5am Mester Scrum

Earlier today I made a little short on being a customer for your product, but I wanted to expand on that for your Team and Employees.  The idea of giving employees discounted access to your products. How if your HR department is wondering about retention and how to build a more customer friendly product. On tonight's We Team HR Wednesday program for the the #5amMesterScrum Show 1286 on 10/15/2025....

Take advantage of any free education while you can.  In my 20's my employer offered tuition reimbursement for 1 class per semester, so they paid for 3/5 of my Masters.  That was 30 years ago.  I still use it today, despite what others say. Education is not all about the now but mostly about the future you. On this Getting to Next Level episode of out Tuesday programming here on the #5amMesterScrum...

Join A Team to Learn a Lot or Little?  Depending on what you are looking for in a position or a new team or even an existing team.  My tendency to find a team I can learn a lot vs. a little.  A good scrum team allows their teammates to dabble in a little bit of everything as it is a win-win option. Early in my career I had the option to join large companies that would have me work in one area of t...

You would be amazed at how many companies think one person is a team.  they form these "teams" for projects and have one person work it.  Let explore why scrum or most things don't work when they are a team of one. Wednesday is our We Team HR Wednesday program here on the #5amMesterScrum show 1284. Audio Podcast version.

Investing in yourself is something I have been thinking about more as I provide for after school stuff for the kids and really try to convince my wife to take some classes in her field.  Plus I'm renewing a bunch of my certifications lately and it is not cheap when You have as many as I do. You would be amazed at how many people have not taken a professional class  or done something to learn a new...

No One Likes to Retrospect...Why? and let me offer this thought.. Is it because: they are not entertaining?  nothing gets improved? we already meet enough?  We are perfect the way we are? I would like to add No one Likes to Change or realize they could improve, even a little bit.  There is real resistance to improvement. On today's program 4R Thursday (Requirements, Reviews, Retros and Roles) on t...

What is your Career or Business Next Level Mindset?  I was chatting with a connection the other day and they were in the same position for the past 3 years.  It made me realize how many people or businesses have not shifted into a Next Level Mindset.  To be honest many people and businesses are already there, but lack the challenge to take that step or the slight adjustment that brings that Next L...

I had a blank mind on fun topic so I decided let's just ask chatgpt.  So we are doing it live and uncut.  Plus we have a fortune cookie for Fortune Cookie Friday. Today is a Fun Friday on the #5amMesterScrum show 1280   This is the audio podcast version of the video on youtube, facebook and LinkdedIn

So a Team I coached held a retrospective which I facilitated and I went around post retro and greased the action plan with other managers, so people were not caught of guard.  I greased the future actions so they might go over smoother. Now this scenario does not happen all the time but does every so often especially when the retrospective actions involve people outside of the core team.  There ar...

I wanted to celebrate getting together anytime the team is in the office as a part of a hybrid work environment.  Today for one of my team I coach they were altogether in a room for their daily scrum or standup.  It was a great sight to be seen as I think it may have been a first. Remote is ok but when teams are on-site they should really meet together so they can see how the others on the team ar...

Late evening or afternoon show talking about Getting to the Next Level and I wanted to expand on the post we made today about the two turtles with the bigger one the coach and the smaller one the coachee. There are lots of ways to look at this. I'm going to gove two: one being knowledge shared and two patience sometimes pays off and don't in such a hurry to mark everything urgent. I saw something...

I just realized a subtle characteristic for sprint time box length.  If teams are working to 3 week or longer time boxes that is a good indication of teams working as individuals vs. as a group on a problem that needs to be solved.  There are cases in where maybe there could be lots of testing that would require the longer period yes. However.. I realized this just the other day as I was pondering...

Welcome Back post Labor Day Holiday and for me it is triple planning day for My 3rd Sprint in Q3, 1st Week in Sprint 3 and of course today.  This is what I do to get to the next level.  When i don't do it, I do fall behind.   On today's Getting to the Next Level program for the #5amMesterScrum show 1275.

Welcome to our Podcast version of our Live video show and today Fun Friday we have an idea for a book share before a holiday weekend.  So we are doing a pack opening of Alex Hormozi's new book.   Plus I found the fortune cookies, so we are also doing Fortune Cookie Friday as well here on the the #5amMesterScrum show episode 1274

Mixing pieces from Sprint Reviews and Retros into discussion at the Sprint Planning session.  Something all Scrum Masters or agile coaches should do.. Make them think a little bit more before blasting off from Sprint Planning. Our #5amMesterScrum show 1273 as a part of our 4R Thursday - Roles, Reviews, Retros and Requirements programing 

Watch out for social media as well as Metrics and Ranking published before your use them for your own decisions.  The other day I was at a meeting and the leader share a Ranking for the city of Philadelphia and we were at the bottom.  So I was curious as to what the measure was.  I googled the ranking info and its AI brought the study right to the top.  I was impressed and I saw some social media...

Get better 4x as fast with 4 retros per day.  I was listening to Ed Mylett and he was talking about his shorter days o he actually does 2 days in one.  Morning and afternoon?  Well I kind of do the same but with some twists.  He talks about a sort of retrospective at the end of his shorter days.  Well I break my days into 4 parts 1) Morning (pre kid leaves for school), 2) Morning, 3) after lunch a...

Bad Apples (team members/employees) on the team what do we do fire them?  Let's talk some options as leaders.  #5amMesterScrum show 1270 on our Team and HR Wednesday topic area

Go Under Cover and be a Customer, is my challenge to you on Getting to the Next Level for Tuesday programming on the #5amMesterScrum show 1269. Just returned from a local chamber meeting and they brought up the local mass transit and our funding issue.  Oh was that a can of worms. Need ideas for your business than just go be a customer and you will find enough for a year, I bet.

Whether you are a tech team or a little restaurant or coffee shop or mom and pop business.  Doing a sports or hobby t-shirt day is always fun.  It helps the team get to know each other a bit and even entertains people the come into the store. Bonus for a coffee or local joint, spread the fun by offering a 5% off if people wear a their favorite sports team t-shirt.  Add it to your newsletter.

When teams start off or have not done a Sprint Review in a long time, use the 80 /20 rule and conduct an internal team review a few times. This will help the teams feel comfortable and we don't need the entire company at the 1st Sprint Review. It is overkill. The Sprint Guide is about the Best level and even professional ball players take a few practices before the big game. This is our 4R Thursda...

Getting a good team that likes to work with each other and be productive together has such a high ROI and is something that HR organizations should bring tools to help support. A tool is quarterly fun events in the office with pay.  A sort of Team Day.  I'll chare some benefits.  on our #5amMesterScrum show 1266. Please reach out if you need help with your business or your team to get to this leve...

Why do we get Coaching for our kids but not Ourselves.  However we still want to get to the next level in our careers, business and life. Today's 8/12/2025 5amMesterScrum Show 1265 is a part of our Tuesday programming on Getting to the Next Level. Please reach out if you have coaching questions. A simple chat works fine as well.

Too many companies and people worry about the past let's look at a simple example to make you think are you worried too much about the past?  Sunrise vs. Sunset. Past and Future Time Metric here on Metric Monday #5amMesterScrum for Show 1264. 

Happy Fun Friday here on our #5amMesterScrum Show 1263. Let's play some whiff ball. Let's get outside for a change of pace. Get outside and have some simple fun.