Your Questions, My Insights
You asked some great questions – so here are my answers. I’ve kept them short and practical, based on my experience. Let me know if anything needs a deeper dive.
Scrum
1. How do you calculate a Scrum team’s capacity and velocity?
Capacity is based on each team member’s availability in a Sprint, accounting for holidays, sick leaves, trainings, etc. Velocity is the average number of story points completed in past Sprints, typically over the last 3–5 iterations.
2. What if a team member refuses to join Daily Scrums or Retrospectives?
Have a respectful 1-on-1 conversation to understand their perspective. Then, explain how these meetings support teamwork, transparency, and improvement – and explore ways to make them more valuable for everyone.
3. How much team capacity should be reserved for bugs, refactoring, or innovation?
Many teams allocate 10–20% of their Sprint capacity to technical debt, bug fixes, or exploring new ideas. This helps keep the codebase healthy and supports long-term innovation
4. Can the Product Owner assign tasks to team members?
No! The team is self-organizing. The Product Owner provides goals and priorities, but developers choose how to accomplish the work.
5. How does a good Product Backlog item look like?
It should be clear, valuable, and small enough to complete in a Sprint. The INVEST model (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable) is a good standard.
6. Is it okay if the Product Backlog has over 200 items?
It’s manageable, but not ideal. The top items should be refined and prioritized—a long backlog is fine as long as it doesn’t become a cluttered dumping ground.
7. How can I briefly explain the difference between Scrum and traditional project management to my 61-year-old boss?
Scrum focuses on delivering value in small steps through self-organizing teams and close customer collaboration. Traditional project management relies on upfront planning and top-down control.
Kanban
1. How do you introduce Kanban to leadership?
Show visual transparency, highlight flow metrics, and explain how Kanban supports predictability, alignment, and delivery of strategic goals.
2. How do you implement WIP limits effectively?
Start with reasonable WIP limits based on team size and refine them over time using historical throughput data and team feedback.
3. How do you run Retrospectives in Kanban?
Though not required, teams should hold regular feedback sessions focused on flow metrics, blockers, and process improvement opportunities.
4. What tools do you use for Kanban?
Jira, Trello, Kanbanize, Azure DevOps, and physical boards for smaller teams.
5. How do you transition a team from Scrum to Kanban?
Start by removing Sprint constraints, visualize the current workflow, introduce WIP limits, and shift focus to flow-based delivery and service-level agreements.
SAFe
1. What’s the difference between features and enablers?
Features provide user value; enablers support architecture, infrastructure, or exploration needed to deliver features.
2. How do you balance your time across teams and events?
I timebox coaching, attend key events, and use check-ins to maintain presence while fostering team independence.
3. Can a SAFe Scrum Master be a team member?
Ideally not, as it may limit their ability to facilitate and serve the team objectively.
4. What tools do you use to manage the backlog?
I typically use Jira, Azure DevOps, or Rally, ensuring clarity and visibility of backlog items and team progress.
5. How do you handle conflicting priorities from multiple stakeholders?
Use data-driven prioritization like WSJF, facilitate discussions to align on customer value, and ensure decisions reflect strategic goals.
OKR
1. What’s the difference between OKRs and KPIs?
KPIs measure ongoing performance, while OKRs set bold goals and track progress toward them.
2. Can OKRs be qualitative?
Objectives can be qualitative and inspirational, but Key Results should be quantitative to measure success.
3. Can OKRs be used in non-profits?
Yes, OKRs work well in non-profit and mission-driven organizations to stay focused and measure impact.
4. Can OKRs be changed mid-cycle?
Yes, but only when priorities shift significantly. Stability is preferred, but agility is allowed.
5. How do you ensure psychological safety in OKR reviews?
Focus on learning, not judgment. Encourage open dialogue, celebrate effort, and separate OKRs from performance reviews.
6. What OKRs would you set for a new product launch?
Objective: Successfully launch Product X. KR: Achieve 1,000 sign-ups and a 95% uptime in first 3 months.
7. How do you balance OKRs with daily work?
Integrate OKRs into team rituals like standups and retrospectives. Align sprints or projects with OKR priorities.