#148 It's You, Not Me...Right?
Wed Feb 04 2026
In this conversation, Jim Sammons and Rich Visotcky discuss various aspects of team dynamics, particularly focusing on Scrum Masters and the importance of engagement and interest in work. We explore the expectations placed on Scrum Masters, the significance of caring about the work being done, and how to navigate conflicts within teams around their work, tool choice, communication patterns, and more.
Key highlights include:
Interest in work drives better performance and outcomes.Navigating conflict requires understanding the context.Caring about the work leads to better results.Frustrations in work often stem from organizational decisions.Shifting mindsets from tool dependency to problem-solving is crucial.Different teams require different types of support and skills.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:16 Should Scrum Masters Be Interested?
01:23 Do Process People Need to Grasp The Backlog?
04:48 Do Care and Interest Go Hand in Hand?
08:14 Marker 4
08:14 Did the Creators of Agility Expect People to Care?
10:56 Do You Need to Know How the Sausage is Made?
13:41 The Legend of "Json the Troublemaker"
18:25 It's Not Them, It's You
21:39 The Way of Working
26:30 What Gets You Riled Up?
29:49 It Makes Sense, and it Makes Me Angry
34:52 The "User" Will See You Now
37:03 What Riles Rich Up?
42:35 Part of the Solution?
46:29 On the Next Episode...
Connect with Product Fields:
📢 Follow the podcast for more inspiring stories💬 Join the conversation on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/company/mastering-agility
📩 Contact us for trades or sponsorships
👉 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear it!
Connect with our hosts:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richvisotcky/
Check out our sponsors:
https://www.xebia.com
https://www.wiserbees.com
https://www.jointinsights.com
https://www.productfields.com
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In this conversation, Jim Sammons and Rich Visotcky discuss various aspects of team dynamics, particularly focusing on Scrum Masters and the importance of engagement and interest in work. We explore the expectations placed on Scrum Masters, the significance of caring about the work being done, and how to navigate conflicts within teams around their work, tool choice, communication patterns, and more. Key highlights include: Interest in work drives better performance and outcomes.Navigating conflict requires understanding the context.Caring about the work leads to better results.Frustrations in work often stem from organizational decisions.Shifting mindsets from tool dependency to problem-solving is crucial.Different teams require different types of support and skills. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:16 Should Scrum Masters Be Interested? 01:23 Do Process People Need to Grasp The Backlog? 04:48 Do Care and Interest Go Hand in Hand? 08:14 Marker 4 08:14 Did the Creators of Agility Expect People to Care? 10:56 Do You Need to Know How the Sausage is Made? 13:41 The Legend of "Json the Troublemaker" 18:25 It's Not Them, It's You 21:39 The Way of Working 26:30 What Gets You Riled Up? 29:49 It Makes Sense, and it Makes Me Angry 34:52 The "User" Will See You Now 37:03 What Riles Rich Up? 42:35 Part of the Solution? 46:29 On the Next Episode... Connect with Product Fields: 📢 Follow the podcast for more inspiring stories💬 Join the conversation on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/company/mastering-agility 📩 Contact us for trades or sponsorships 👉 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear it! Connect with our hosts: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/richvisotcky/ Check out our sponsors: https://www.xebia.com https://www.wiserbees.com https://www.jointinsights.com https://www.productfields.com