Advanced Certified ScrumMaster®

Agenda (4 Sessions)

This A-CSM® course is delivered in four highly interactive sessions. Each session blends short teaching segments with breakout exercises, facilitation practice, coaching scenarios, and real-world case discussions—so you leave with skills you can use immediately.

Session 1: Agile Mindset + Scrum Master as Change Agent

• Agile timeline: where we came from and why it matters
• Agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, XP, Lean) and when to use what
• Common “Agile in name only” patterns (principle violations)
• Empiricism, transparency, and the dysfunctions that break feedback loops
• Where Agile principles show up inside Scrum—practically, not academically

Session 2: Facilitation Skills That Drive Outcomes

• Facilitation fundamentals: role, stance, and neutrality
• Divergent vs. convergent facilitation (and how to navigate the Groan Zone)
• Facilitative listening: questions, reframing, and surfacing assumptions
• Designing and facilitating productive discussions (including “stuck” groups)
• Working agreements + reusable agendas you can take back to work

Session 3: Coaching + High-Performing Teams

• Coaching stances and when to use each (mentor, coach, teacher, facilitator)
• Conflict patterns and responding with empathy (without becoming the referee)
• When Scrum is the right tool—and when it isn’t
• From “doing Scrum” to self-management: what actually changes
• Group vs. team dynamics (and how to move from one to the other)
• Team development practices that build trust, ownership, and flow

Session 4: Organizational Influence + Scaling Without the Theater

• Facilitating a strong Definition of Done (and why it’s a leadership tool)
• Coaching Product Owners for outcomes, value, and stakeholder alignment
• Root cause analysis that goes beyond “try harder” (and sticks)
• Scaling patterns: coordinating across teams while protecting empiricism

Outcome: You’ll leave with advanced facilitation and coaching skills, repeatable tools, and practical approaches for improving team performance and influencing change—without relying on authority.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for experienced ScrumMasters ready to move beyond the basics.

If you’ve been practicing Scrum for a while and want stronger facilitation, coaching, and leadership skills, this class will help you deepen your impact with teams and across the organization.

This course is ideal for:

• Certified ScrumMasters (CSMs) with real-world experience supporting teams
• ScrumMasters ready to strengthen coaching and facilitation skills
• Agile coaches, delivery leads, and engineering managers
• Anyone helping teams improve performance, collaboration, and outcomes

A-CSM Certification Requirements

To receive the Advanced Certified ScrumMaster® (A-CSM®) certification from Scrum Alliance, you must:

1. Hold an active Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) certification
2. Have at least 12 months of Scrum Master experience within the past 5 years
3. Successfully complete an approved A-CSM course

You are welcome to attend this course before completing the 12 months of experience. Once your experience requirement is met and logged in your Scrum Alliance profile, you’ll be eligible to receive the A-CSM certification.

Note: Many participants take this class while actively serving as ScrumMasters so they can immediately apply advanced facilitation and coaching techniques with their teams.