Jennifer Fisch, PMP, CSM, SAFe6 Agilist

Agile was born as a mindset of exploration, not a recipe of fixed practices. In his latest post, PST Gregory Fontaine outlines why organizations thrive when they embrace curiosity, empiricism, and continuous experimentation. https://ow.ly/i5K550WUIUH #Agile #Empiricism

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🚨 Why do we still require degrees for Delivery PM or Scrum Master roles? Genuine question. I keep seeing PM, Delivery Manager and Scrum Master roles asking for: 🎓 A bachelor’s degree 🎓 Sometimes a master’s 🎓 Plus certifications 🎓 Plus years of experience And I can’t help asking… What problem is the degree actually solving? Because in delivery: • Stakeholders don’t escalate to your dissertation • Teams don’t unblock themselves because of your transcript • Risk doesn’t reduce because you passed an exam in 2012 Delivery succeeds because someone can: ✅ Navigate conflict ✅ Make trade-offs under pressure ✅ Challenge poor decisions without burning trust ✅ Translate chaos into progress ✅ Hold the line when certainty doesn’t exist Most of that is learned on the job through experience, failure, and judgment. As a delivery leader and some I have worked with: • Didn’t study project management • Didn’t come from the “right” industry • Didn’t tick every academic box What i and they did was have credibility, situational awareness, and the ability to lead people when things got uncomfortable. When job specs default to degree requirements, it often signals something else: 👉 We’re trying to reduce hiring risk on paper 👉 We’re confusing credentials with capability 👉 We’re filtering for safety, not effectiveness And in doing so, we quietly tell experienced practitioners: Your delivery record matters less than a qualification you may not need. Experience counts. Judgment counts. Outcomes count. Maybe the better question isn’t: “Does this candidate have the right degree?” But: 👉 “Have they delivered when it actually mattered?” Thoughts 👇

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DoD vs. Acceptance Criteria: Don't Confuse Done with Pass In Agile, "Finished" and "Done" aren’t synonyms, but many teams act like they are. The result? Confusion, misalignment, and unfinished work that looks complete on the surface. Acceptance Criteria (A/C): "Did we build the right thing?" (The Pass) These are conditions of satisfaction defined at the story level. Think of AC as the user-focused checklist: “If this story works this way, it solves the user's need.” 📌 Lives in: Individual User Stories 📌 Defined by: Product Owner 📌 Tied to: Story Acceptance Definition of Done (DoD): "Did we build it the right way?" (The Done) This is the team’s quality baseline. It’s the shared checklist that applies to every Product Backlog Item (PBI), not just one story. Think of DoD as the team’s universal “it’s done” bar: “Code complete, tested, documented, integrated, potentially shippable.” 📌 Lives in: Team Agreements 📌 Agreed by: Scrum Team 📌 Tied to: Increment Transparency Why the Confusion Hurts: When Acceptance Criteria is mistaken for the DoD: • Quality expectations differ • Testing misses essential steps • “Done” becomes subjective • Product Owners approve work that’s not fully complete 📌 A story that passes A/C but fails DoD… is not done. Tip: Keep them both visible and distinct ✅ DoD - Make it visible ✅ A/C - Discuss and refine collaboratively ✅ At Sprint Review - Only show work that meets BOTH For work to be truly Done, it must meet both the Definition of Done and the Acceptance Criteria. When we know the difference, we don’t just finish work - we deliver value with confidence. #ScrumTips #DefinitionOfDone #AcceptanceCriteria #ScrumMastery #TeamQuality

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90 books to further your learning today [For agilists & change agents] Continuous Improvement begins with you. Here's a curation I made with support from the community Broken down by your area of focus 1. Agile Coaching books (15) 2. Scrum Mastery books (15) 3. Agile & Lean books (15) 4. Agile mindset (19) 5. Facilitation (12) 6. Technical mastery (14) Use it to plan your next read What books would you add? Thanks for reposting - It helps others to learn And follow me to make Continuous Improvement easier P.S - Would you be interested in learning how to apply Continuous Improvement to yourself? My next class starts in June - https://lnkd.in/eMd2X_8C

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📣 New Women in Agile Podcast! 📣 Agilists: Aspire and Achieve Podcast Series: How to Interview for Agile Roles - Chad Engstrom | 2517 Listen at womeninagile.org/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! In this episode, Emily Lint is joined by guest Chad Engstrom to unpack how agile role expectations have shifted over the last few years and where the industry is heading. They discuss how to understand the hiring organisation in interviews and what candidates can do to improve their chances of securing their dream job. #WiA #WiAPodcast #WomeninAgile #AspireandAchieve

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Creating a clear and effective Definition of Done (DoD) is crucial for successful Agile delivery. When the DoD is vague, it causes confusion, inconsistent quality, and delays. Here’s how to facilitate creating one that everyone on the team understands and commits to: Collaborate Across Roles: Bring together the Scrum team, Product Owner, and stakeholders to gather different perspectives on what “done” means. List Clear Criteria: Define specific, achievable, and testable deliverables such as completed code, peer review done, tested, documented, and accepted by Product Owner. Use Examples: Reference previous work or standards as benchmarks to ensure clarity. Iterate and Refine: Start with a draft, then evolve the DoD as the team learns and the product matures. Visualize It: Use visual aids like checklists or boards with “done” columns to reinforce the concept daily. Communicate and Train: Ensure all team members understand and apply the DoD consistently. A well-defined DoD reduces ambiguity, boosts quality, and accelerates delivery trust. Check the infographic below for a visual guide on how to create your Definition of Done collaboratively. #Agile #Scrum #DefinitionOfDone #DoD #AgileCoach #ScrumMaster #ProjectManagement #TeamCollaboration #QualityAssurance #AgileDelivery #ContinuousImprovement

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There’s a quiet breed of Scrum Masters you’ve never heard of. They don’t flaunt certifications on every post. They don’t overtalk in retros. They don’t chase spotlight in daily standups. But they lead teams that thrive. They’ve mastered what 90% of candidates overlook: The art of invisible influence. You won’t find them begging for attention. You won’t hear them name-drop Agile buzzwords. You won’t see them panicking before interviews. Yet, they’re landing top roles. They’re getting called back before applying. They’re quietly building credibility where it matters — Inside rooms they’ve earned their seat in. Here’s their secret: 🔹 They coach, they don’t command. 🔹 They ask the right questions, not give the loudest answers. 🔹 They influence outcomes, not just ceremonies. The loudest in the room is often performing. The quietest? Often facilitating transformation. 🎯 Great Scrum Masters optimize for outcomes, not optics. 🎯 They measure impact, not airtime. 🎯 They build trust, not titles. So, It’s not about being seen. It’s about being remembered 👇

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Most Program Managers never get real training. They get thrown into chaos—and told to “figure it out.” But mastering Program Management isn’t luck or trial by fire. It’s a craft. One you refine through planning, delivery, reflection, and leadership. I’ve put together a simple visual guide: The Art of Mastering Program Management It distills years of lessons into 4 pillars you can practice daily. 🟦 Plan clearly. 🟨 Deliver consistently. 🟥 Improve relentlessly. 🟩 Lead with intent. ♻️ Repost to help others learn these valuable lessons about program management. ➕ Follow RAJESH MATHUR for more.

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