Do Good Scrum – It's Time To Focus

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It’s time to focus on good Scrum again.

A controversial statement I made in a Certified ScrumMaster class last year was, “every time you do bad Scrum a kitten will die.”

I do not intend to inflict harm on any kittens.  Quite the contrary!  I love the furry little creatures so much that I want to protect them.  And I love Scrum. I really love it when people do good scrum. It is a results oriented process that can deliver business results faster than traditional methods.  If used as directed.

But so many people attempting Scrum turn a blind eye to the culture change, dig their heels in and try to force their status quo onto Scrum.  By definition Scrum is different.  That is how it can deliver faster than other methods.

Jeff Sutherland is a smart guy.  If he thought that there was a need for a “Sprint 0” that produced nothing but requirements, he would have included it in the framework.  There is a reason that it does not exist – because by definition a Sprint should produce a working product increment.  Not a document.   Not a Product Backlog.

So why do people make things up that do not exist?  If the organization is not ready to commit to the work, why waste the team’s time with activities that the Product Owner and ScrumMaster are capable of addressing?  The team could be executing something that does deliver a potential shippable product increment or something of value to your customers.

Do people make up structures in Scrum that do not exist such as Sprint 0 because they do not understand that the Product Owner is empowered to frame up a Vision?  A Roadmap?  A Product Backlog?  Why abdicate these activities to the team who is supposed to be developing the product?

So why bother with Scrum at all?  If your current process is making your customers happy, don’t change a thing. But if you want to try something different, why not respect the process as it was intended to be adopted and not make things up. 

Come and learn from the Collaborative Leadership Team as we get back to doing good Scrum at our upcoming Certified Scrum Training classes.

#dogoodscrum

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

The Scrum Product Owner

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A question that comes up frequently in Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) training is “should the Scrum Product Owner come from the Business side of the company or the I.T. side of the company”?

One of the things that we’re reminded of in the Agile Manifesto is that Business People and Developers must work together daily. In this new way of doing work, we encourage people to work together. This is a “we” thing not a “me” or an “I.T.” thing. We’re all on the same team at our organizations!

The Scrum Guide points out that the Product Owner must have the respect of the entire organization for the decision that he or she is making about the Product and is responsible for maximizing Product Value. Is this something your organization is willing to abdicate to Information Technology? Or is this the decision of someone who is in a line of business in the organization?

The Scrum Alliance Core Scrum page notes that the “Product Owner is the closest to the business side” of things.

As you try to interpret these definitions for your own situation, remember to talk to each other and reach consensus on the best solution that will enable you to deliver business value more rapidly. That’s what Scrum is all about.

Want to learn more?

Click here to view our upcoming classes and register for our next CSM or CSPO course.

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