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. Audio Podcast version

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 show 1286. This is our audio podcast version of the show.

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 the business, but what was really useful over my entire career was the ability to move around and contribute in more than one area. Now a days it would be just a front desk/order intake or maybe front end coder or testing only or database or back-end code or prep-cook or sales or designer of fasteners in mechanical engineering.  All is good stuff by the way.  But it is important to understand a little bit of everything. Talking We Team and HR Wednesday on the #5amMesterScrum show 1285 Audio Podcast version

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 skill in years.  Or better yet complain as to teh cost.  I even do it as well some times. The subject matter for our Getting to the Next Level 2 for Tuesday / 10X show here on the #5amMesterscrum program show 1283. Our audio podcast version

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 the #5amMesterScrum show 1282 Reach out if you would like to talk coaching for your career, teams or Small and Medium Size Business.

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 Level to Light. This is our Tuesday Getting to the Next Level segment on #5amMesterScrum show 1281. Please reachout if you are interested in any group coaching or one-on-one coaching to get your career or business to a next level. This is our audio podcast version of the show and the video versions are available on Youtube, LinkedIn and Facebook just search #5amMesterScrum on your platform of choice.

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 are cases when the effort a team wants to do involve others.  So to aid the team as their agile coach/scrum master I went around individually to any affected people and brought up the plan, gathered their feedback and their buy in before sharing the summary of the retro and the actions to be taken. Scrum Masters need to do this from time to time and not just leave the probability of success up to the four winds.  Sometimes we have to get involved to facilitate a success just as much as a meeting. That is our topic for today 4R Thursday program where we talk roles, requirements, reviews and retros.  Here we are talking the role of a scrum masters/agile coach and the post retro support activities on the #5amMesterScrum Show 1279.   This is the audio podcast version of the program found on LinkedIn, Youtube and Facebook.

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 are really reacting to discussion.  It makes the remote connection so much better later on.  While some might say of course, but I have seen many large corporations where the people stay in their cubes when they come to work, just as if theyr were at home.  They never leave their desks. This #5amMesterScrum show is 1278 and a part of our We Team HR Wednesday series of the show.

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 on news media program and a gen Z eprson was complaining that everything was marked urgent. The older news person said the gen z was lazy. But were they really? Or were they just trying to work smarter? Let's talk turtles for our Tuesday series topic Getting to the Next Level on #5amMesterScrum show 1277

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 why I was having troubles completing everything in my two week SWAY sprint lengths.  When i coach people in my mastermind and coaching program we usually work in 3 week sprints vs. two weeks.  I also reflected on teams I coached that were three or 4 week sprints and I realized they were that long because the people worked as individuals. Where in a team efforts which is what scrum is really supposed to be about two weeks or less works well because there is more than one person working the issue. Lets share and please let me know in the comments if you see the same trend.On our Wednesday show about Teams, We and HR on the #5ammesterScrum show 1276.

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 posts recently referencing the same info.  So read the data and most was from 1978 and 1992 study.  I'm like oh no!  The world has changed quite a bit since then.  In my brain I was thinking I hope they did not spend money on a study that just repackaged old data and someone is out there just re-posting without really knowing the data behind the metric. Be careful of metrics and data that is being shared.

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 and 4) post leaving work after 4 or 5pm (depends on the day).  Now why 4 and not two or three, this is because I also add a little Dan Martell thught about energy level and expectations during those days.  Each one is different and can't be really compared to each other. In this show I talk about the 4x day on the #5amMesterScrum show 1271. On our programing of 4R Thursday - roles, requirements, reviews and retros.

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.