The Spotlight Failure That Taught a Silent Lesson About Recognition | Scott Smith

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast

Episode: The Spotlight Failure That Taught a Silent Lesson About Recognition | Scott Smith
Date: December 1, 2025
Host: Vasco Duarte
Guest: Scott Smith, Scrum Master, Agile Coach (Perth, Australia)

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Main Theme

This episode centers on the nuanced topic of recognition within Agile teams. Scott Smith shares a personal story of inadvertently upsetting a team member by publicly praising them, leading to valuable lessons about individual differences in receiving recognition. The discussion dives into the sensitivity required when fostering team motivation and highlights the importance of empathy, communication, and respect for personal boundaries in Agile environments.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Scott’s Journey into Scrum Mastery

• Transition from Business Analyst to Scrum Master
  • Scott spent a decade as a business analyst before transitioning to Scrum.
  • His interest in change management, stemming from his MBA, motivated him to seek out the Scrum Master role.
  • Certification: Took the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) course and applied its lessons directly by setting up Agile teams from scratch.
  • Relevant Quote:
    • “Setting up all those mechanics with the team... was the start of my journey into being a Scrum Master.” – Scott Smith [02:06]

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The Challenge: When Recognition Misses the Mark

The Incident

• Showcase Structure:

  • Scott facilitated sprint showcases where each squad presented sprint outcomes.
  • Each squad member had a 5-minute slot to share their work.

• The Praise and Its Fallout:

  • During one showcase, Scott singled out an individual for excellent work without prior notice.
  • Post-showcase, the individual called Scott, expressing unhappiness with the public recognition.
  • Memorable Explanation:
    • “They took offense to this... not having been told in advance or asked permission, even though I was calling them out for great work.” – Scott Smith [07:10]

Immediate Reflections

• Scott learned that not everyone appreciates public praise, particularly introverts or those uncomfortable with attention.
• The mistake, while small on the surface, had a lasting impact on Scott’s approach to team management.
• Lesson Articulated:
  • “The lesson that I now know and have taken forward with me is not everybody enjoys the limelight.” – Scott Smith [04:58]

Impact and Repair

• After discussing the issue, Scott and the individual resolved the situation amicably.
• Respecting the team member’s preference, Scott adjusted his approach to recognition.
• Notable Quote:
  • “I think conservative person, someone who's quiet, introverted... didn't like being called out in a bigger audience where we had maybe 100 plus people.” – Scott Smith [08:17]

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Broader Takeaways for Scrum Masters

• Understanding Team Members’ Preferences

  • Recognition should be thoughtfully tailored—public praise might be motivating for some but anxiety-inducing for others.
  • Check in with individuals before spotlighting them, especially in large or formal settings.
  • Vasco’s Insight:
    • “For all of us who need to present and who need to work with teams... might be more introvert, more reserved, more conservative. They might not appreciate the limelight at all.” – Vasco Duarte [08:45]

• Empathy & Communication

  • The role of Scrum Master requires empathy—understanding both overt and subtle team dynamics.
  • Effective communication mitigates misunderstanding and ensures each team member feels respected.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Personal Development & Change:

  • “Change has always been something I feel really resonates with me... that was really the course which I excelled in.” – Scott Smith [03:47]

• On the Power (and Risk) of Recognition:

  • “Fail often and that's all part of the journey.” – Scott Smith [04:58]
  • “Not everybody enjoys the limelight... it’s a need to check in with individuals prior to doing such things.” – Scott Smith [04:58, 07:10]

• On Team Culture:

  • “It might take great effort for them to overcome the anxiety of speaking to a large group, and then being put on the spot, even for a good reason, might feel like just one step too far.” – Vasco Duarte [08:45]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Scott’s Background and Journey to Scrum Master [01:24 – 03:33]
• The Showcase Incident & Reflection [04:58 – 09:46]
• Host Analysis & Broader Lessons [08:45 – 09:52]

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Episode Tone

The conversation is candid, reflective, and warm. Both Vasco and Scott speak with humility and a sense of shared learning, making the episode accessible and fostering a culture of openness about failure and growth.

