04 | 2023 Sanna Valkeejärvi & Arto Kellokoski, Agile coach, Scrum master
Arto Kellokoski joined Kipinä November 2021. What does an Agile coach / Scrum Master do and how is the role visible to customers? How does Arto experience the community and Kipinä? Let's dive deeper together.
"In Kipinä, I appreciate the culture of talking openly about everything and being able to say everything directly. Kipinä values honesty and well-being. This is reflected in the fact that we always look for a good project for each individual. Because at Kipinä, people always come first. With this way of thinking, the customer also wins."
“At Kipinä, people always come first. With this mindset, the client wins as well.”
In Arto's own words, understanding the environment is something he loves. It's equally essential in Kipinä's own community, but also for the client and when working for the client:
“When I join a client, I start by observing closely. I want to understand the people within the organization, the dynamics between and within teams, and what kind of personalities thrive there. I also try to understand what happens outside the team, acting somewhat as a bridge between two levels and navigating their interactions. Only then can I begin to figure out how to build the best and most psychologically safe team possible.”
“I need to understand all these operational models at the client's site and help them understand how they should act depending on the current state of their teams.”
Arto is interested in neuropsychology, which also guides us in our professional lives. Every individual has different needs that must be met at work. Things like status, feeling valued, where I stand, being able to make decisions, being an autonomous individual within a community, and whether what I do is valuable and good. This is also strongly tied to how people are perceived as part of the company.
"In a new place, I also want to observe and find out what the corporate and operational culture is like and how people are perceived in the company, as a resource or as people. That's a big factor in motivation and how a Kipinä expert integrates into the client's team."
Although Kipinä's experts enjoy spending time together, it is equally important to integrate into the client's team and culture.
What kind of leadership is needed for agile development, and why?
“Leadership is generally needed in every team. Agile development requires coaching leadership, or in our words, Senior Tech Leadership. And to be either—a good coaching leader or agile development—you need trust. That is earned through small actions and keeping promises in daily operations. These are the things I observe, analyze, and react to. I always want to understand where I can make an impact at the client, where Kipinä's consultants can make an impact, and what kind of operating environment they are entering. I want to understand the team's opportunities to make decisions and achieve great results.”
In Kipinä's way of working, Arto also appreciates the focus on customer value and genuinely considering what the client needs. This is done collaboratively with the client, always taking people into account.
“At Kipinä, we don't just sell a CV; what matters is whether our expert fits the client's team. We are genuinely people-oriented and want our partners to share that mindset. At Kipinä, we don't force people to work just for the sake of billability. You are genuinely allowed to say no if you feel a project isn't right for you and will lead to burnout.”
Continuous learning and self-development are important to Arto, as is succeeding together with others:
“It's amazing that in my role I can help the client and TOGETHER accomplish great things. It's fantastic to brainstorm how we can help our client build the best possible product or service for their own customers.”