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Home > Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast > Building Self-Sufficient Teams Through Emotional Intelligence | Lilia Pulova
Podcast: Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast
Episode:

Building Self-Sufficient Teams Through Emotional Intelligence | Lilia Pulova
Category: News & Politics
Duration: 00:13:17
Publish Date: 2025-06-26 10:05:00
Description: Lilia Pulova: Building Self-Sufficient Teams Through Emotional Intelligence

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.

Lilia defines success for Scrum Masters by asking a simple but powerful question: "Do people feel supported?" Her approach focuses on training teams to take on her responsibilities and make their own decisions. Rather than dictating solutions, she presents options and allows teams to choose their path. Over time, teams learn these options and develop independence in decision-making. 

She maintains awareness by monitoring delivery metrics, watching for tickets that take too long, and staying attentive during daily stand-ups. With her primarily remote team keeping cameras open, Lilia reads emotions and body language to identify potential issues early, preventing small conflicts from escalating into major problems.

Self-reflection Question: How well do you read the emotional state of your team members, and what early warning signs might you be overlooking?

Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: 1-on-1 Retrospective

Lilia advocates for the 1-on-1 retrospective as her most effective format, explaining that people open up more in private conversations than in group settings. While group retrospectives can work well with smooth conversation flow, she finds that structured formats don't always suit every team - sometimes the "lack of format" creates better outcomes. The key to successful 1-on-1 retrospectives is building strong relationships and establishing trust, which she considers the most important foundation for effective retrospectives.

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