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Summary Takeaways

• Public recognition isn’t always welcome—know your team and their preferences.
• Even well-intended actions can have unintended consequences; proactive communication is key.
• Scrum Masters must continuously grow their empathy and adjust their leadership, recognizing that every team member is unique.

This episode serves as a gentle but critical reminder for all Agile leaders: appreciation must always be delivered with care.

Transcript

[Vasco]

Hey there, agile adventurer, just a quick question. What if for the price of a fancy coffee or half a pizza, you could unlock over 700 hours of the best agile content on the planet? That's audio, video, E courses, books, presentations, all that you can think of. But you can also join live calls with world class practitioners and hang out in a flame war free and AI slop clean slack with the sharpest minds in the game. Oh, and yes, you get direct access to me, Vasko, your Scrum Master Toolbox podcast. No, this is not a drill. It's this Scrum Master Toolbox membership and it's your unfair advantage in the agile world. So if you want to know more, go check out scrummastertoolbox.org membership, that's scrummastertoolbox.org Membership. And check out all the goodies we have for you. Do it now. But if you're not doing it now, let's listen to the podcast.

Hello everybody. Welcome to one more week of the Scrum Master Toolbox podcast. And this week, joining us from beautiful Perth in Australia is Scott Smith. Hey Scott, welcome to the show.

[Scott Smith]

Hey Vasco, pleasure to be here, thanks for the invite.

[Vasco]

So Scott is a 53 year old professional based in Perth, Australia. He balances a successful career with, with a strong focus on health and fitness. Currently preparing for a bodybuilding competition in 2026. That is surprising. Scott, we'll probably talk about why that is important for you as well. With a background in leadership in coaching, Scott values growth, discipline and staying relevant in a rapidly changing world. So Scott, that was a short intro. Tell us a little bit more about.

Yourself and how did you end up.

Becoming a Scrum Master?

[Scott Smith]

Yeah, so I was a business analyst for a long time, probably about 10 years or so and working, I was working a few years back for a company in the main services industry as a business analyst and they wanted to start working with Scrum ways of working and we had teams. So I had decided to do my PSM one, which is the professional Scrum Master one course and get my certification. As I was, I was keen to, to make a move after you know, 10 years as a BA and things were really getting change in direction I suppose in terms of those traditional ways of working and moving into more Scrum and agile ways of working which I really got interested in. So I, I set up, I got the opportunity to work with the teams and set them up from the beginning, you know, so really started setting up all those mechanics with the, the team that I had. The Scrum events And the facilitation, really all the basics which I had Learned from the PSM1 course. And that, I suppose was the start, that was my start of my journey into being a Scrum Master.

[Vasco]

Very good, very good. And because you have a business analyst background, I can imagine that the change in ways of working would immediately be something that you would consider would affect you.

[Scott Smith]

Yeah, absolutely. Changes has always been something I feel. It really resonates with me. I think I noticed that more so when I was doing my MBA at university here in Perth and one of the units there was organizational change and that was really the course which I suppose I excelled in. Of the 12 courses that you do as part of the MBA, and that was probably the one that resonated mostly with me. So it set me on the right path, I suppose.

[Vasco]

Yeah, absolutely. Great background, of course, to then applying all of that as a change agent, as a Scrum Master. But you know, Scrum mastering is not always as easy as we would like it to be. Sometimes it actually is quite hard and we fail. And that's okay. Failure is not a problem as long as we learn. And that's what we want to talk about with you, Scott. So share that story with us, the difficult moment you had as a Scrum Master, and we'll dive into the insights and lessons learned later. But share that story first, Scott.

