By Zuzana Petrus Gočová and Dominika Hromádková Mazáková (ERNI Slovakia)
Agile was never meant to be static. It is an evolving mindset – one that thrives on experimentation, learning and adaptation. Yet in many teams, the daily reality looks different. Product ownership can go dark. Retros may feel repetitive. Daily stand-ups can turn into status updates. We decided to face these challenges head-on. Through small, structured experiments, we learned that rediscovering agility often means returning to its roots: collaboration, clarity and continuous improvement.
When product ownership goes dark
We’ve seen it happen more than once: the team feels stuck because there are no clear priorities, no strong product vision, and decisions take too long. Conversations continue after meetings, confidence drops and everyone feels a bit lost.
Instead of pushing harder, we took a step back and asked: what’s really missing?
The answer lay in roles and expectations. We ran two simple but powerful workshops – one on roles and responsibilities, and another on expectation management. Using a shared Mural board, we mapped what each role expects from others, what others expect from us and where misunderstandings occur.
The key wasn’t to assign blame but to build transparency. We agreed on responsibilities for each role, based on what came out of the sessions.
What worked for us
We kept it open, honest and positive. Everyone could speak freely – as long as we focused on the roles, not on the people. We documented everything and inspected and adapted the outcome together.
The results were flowing in continuously and persisted until project end:
- Clearer priorities and product vision
- A shared business understanding of future features
- Decision-making about priorities fully in the hands of the product owner
- Fewer ‘after-meetings’ and side conversations
- Better collaboration for ultimately better sprint results
When everyone understands their part in the bigger picture, agility stops being a buzzword – it becomes a shared responsibility.
The uninvited scrum master
“We don’t need a scrum master.” It’s a statement many teams make – until they experience what happens when one quietly joins and starts adding value.
Our approach begins with listening, not leading. The scrum master’s first task is to build bridges: getting to know the team members, understanding the team’s attitudes toward the project and observing collaboration patterns.
We call it the discovery phase – acting ‘as if I’m not here’. Through observation, active listening and curiosity, we start identifying opportunities without disrupting the team’s rhythm.
Then come the small steps – collecting pain points, finding quick wins and addressing issues without bruising egos. Over time, those small wins accumulate.
The turning point comes when the team begins to see tangible results – smoother collaboration, fewer blockers, improved delivery. That’s when the scrum master moves from ‘zero to hero’, not by taking control, but by helping the team take ownership.
When retros feel retro
Retrospectives are meant to be moments of reflection. But what happens when the team simply says, “We’re fine”? No input, no improvement and no follow-up on previous actions – the ceremony becomes a formality.
We decided to experiment. Instead of repeating the same format, we introduced variety and depth by:
- Inspecting and adapting our current retrospective (we ran a retrospective for our retrospective)
- Using digital tools for interaction
- Tracking action points and reviewing them visibly at the beginning of a new retrospective
- Trying new formats such as ‘story retrospectives’ or free speech sessions
- Encouraging informal icebreakers and spaces for spontaneous topics during the sprint
Over time, the team opened up. Discussions became more meaningful, and retrospectives turned from routine to relevant – based on team members’ feedback.
Avoid being bored with the board
The same principle applies to daily scrums. When every meeting feels identical – each person reciting their updates while others tune out – engagement plummets.
Our small experiment: stop reading from the sprint board.
Instead, we alternated between person-by-person and task-by-task discussions, encouraged preparation, and focused on active listening. The result? Shorter, more effective meetings and noticeably better collaboration.
Embracing agility as a living system
The biggest takeaway from these experiments is simple: agility works when it stays alive. Workshops, retrospectives and daily meetings are not goals in themselves. They are tools for conversation, alignment and learning.
When teams approach these moments with curiosity rather than routine, even the most familiar rituals can spark new energy. And that’s what keeps agile relevant. It is not about frameworks or checklists, but about the willingness to experiment, learn and adapt.
For more information about agility in a VUCA world, read also our ebook.
