dream team she nurtured evolved into an exclusive group, leading to difficult integration for new team members and ultimately resulting in exclusionary behaviors. The discussion sheds light on the complexities of team dynamics, the limits of a Scrum Master’s influence, and highlights the importance of support systems when facing issues like bullying and ostracism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Influential Books for Scrum Masters

Timestamp: 01:22 - 04:57

• Natalia's Recommendations:
  • "Coaching Agile Teams" by Lyssa Adkins
    • Changed her perspective from being the “indispensable glue” of the team to empowering teams to be independent.
    • Realized the true goal is to make oneself replaceable.
    • “A good Scrum Master or a good coach is actually not that person that everybody's depending on… the more replaceable you are, the better you are.” — Natalia Curusi [03:04]
  • "Training from the Back of the Room" by Sharon Bowman
    • Valuable for facilitators who want to run interactive sessions where participants learn from each other, rather than passive slide presentations.

2. The Birth of a "Dream Team"

Timestamp: 05:58 - 08:22

• Team Composition:

  • Majority were junior developers, recently graduated, built from scratch by Natalia.
  • Established clear working agreements and team norms.
  • Early bonding experiences (e.g., working trips, celebrations outside work) cemented strong team camaraderie.
  • Mature, technically strong, highly independent — capable of operating without Natalia’s constant presence.

• Quote:
  “This is dream team even now… the team become very, very mature and independent.” — Natalia Curusi [06:59]

3. Group Dynamics Turn Dark: Exclusion and Bullying

Timestamp: 08:23 - 12:02

• New Team Member Struggles:

  • A more experienced but less technically adept developer joined.
  • Struggled to keep up with the fast-moving ‘hero’ team.
  • Became a clear “outlier,” failing to integrate into the tightly knit group.

• Social Exclusion:

  • Ostracized during meetings and team activities.
  • Teammate behaviors, initially perceived as harmless jokes, grew problematic.
  • Natalia initially didn’t label these behaviors as bullying due to cultural context:
    “In Republic of Moldova, we don’t speak about bullying. We don’t know what is that.” — Natalia Curusi [09:41]

• Intervention Attempts:

  • Natalia conducted 1:1s with the new hire and team.
  • Both sides minimized or denied the issue — new member declined help, others insisted “we’re just having fun.”
  • Realization that team morale and cohesion were deteriorating.

• Escalation and Resolution:

  • Natalia escalated to leadership and worked with a psychologist.
  • Ultimately, the new team member was rotated to another team for a better fit.
  • Reflection that not all situations are within a Scrum Master's ability to resolve alone.

• Quote:
  “What I want to say to all the Scrum Masters, sometimes this is not in our power to change the situation. Sometimes you just need to let it go, you know, so this is the things happens because they happen.” — Natalia Curusi [12:10]

4. The Limits of a Scrum Master's Influence

Timestamp: 10:16 - 12:54

• Group Cohesion as a Double-Edged Sword:

  • Vasco reflects how strong team bonds can create high barriers for newcomers.
  • Discusses different forms of exclusion — not sharing information, lack of invitations, or overt bullying.
  • Emphasizes that certain group dynamics are resistant to intervention, even for experienced coaches and psychologists.

• Quote:
  “You can’t control group dynamics. They are what they are. The team needs to either decide to adopt this new team member or they decide… to expel that team member in many different ways.” — Vasco Duarte [11:00]

• Self-blame and Acceptance:

  • Natalia shares feelings of guilt for not resolving the issue.
  • Concludes that some failures are beyond the Scrum Master’s responsibility and control.

5. Crucial Takeaways for Scrum Masters

Timestamp: 12:02 - 12:54

• A Scrum Master’s success is not measured by omnipotence; knowing when to escalate or seek help is vital.
• Social exclusion and unhealthy team dynamics may require external support — don’t carry the burden alone.
• Building a strong team includes ensuring openness to newcomers, not just intra-team bonds.

Notable Quotes

• “A good Scrum Master or a good coach is actually not that person that everybody's depending on… the more replaceable you are, the better you are.”
  — Natalia Curusi [03:04]

• “I make sure that they could get rid of me very easy. So they were very independent. Everybody can do the Scrum Master role, facilitate the retrospective.”
  — Natalia Curusi [06:59]

• “He was an outliner. It became very evident that at some point that person became a black swan… He was ignored by some of the team members.… Now I understand that was like a form of bullying.”
  — Natalia Curusi [08:55]

• “You can’t control group dynamics. They are what they are… even if we have all the tools and strategies, it may still fail.”
  — Vasco Duarte [11:00]

• “Sometimes this is not in our power to change the situation. Sometimes you just need to let it go… this is not just a Scrum Master to be blamed in that situation.”
  — Natalia Curusi [12:10]

Episode Timeline

• 01:22 — Book recommendations for Scrum Masters
• 05:58 — Origin story of the "dream team"
• 08:23 — Integration challenges for a new team member and emergence of exclusion
• 09:41 — Cultural factors and delayed recognition of bullying
• 10:16 — Host and guest reflect on group dynamics
• 12:02 — Lessons on the limits of Scrum Master intervention
• 12:54 — Episode concludes

Key Lessons for Listeners

• Even ideal teams can develop unhealthy social patterns.
• Strong intra-team bonds can foster exclusion and bullying if not carefully managed.
• Scrum Masters should foster not only independence but also openness and inclusivity.
• Escalating and seeking support is sometimes the best course — self-blame has limits.
• Awareness and humility are essential tools for handling team challenges beyond procedural Agile practices.

This episode offers a sobering, practical discussion on the realities of team dynamics and the crucial, sometimes under-acknowledged, boundary between what Scrum Masters can and cannot control.