This article was based on the interview with Featuring insights from Gabrielle Wieczorek, Systems Analyst, Scrum Master, and Agile Coach by Greg Kihlström, Agile Marketing keynote speaker for The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström podcast. Listen to the original episode here:
If you think Agile is just about story points and sprint velocity, Gabrielle Wieczorek wants you to think again. With more than 14 years of experience guiding teams through technical change, Gabrielle blends data science with agile coaching to challenge a common misconception: that Agile is all intuition, and dashboards are distractions.
In her work as a systems and data analyst—and as a featured speaker at the Online Scrum Master Summit—she makes the case that the right data doesn’t just track progress; it builds trust, tells stories, and shows teams how to improve without judgment. In this conversation, Gabrielle explains how to strike the right balance between Agile values and data-driven decision-making, how to spot when metrics are doing more harm than good, and how real change often starts with a single chart in a retrospective.
Data Isn’t the Opposite of Agile—It’s the Amplifier
Many Agile purists caution against over-reliance on tools and dashboards. But Gabrielle takes a more nuanced approach. She sees data as a source of situational awareness—not a source of truth.
“Data isn’t just something in a database. It’s a constant stream of observation and feedback—just like how we choose fruit at a market,” she saysfor-social-media-conten….
The key, she notes, is using dashboards like Power BI or JIRA not as decision-makers, but as conversation starters. A good chart doesn’t dictate what to do—it shows what’s possible, where the team is stuck, or what’s quietly improving behind the scenes.
When used properly, data informs retrospectives, planning sessions, and cross-functional discussions in ways that gut instinct alone never could.
“Data-informed. People decide,” Gabrielle emphasizesfor-social-media-conten….
The Dangerous Allure of the Story Point
Story points are a staple of Agile ceremonies—but Gabrielle sees them as one of the most misused and misunderstood tools in the playbook.
“They’re subjective. A 13-point story might mean a month to one team, a week to another. There’s no universal meaning,” she explainsfor-social-media-conten….
The danger, she says, is when stakeholders start benchmarking developers or teams based solely on point output—turning a relative estimate into a scorecard. That’s when Agile stops being empowering and starts feeling punitive.
Her fix? Strip out the numbers entirely. Gabrielle often guides teams toward t-shirt sizing instead—using small, medium, large, and extra-large to describe scope and complexity. It removes the illusion of precision while preserving the intent of estimation: prioritizing and sequencing work.
“As soon as story points become a competition, you’ve lost the plot,” she warnsfor-social-media-conten….
Transparency Builds Trust—When You Use It to Tell a Story
Whether it’s sprint velocity or burn-down charts, Gabrielle stresses that the goal isn’t just transparency. It’s understanding. And the best way to build that is by telling stories.
“Where were we? What did we try? What happened next? That’s how you show teams their own progress—and their own potential,” she saysfor-social-media-conten….
She frames metrics like temperature checks—especially useful when joining a struggling team. They surface issues no one wants to say aloud. But she also knows when to back off. If teams become fixated on metrics—or if leaders begin using them to micromanage—she refocuses everyone on the outcomes, not the numbers.
For product owners or Scrum Masters unsure of how to start using data in retros or planning, she offers a simple rule: bring the truth. If the last sprint went poorly, show the burn-down chart. Let the facts lead the conversation, not your opinion.
“The chart says we didn’t deliver. It’s not personal—it’s just a starting point,” she saysfor-social-media-conten….
How Her Analyst Background Makes Her a Better Coach
Gabrielle’s superpower is her systems brain. She’s not just a certified Scrum Master—she’s built JIRA implementations from scratch, designed dashboards, and managed agile transformations from the ground up. And that credibility matters.
“When you can speak the dev team’s language—when you understand APIs or the tools they use—you earn their trust faster,” she explainsfor-social-media-conten….
That technical fluency also helps her translate Agile into something tangible. It’s not just ceremonies and post-its. It’s clean workflows, meaningful reporting, and tools that evolve as teams do.
And because she’s worn every “analyst” title imaginable—business, systems, data—she knows how to spot both human blockers and technical ones. That ability to zoom in and out makes her coaching feel grounded, not theoretical.
Conclusion
Agile isn’t about speed for the sake of speed. It’s about adaptation, self-awareness, and deliberate, measured improvement. Gabrielle Wieczorek proves that the right data, in the right hands, isn’t a crutch or a control mechanism—it’s a compass.
Whether she’s helping a team recover from a tough sprint or guiding leadership through an agile transformation, her message remains the same: let the data speak, but don’t let it dictate. The real value comes when numbers spark better conversations—not stricter accountability.
And if your team still thinks metrics are the enemy, it might be time to step back and ask: are we using data to judge, or to grow?
Because agility isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being honest enough to change. One chart—and one conversation—at a time.
