Are you a new Scrum Master? Become more effective instantly with these three simple questions (or "lenses")

Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches can view a team's work through many lenses. However, engaging with them is necessary to see clearly. Are there lenses that new Scrum Masters can quickly learn to use? Yes, and they have proven their usefulness 1.7 million times. Yet, almost no Scrum Master knows about them.

Many lenses, much confusion? 

In a previous post, I compiled a list of 21 lenses for teams and organizations (in German language). I'm sure the readers of this blog know of more.

I highly value lenses. They are important analytical tools for consulting and coaching. Every good craftsman familiarizes himself with his tools before using them with a client.

This is how Google Gemini envisions some analysis tools.

A craftsman always carries his essential tools with him. He knows what's available to him. As consultants and coaches, we need to constantly remind ourselves of our mental tools. The good news is that they don't take up space in our luggage.

New Scrum masters don't have much time at first. They need to get started quickly. In my view, there are a few approaches that even beginners can use to quickly identify the next steps for improvement.

Lenses from the Training Within Industry (TWI) program

The role of the Scrum Master has historically evolved from that of a production supervisor or team leader (see the timeline of Scrum concepts). During World War II, factories needed skilled workers to meet wartime production targets. A small government agency found a clever solution to this problem—they trained trainers who, in turn, trained supervisors. Through the Training Within Industry (TWI) program, 1.7 million people in over 16,000 companies received training.

Now, let's take a closer look at three of these training programs.

Job Instructions (JI) - Training Skilled Workers

Each of the three JI training sessions was highly practical and only 10 hours long. On the first day, the specific problem was presented in detail. The following days involved practicing the new skills in concrete, real-world situations, with the trainer incorporating further aspects. By Friday, the trainer was confident that the ten supervisors in his group understood the topic and could apply it.

The JI training focuses on training skilled workers. The trainer demonstrated how to break down work processes into essential steps and key points, how to demonstrate work processes, how to explain things so a new employee can absorb new knowledge, and how to create a competency matrix.

Christoph Roser has compiled more details about Job Instructions, on his blog, All About Lean.

Job Relations (JR) - Creating a Positive Work Environment

After clarifying the onboarding process, the organizers addressed the next problem in companies. How can we avoid unnecessary labor disputes and dismissals?

The trainer began the Job Relations training with a case study of an individual who repeatedly showed signs of lateness. However, the participants in the learning group were unaware of all the details of the situation. They quickly realized that firing this employee would not have been a good idea.

This training involved a great deal of practical application. More details can be found at All About Lean. Incidentally, JR was a training program for which the Scientific Management and Human Relations departments collaborated. The two departments were not on friendly terms before or after the event.

Job Methods (JM) - Improving Processes

We have skilled professionals and good working relationships. Now, we can address the real issue: How can we produce more goods for the Allies during wartime without more people, money, materials, or time?

This is only possible if we constantly and systematically question and adapt existing processes. That's what the Job Methods training was all about. On the first day, the trainer demonstrated a workflow with pointless steps, unnecessary material consumption, and an inefficient sequence. Then, he discussed his workflow with the supervisors in his group and came up with a better process. The improvements weren't immediately obvious.

As with the other trainings, there was a lot of practical application. After ten hours, the group leaders were ready to apply their newfound knowledge to their respective areas. There is another page about job methods on Christoph Roser's blog (in English). Interestingly, the managers did not like this training because it required constant changes.

Mike Rother has rewritten and popularized the Job Methods techniques in the Toyota Kata concept.

Coaching the Coach

The TWI program had several interesting aspects. The training concepts were excellent and still work well today, but they would have been ineffective without such excellent organization. The US was divided into 22 districts. Each district was overseen by a team of employer and union representatives. This ensured that the ideas reached the entire region.

All trainers and interested parties were regularly informed via a newsletter. The newsletter addressed topics not covered in the training sessions. One such topic was the support provided to supervisors on site.

Mark Warren researched this topic thoroughly. Christoph Roser documented the work of the managers (second-line supervisors). Mike Rother refers to this as the "Coaching Kata" (as opposed to the "Improvement Kata").

A Scrum Master Starts with Three Lenses

Due to its history and practical successes, the TWI program is relevant to the work of Scrum masters. The Scrum Guide provides guidance on the mechanics of Scrum. TWI training shows new Scrum masters what to look for in Scrum events and the developers' work to initiate further improvements.

• The Competence Lens: Does the team possess all the necessary skills to deliver results? Can everyone on the team contribute? Do we always wait for specific specialists? Are there tools that are only available to certain individuals? What new skills does the team need?
• Using the Team Climate Lens, is the team's morale high enough to work together and deliver results? Is pressure being exerted on the team or on individuals? Are there underlying conflicts? How does the team handle conflicts and strong emotions?
• The Process Lens: Are results being delivered smoothly and without friction? Does the process regularly stall? What are the lead times and process efficiency? What is the quality like?

The most important lens is the Process Lens. Scrum masters should be evaluated based on their teams' improved delivery capabilities. However, processes cannot be improved if the necessary skills are lacking and the work environment is suboptimal.

The TWI program trained 1.7 million people in the 1940s, and its three core ideas are just as useful for Scrum Masters today as they were for production supervisors back then. New Scrum Masters don't need 21 frameworks at once to be effective quickly. Three lenses are enough to start with: First, are the team's skills adequate? Is the work environment positive? Is the process running smoothly? Consistently asking and answering these questions will almost always reveal the next meaningful step toward improvement without getting bogged down in theory.