Strategy: We got together once per month, to tap to the collective intelligence of the Agile community to learn different perspectives, share experiences, tips and tricks to help us discover potential solutions to our daily problems.

Goals

• Help Scrum Masters and Agility Enablers elevate their game to the next level and do it together
• Provide a health check for newly and experienced ScrumMastering practitioners.
• Facilitated by experienced ScrumMasters and coaches, the clinic is a place to come to share your struggles, offer ideas, listen and learn, and become rejuvenated in your work.

Acknowledgement

The clinics were facilitated by two or more trainers, coaches and mentors from the Agile Montreal community.

"The Scrum Master Clinic initiative began in London in July 2017 and has quickly spread to other cities around the world. To hold the spirit of the original London clinics, the founders offer these seven principles, which, if embraced, will act as guiding agreements for any new clinic." Tobias Mayer.

Spirit

• The spirit of the clinics was one of camaraderie, team creation and continuous improvement

Principles

The spirit of these clinics was one of camaraderie, team creation and continuous improvement.

• The clinics were always free, but voluntary donations can be collected to cover room costs and refreshments.
• Each clinic had more than one facilitator, to avoid creating a cult of personality, or any form of dependence.
• Facilitators were volunteers.
• Facilitators were more experienced than participants, or have particular knowledge or skills to share.
• Regular attendees became mentors to new attendees.
• Regular mentors became facilitators.
• Anyone could start their own Scrum Master Clinic initiative whenever and wherever they like, and may or may not embrace these agreements.
• The Scrum Masters Clinics #MTL were hosted mostly in French. (English/French) participants are welcomed.

The Typical Format (It could change without notice)

• Networking (10 minutes)
• Welcome message and logistics of the event (5 minutes)
• A Liberating Structure activity to get connected (45 minutes)
• Quick Coaches/Facilitators introduction + Round Tables setup (5 minutes)
• Pick a topic and talk to/with the Coach – 1st Round (20 minutes)
• Pick a topic and talk to/with the Coach – 2nd Round (20 minutes)
• Agenda is adapted to the Scrum Master Stance the group is exploring at the moment.
• Closing the SMs Clinic (5 minutes)

What did we do to kept it up?

• We contacted potential Coaches/facilitators willing to offer their time for free and join the upcoming meeting.
• Picked a given subject from the teams' improvement backlog.
• Got together (the organizer's team) to design and prepare the activities that will support participants discussions during the meeting of the upcoming month.
• Participants got their spots by getting a free ticket or by donating their money to get a donation ticket.
• Got everything set for the Scrum Master Clinics #MTL of the corresponding month.
• Got together monthly for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Learned by sharing together.
• Tried to have fun and change the world, one conversation at a time.
• Gathered money from Donation tickets, were used to finance one of the social causes we supported.