Series: Kanban to Scrum Transition | Part 3 of 4 | Documenting our team’s structured evolution from Kanban to Scrum
From Facilitation to Enablement
After designing our ceremonies and aligning as a team, the process needed momentum. At first, I facilitated all Scrum sessions — daily syncs, planning, retros, reviews, and refinements. It wasn’t just about running the meetings. It was about modeling how we wanted these spaces to feel: safe, focused, and purpose-driven.
But my ultimate goal was not to be the facilitator — it was to enable the team to own the process.
Coaching Through Participation
I began inviting one engineer at a time to co-facilitate a session with me. We’d meet briefly beforehand to prepare, and after the session, I’d give feedback — affirming what worked and offering tips for engagement, time management, and clarity.
It wasn’t about being polished. It was about presence. Holding space. Reading the room. Asking the next good question.
Each time, the co-facilitator gained more confidence. And the team began to see that facilitation wasn’t a role tied to hierarchy — it was something we could all learn.
The Playbooks We Built
To support this journey, we created short facilitation guides — one-pagers for each ceremony:
- Daily Sync: goal, timebox, common blockers.
- Refinement: prompts to assess readiness and complexity.
- Planning: connecting stories to sprint goals and capacity.
- Review: structure for sharing outcomes and learning.
- Retro: structure, techniques (Start/Stop/Continue, 4Ls, etc.), and examples.
These playbooks weren’t mandatory. They were starting points — helping people feel grounded as they stepped into facilitation.
Gradual Ownership and Rotation
We didn’t create a rota overnight. First, a few engineers volunteered. Then we started rotating facilitators every week. If someone was uncertain, they’d pair with a buddy or use a template.
Eventually, everyone on the team felt comfortable — not just leading, but shaping how we facilitated together.
What surprised me most was how facilitation changed the facilitators. People asked better questions. Noticed dynamics. Practiced empathy. Leading created leaders.
Leadership as Multiplication
The shift wasn’t about replacing me. It was about distributing ownership. And with that came increased engagement, deeper conversations, and more resilient collaboration.
Scrum became not something we follow, but something we own. The ceremonies were no longer events on a calendar. They were reflective practices, and anyone could hold that space.
In Part 4, I’ll walk you through each of those plays and how they’re adapted for our context.
# Coaching log idea
echo "Who can I support to lead next week's retro?" >> team_growth_log.txt
Previous in the series: Part 2 - Aligning Goals, Metrics, and Shared Understanding
Next in the series: Part 4 - Our Plays, Our Way
Kanban to Scrum Transition Series:
- Part 1: Recognizing the Need for Change (Oct 27, 2022)
- Part 2: Aligning Goals, Metrics, and Shared Understanding (Nov 3, 2022)
- Part 3: Coaching Engineers to Lead the Process (This post)
- Part 4: Our Plays, Our Way (Nov 17, 2022)