When Enthusiasm Became Interference—Learning to Listen as a Scrum Master | Darryl Wright

Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

Darryl Wright: When Enthusiasm Became Interference—Learning to Listen as a Scrum Master

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.

"Wait stands for Why Am I Talking? Just ask yourself, wait, why am I talking? Is this the right moment for you to give an idea, or is this the right moment to just listen and let them have space to come up with ideas?" - Darryl Wright

Early in his Agile journey, Darryl was evangelically enthusiastic about the principles and practices that had transformed his approach to leadership. He believed he had discovered the answers people were seeking, and his excitement manifested in a problematic pattern—he talked too much. Constantly jumping in with solutions, ideas, and suggestions, Darryl dominated conversations without realizing the impact. Then someone pulled him aside with a generous gift: "You're not really giving other people time to come up with ideas or take ownership of a problem."

They introduced him to WAIT—Why Am I Talking?—an acronym that would fundamentally shift his coaching approach. This simple tool forced Darryl to pause before speaking and examine his motivations. Was he trying to prove himself? Did he think he knew better? Or was this genuinely the right moment to contribute? As he practiced this technique, Darryl discovered something profound: when he held space and waited, others would eventually step forward with insights and solutions.

The concept of "small enough to try, safe enough to fail" became his framework for deciding when to intervene. Not every moment requires a Scrum Master to step in—sometimes the most powerful coaching happens in silence. By developing better skills in active listening and learning to hold space for others, Darryl transformed from someone who provided all the answers into someone who created the conditions for shared leadership to emerge.

In this episode, we refer to David Marquet's episodes on the podcast for practical techniques on holding space and enabling leadership in others.

Self-reflection Question: When was the last time you caught yourself jumping in with a solution before giving your team space to discover it themselves? What would happen if you waited just five more minutes?

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About Darryl Wright

Darryl is an Agile Coach and Instructor dedicated to helping organisations and leaders be both successful and humane. He has over two decades in IT delivery and business leadership, he champions Agile ways of working to create thriving workplaces where people are happy, productive, and deliver products customers truly love.

You can link with Darryl Wright on LinkedIn, and visit Darryl's website at www.organa.com.au.