Category: General

General news

Scrum Masters and Cynefin – when the team needs expertise

This is the second post in a short series exploring the Scrum Master role through the four main Cynefin domains:

  • clear
  • complicated
  • complex
  • chaotic.

The first post looked at the clear domain, where simple rules, checklists and repeatable practice can help.

This post looks at the complicated domain.

What is the complicated domain?

Hand-drawn Cynefin framework diagram showing four domains around a central area of confusion: complex, complicated, chaotic and clear, with each domain labelled with its constraint type, response pattern and practice type.
A line drawing of the four regions of the Cynefin framework: Clear, Complicated, Complex, and Chaotic, plus the central unknown area Confusion. (Source: Wikipedia)

In the complicated domain, the work is not obvious, but it is still knowable.

There may be more than one right answer. The team may need analysis, diagnosis or specialist input before deciding what to do.

This is the world of expertise.

Continue reading Scrum Masters and Cynefin – when the team needs expertise

How to play Star Wars Solo (Sabacc) with two decks of standard playing cards and dice

The official Star Wars Han Solo card game (Sabacc)
Image: Tabletop Gaming

Want to capture a little of the chaos of Solo: A Star Wars Story without buying a specialist Sabacc set?

You can make a fun home version of Corellian Spike Sabacc with two standard decks of playing cards and a pair of dice.

It will not be a perfect replica of the film game, but it gets surprisingly close to the feel of shifting values, risky decisions and dramatic last turns.

Continue reading How to play Star Wars Solo (Sabacc) with two decks of standard playing cards and dice

Trust makes coaching possible – what new Scrum Masters should do first

Before you coach a new team, build trust.

You may see improvement opportunities very quickly as a new Scrum Master.

That does not mean the team is ready to hear them.

Good coaching depends on trust.
And trust takes a little time.

Continue reading Trust makes coaching possible – what new Scrum Masters should do first

Kung Fury (2015)

Kung Fury, a US detective dressed in a black leather jacket with a red vest and matching headband. He is in a police captain's office with filing cabinets and a pinboard behind him.
Kung Fury in his boss’s office before travelling back in time to defeat Hitler

If the 1980s were condensed into a single, high-octane, neon-soaked fever dream, the short film Kung Fury (2015) would undoubtedly be it.

It’s a masterpiece of intentional camp and over-the-top action that perfectly captures the VHS era’s aesthetic.

And it’s free to watch on YouTube.

Continue reading Kung Fury (2015)

Brush your teeth with cheese!

Many years ago, In the dinner hall at my high school, I remember posters that recommended you eat cheese after a meal if you couldn’t brush your teeth. It neutralised the acids in your mouth it said.

I know that it meant hard cheeses like Cheddar, but in my mind this is what I always imagined that it meant.

Brush your teeth with cheese!