[Scott Smith]

Sure, you're absolutely right. Fail often and that's all part of the journey. There is one story that comes to mind. On the surface it might seem quite small and insignificant, but it sticks with me for some reason. The story is that I was working with a number of squads as a Scrum Master and we had showcases each Sprint where each squad had a five minute slot and they would share their outcomes from the sprint. And I coordinated and facilitated these showcases. In one instance, one of these showcases, I called out a particular individual in one of the teams for the fantastic work they had done during the sprint. And later on, once we finished the showcase, I got phone call from them and they were really unhappy, so I had upset them. The lesson that I now know and have taken forward with me is not everybody enjoys the limelight and being called out, I suppose without having prior notice or ask for their permission to do so. So that is something that, yeah, really sticks with me. And making sure that I check in with people before doing those types of things in the future is really important to me. So.

[Vasco]

So the. If I understood you correctly, they. By them you mean the team.

[Scott Smith]

No, this was an individual.

[Vasco]

Oh, one that one person One person?

[Scott Smith]

Yeah.

[Vasco]

Wow, that. That is really surprising. So was that person, like, presenting the work that the squad had completed or were they more like in the background? Like, what. What was kind of their. Their. I suppose you could say their. Their stand. Their position in that. In that showcase.

[Scott Smith]

So they were part of a team who were presenting, and this individual was presenting on behalf of the team. And as facilitator, I would go around each team and call up the next presenter, introduce them. And during that introduction, I had shared the fantastic work they had done. I suppose what they didn't like about that when they called me after. After the showcase was not having been told in advance or asked permission to be calling them out, even though I was calling them out for great work. They. They took offense to this and it's drove home, I suppose, the. The need to check in with individuals prior to doing such things. Even if it is, I think the.

[Vasco]

Relationship with that individual continue later. Like, was everything okay after that and you respected their wish and that was all fine?

[Scott Smith]

Yeah, absolutely. We did get hungry and had no issues or concerns. Is it really? I suppose, I think conservative person, someone who's quiet, introverted. So it makes sense that they perhaps didn't like, you know, being called out in a bigger audience where we had maybe 100 plus people on the call, which. Which was what happens.

[Vasco]

That is very surprising because usually people feel proud in what they do, and of course, they are appreciative if that, you know, work that was done with pride and effort is recognized and highlighted. But this individual was not. And I think that your insight. Right, like, check in with people, I think it's incredibly important and for all of us who need to present and who need to work with teams that might, and especially if it is people in the software world that's a high likelihood, might be more introvert, more reserved, more conservative. They might not appreciate the limelight at all, and it might take great effort for them to overcome the anxiety of speaking to a large group and then being put on the spot, even for a good reason, might feel like just one step too far in that anxiety management that many of us still have to deal with.

[Scott Smith]

Right, yeah, yeah, absolutely true. So that was my lesson learned.

[Vasco]

Yeah, absolutely. And a great story and counterintuitive at that. So brilliant. Thank you for sharing that, Scott.

[Scott Smith]

Yeah.

[Vasco]

All right. I hope you liked this episode, but before you hit next episode, here's the deal. This podcast is powered by people like you, the members who wanted more than just inspiration. They wanted real tools and real connection to people who are practicing Agile. Every day we're talking access to over 700 hours of agile Gold, CTO level strategy talks, Summit keynotes, live workshops, E courses, Deep Dive interviews, books, and if you're into no Estimates, we got the pioneers of no Estimates in those Deep Dive interviews as well. Agile Business Intelligence, creating product visions, coaching your product owner courses, you name it. You'll get invites to monthly live Q&As with agile pioneers and practitioners, plus a private Slack community which is free of all of that AI slop you see everywhere. And of course without the flame wars. It's a community of practitioners that want to learn and thrive together. It's the best place to connect with community and learn together. So if this podcast has helped you before, imagine what you will get from this podcast membership. So head on over to scrummastertoolbox.org membership and join the community that's shaping the future of Agile. We have so much for you, so check out all the [e-mail] membership because listening is great. It's important. But doing it together, that's next level. I'll see you in the community.

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