Author Archives: Tobias Fors

About Tobias Fors

I'm a software management consultant. I help other people succeed with software development. In my work, I help teams and organizations be more effective and ship software.

What Is an Advanced Scrum Master?

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Tobias Fors

Being a scrum master is more than just reminding a team to perform certain ceremonies, it's about growing the best possible workplace. To begin with, let's clarify this whole thing about the "scrum master". It's the name of a role. … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, English, Leadership, Scrum | Leave a comment

Broken Software

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Tobias Fors

I sometimes hear the agile manifesto being criticized for focusing on “just working software”. It’s said that working software is not enough, that we need to reach further. I agree that we need change, but not in the wording. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, English, Product Development, Usability | 1 Comment

Check-in in a Circle

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Tobias Fors

When I kick off a class or workshop, I want participants to engage as soon as possible after entering the room. I do work through some practical bits first, but after that I quickly hand things over to participants. For … Continue reading →

Posted in English, Exercises, Retrospectives, Scrum | 1 Comment

The Freedom to Solve Problems

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Tobias Fors

Isn’t it really sad that employees in some companies aren’t allowed to solve the customers’ problems? In Sweden, the major telecom operators are notorious in this regard, in my personal experience. What is it like in your company? Is everyone … Continue reading →

Posted in Leadership, Quality | Leave a comment

There’s Always One [Drop|Comment|Question] Left

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Tobias Fors

My childhood friend’s mother was a “dagmamma”, literally, a “daytime mother”. In other words, she took care of a bunch of other people’s kids in her own home. She was a very kind and intelligent person. One of the things … Continue reading →

Posted in English, Leadership, Retrospectives | Leave a comment

Fast Company on Why We Fail to Innovate

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Tobias Fors

FastCompany puts the finger on an important reason why many companies have a hard time coming up with more innovative behaviors: “here’s the truth: most companies can’t innovate because everyone is paid to maintain the status quo. This is the single … Continue reading →

Posted in Systems Thinking | Leave a comment

Interview with Ricardo Semler

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Tobias Fors

Here’s an inspiring video interview with Ricardo Semler from Semco, about creating a democratic corporation. And a lecture with Semler: Also, a conversation between Henry Mintzberg and Semler:

Posted in Systems Thinking | Leave a comment

Late Again, Thinking About the Cost of Delays

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Tobias Fors

It’s Wednesday morning, and I’m on the train heading to Stockholm. The train is late, and it’s not the first time. One reason delays annoy me so much is that they break my expectations. I’ve made my plans to fit … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, English, Lean, Systems Thinking | Leave a comment

Johanna Rothman to Stockholm, May 30, 2012

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Tobias Fors

Author, consultant and teacher Johanna Rothman is coming to Stockholm on May 30, this year. She will be leading a one-day workshop about the agile project portfolio. The course will be in English, and I highly recommend you check it … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, English, Events, Video | Leave a comment

Vision and Execution: Apple’s Plan to Kill The Mouse

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Tobias Fors

I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a fanboy. Maybe not so much an Apple fanboy as a software fanboy. My fascination with software goes back to the very first time I had a computer demonstrated to me as a … Continue reading →

Posted in English, Product Development | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments