In this rapidly changing era, as an Agile coach and the first International Scrum Ambassador from Taiwan, CST, I encountered a profoundly influential book—Geoff Watts’ “Scrum Mastery”. This book has some overlap with Lyssa Adkins’ “Coaching Agile Teams”, with Lyssa’s book being hailed as the contemporary Agile coaching bible, and Geoff Watts’ work as the modern new testament. Its emergence inspired a new chapter in advocating Scrum for me, a passion that allowed me to organize a volunteer team of 70 people, surpassing the initial goal of 50.
Many people on the internet, including LinkedIn, recommend this book, emphasizing that it is a must-read for Scrum Masters. After reading it thoroughly myself, I deeply agree. The book is rich in stories and easy to read, unlike the dryness of traditional textbooks. It uses stories to weave together the growth journey of a Scrum Master from good to great, showing a clear transformation
From LeSS to Nexus: My Journey in Scaling Agile
My translation journey began with the familiar Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) framework, a method that can accommodate teams of 100 to 1000 people. However, after obtaining my Nexus large-scale Agile certification, I decided to use Nexus for managing large projects. The initial application of Nexus led me to seek advice from Dave West of Scrum.org. He was not only eager to answer my questions but also shared his work “The Nexus Framework For Scaling Scrum”.
The concept of the Nexus Integration Team (NIT) made a lasting impression on me. The Integration Team consists of the Product Owner (PO), NIT Scrum Master (SM), the SMs from each team, and others who help with integration. This group acts as an advisory body, teaching how to integrate, while the actual integration and execution are carried out by the individual teams.
In Nexus, the NIT (Nexus Integration Team) Daily Scrum is scheduled before the regular Daily Scrum specifically to discuss integration issues. After the discussion, the issues are taken back to the Scrum teams. This approach has helped us effectively combine traditional Scrum with Nexus. Compared to LeSS, Nexus has a scale limit (up to 100 people), but this limitation is precisely what gives it its unique appeal.
The Journey of Translation and Sharing: Bringing Scrum Mastery to the International Stage
This time, our team dedicated a great deal of effort to translating a book, with the goal of making this knowledge accessible to everyone in Taiwan. As the Product Owner (PO), I decided to document this journey and submit it to an international forum to share with the world, which reminded me of the rigorous review process of international journals during my doctoral studies.
Scrum Mastery, translated by 70 volunteers, always requires time and patience. I hope to submit our translation process to an international forum to showcase Taiwan. We chose Scrum.org, the organization behind the large-scale Scrum framework Nexus we applied, as our submission platform. What started as a simple idea unexpectedly took nearly a year to get published.
The submission process was full of challenges. We began submitting on May 23, 2023, and only finally got approval on March 23, 2024, which means we went through a lengthy 10-month waiting and review process.
The review process at Scrum.org is extremely rigorous, providing feedback every two months, with one final review at the end to ensure that the published Nexus content is not only accurate but also correctly conveys the spirit of Scrum.
We faced not just the challenge of language translation, but also of communicating and expressing ideas. Initially, when the draft written by volunteer Lin Yu-Tsen underwent significant modifications due to inaccuracies in expression, we experienced unprecedented pressure.
In November 2023, we invited Ina, a teacher whose professionalism and experience helped us navigate through these difficulties. After numerous rounds of communication and revisions, we finally managed to announce the article on March 23.
This process taught us a lot: everything requires careful planning and execution. When our efforts were finally recognized, it was not only an affirmation of our translation work but also a reward for our team spirit and perseverance. This experience proved that with persistence and relentless effort, even the greatest difficulties can be overcome.
This article not only records our journey but also witnesses the power of growth from challenges. Let us stay true to our original aspirations, continue advancing on the path of agility, and pass on knowledge and experience to more people. As we believe, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Let’s Scrum on!
For those interested in the Scrum Master translation process and our international forum submission, please visit the following website and download the article to share in our joy.
Please search: Successful Book Translation using the Nexus Framework: Driving 30% Efficiency
Here is the introduction to the website:
In collaboration with DrMaster Press Co., Ltd., the Taiwan Agile Tribe (TAT) undertook the translation of the 2nd edition of “Scrum Mastery: From Good To Great Servant-Leadership” by Geoff Watts. With a team of 70 volunteers, the project faced challenges in maintaining consistent translation styles and terminology. To address this, TAT adopted the Nexus framework for scaling Scrum, which significantly improved collaboration and quality.
The Nexus Integration Team (NIT) played a crucial role in managing integration issues, ensuring timely communication, and maintaining consistency. As a result, the project achieved two significant milestones – the first-ever Chinese edition of “Scrum Mastery” and a 30% improvement in efficiency compared to previous efforts.
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