“I always try to ask the team first, what is your problem? Or what is the next step, do you think? Having their input, having my input, bundle it and share it.”

Tom defines success for Scrum Masters through three essential pillars: purpose (achieving the team’s product goals), process (effective Agile practices), and people (team maturity and collaboration). When joining new teams, he uses a structured approach combining observation with surveys to get a 360-degree view of team performance. Rather than immediately implementing his own improvement ideas, Tom prioritizes asking teams what problems they want to solve and finding common ground for a “handshake moment” on what needs to be addressed.

Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Creative Drawing of the Sprint

Tom’s favorite retrospective format involves having team members draw their subjective experience of the sprint, then asking others to interpret each other’s drawings. This creative approach brings people back to their childhood, encourages laughter and fun, and helps team members tap into each other’s experiences in ways that traditional verbal retrospectives cannot achieve. The exercise stimulates understanding between team members and often reveals important topics for improvement while building connection through shared interpretation of creative expressions.

Example activity you can use to “draw the sprint”.

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About Tom Molenaar

Tom is a team coach with a background in social psychology and behavioral influence. He is passionate about fostering collaboration, and helping teams flourish and achieve their potential. His approach blends insight, empathy, and strategy to cultivate lasting team success.

You can link with Tom Molenaar on LinkedIn.

The post Tom Molenaar: Purpose, Process, and People—The Three Pillars of Scrum Master Success appeared first on Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast.

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Tom Molenaar: Purpose, Process, and People—The Three Pillars of Scrum Master Success was first posted on October 2, 2025 at 10:05 am.
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