Have you thought about transforming your organization using the Scrum Framework?  One of the most common questions we, Collaborative Leadership Team, receive when coaching or training clients on Scrum is, “We’d like to do Scrum, but how do we avoid doing this or that?" In this case, “this” or “that” refers to any of the simple artifacts, ceremonies or roles that make up the Scrum framework.

You can’t transform half-way.

Scrum is fundamentally about changing the way that people work.  In fact, the vision of the Scrum Alliance, the certifying body for Scrum, is to “Transform the World of Work”.  One interesting aspect of this vision, beyond its scope, is the word “transform”.

“Transform” is defined by Merriam-Webster’s as “to change in composition or structure”.  This word implies that something that has undergone a transformation is fundamentally different than what it was before the event that transformed it.  While a butterfly is born from a caterpillar following metamorphosis, it bears little resemblance to the furry, little larvae from which it came as it flies away on a summer night.

So, too, do the organizations that adopt Scrum.  While their value proposition remains unchanged, how they approach delivering on that value proposition is remarkably different with Scrum.  It’s not just the few artifacts, ceremonies or roles. It’s a different set of values that changes how an organization delivers value to the market.  This is the crucial difference that the people asking the above question miss.  Just as a caterpillar can’t become half a butterfly, an organization that seeks to fundamentally change cannot do so half-way.

If you’d like to learn more about Scrum and how you can help change the structure of your work by becoming a Certified ScrumMaster, click here to learn more about our Certified Scrum Master (CSM) course.

Author: Collaborative Leadership Team. Learn more about our coaches and offerings here.