In order to truly reap the benefits of Scrum and Agile, there is a simple practice that I have learned from others which is invaluable. It is simply to not try to solve all the problems for the Scrum team, take the problems to them for solutions! Too often I run into Product Owners and Scrum Masters who are shaken because they cannot figure out how to resolve something for the team. They have racked their brains, pounding away at a problem and cannot find a solution for the team. Instead, I often suggest to them, take the problem to the team, see what they can do with it. You might be amazed (because they can solve the problem), you might be frustrated (because you do not like their solution even if it works for them), but you will not be disappointed at the short and long term effects of empowering the team to solve their own problems and even to answer their own questions.

It is now my first reflex but it wasn’t always so. It takes practice not to babysit a team, not to try to take care of everything for them, so they can just get the work done without worrying their brains about problems like MVP or how to deal with UAT or who knows what…

Take it to the team, bring them the problem and see if their collective, emergent wisdom doesn’t come up with an answer to the issue (even if you don’t like it) that works!