Untold Stories. What are they not telling you?
Reveal multiple layers of depth and meaning through provocative prompts.
Don’t you ever tire of dancing around the real issues at work? Have you ever wondered what the real story is behind the so-called ‘user’ story? What’s not being said may be more important than what is.
The purpose of ‘Provocative Prompts’
The purpose of ‘provocative prompts’ is to timely surface hidden and unexplored perspectives. They may be uncomfortable, and they invite candor, yet they shouldn’t trigger combativeness. The intention is to broaden the narrative so that the Scrum Team (and broader organization) may see the bigger picture. It allows the team members and stakeholders to voice their doubts sooner rather than later. If there is any tension, let’s clear the air right away.
For me, Provocative Prompts proved effective during Product Backlog refinement when I observed neither stakeholders nor team members cutting to the chase. In bolder terms, I used it when I felt the Scrum Team needed to cut through the bullshit.
20 provocative prompts
You can provoke “Untold Stories” using these 15 prompts as a Scrum Master to help your team uncover what’s really at stake.
