Scrum, Agile and the Art of Active Listening

Communication is the most essential aspect of team dynamics in any company. It is the only way to ensure collaboration which facilitates sharing information about the project progress. Thereby inspection and transparency are maintained as stated in Scrum Guide. A good understanding of what each member brings to the table can help teams leverage strengths and avoid duplication, thereby producing work more efficiently.

Any team member in the scrum team can go for training and gain knowledge to advance their career by becoming Certified Scrum Master or Certified Scrum Product Owner.

Listening is the key aspect of agile team communication and a challenging one for many people. This section will discuss challenges on communication and how to improve it by active listening.

Communication Breakdown In Scrum Team

Product Owner, a key role in the Scrum team who communicates through sprint reviews, daily scrum, backlog refinement, and user stories. The team must understand the needs and barriers in communication so that progress can be made in every sprint.

Become a Product Owner Expert in defining backlogs and product vision by claiming Product Owner Certification.

Steps To Improve

You need to be a good listener and possess emotional intelligence for an effective communicator. Beyond normal listening, active listening requires context and a meaningful understanding of what has been said. Leading by example is a smart way to encourage team members for their communication skill improvement. Start learning these skills yourself.

Active listening involves both active and attentive listening—not just on the part of the speaker, but also on that of the listener—to ensure that the speaker’s true meaning is understood. This can be accomplished by summarizing and confirming what was said to make sure every person stays on the common page.

How To Do Active Listening?

Active listening is a skill that is often overlooked in the workplace. It is the process of paying attention to what someone is saying and then summarising or paraphrasing what they said to allow them to check that you understood correctly. This does not mean that you have to agree with whatever they are saying, but it does help if you understand what they are trying to say before expressing your opinion. It's also being able to understand the needs of those you are working with and then making adjustments that will help them be successful.

Build better communication among the team for project success as a Certified Scrum Master or Certified Scrum Product Owner.

Techniques For Active Listening

1. Paraphrasing

2. Using nonverbal language

3. Emotional labeling

4. Using silence

5. Redirecting

6. Mirroring

7. Validating

Active listening paves the way for solving any large and complex problems. It reveals agile values such as respect, openness, dedication, and focus. This creates strong relationship bonding and more conflict resolution opportunities. As a skilled agile practitioner, you can be better thinkers, enthusiasts, and communicators with active listening.

How To Understand Scrum & Make Better Collaboration?

The Scrum certification is a credential that assures the individual has knowledge of this popular Agile framework. The demand for Scrum certification is growing at an exponential rate.

One reason for the rise in demand for Scrum certification could be the increase in Agile practitioners looking to upgrade their skills to CSM certification and Product Owner certification. There are many benefits to obtaining this qualification, including understanding how scrum can be applied in an organization, why it is so advantageous when compared to waterfall methods, and career growth with higher pay. Take the first step to enhance your scrum, agile knowledge with relevant training from the best institute.