How to make Scrum Successful?
In this series of articles, it is my attempt to decode Scrum Guide and try to understand its nuances.
I am not trying to provide any solutions here, because there is no “One Solution Fits All Purpose”. Better understanding of the Scrum Guide will help you to follow it and embed it in your daily work life.
Back to the Question.
How to make Scrum Successful?
Successful use of Scrum depends on people becoming more proficient in living five values: Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage. (Ref. Scrum Guide 2020. Page 4)
The decisions that are made, the steps taken, and the way Scrum is used should reinforce Scrum values, not diminish, or undermine them. (Ref. Scrum Guide 2020. Page 4)
Everyone working under the scrum framework should always try to maximize the scrum values. How this is done may vary widely across organizations, Scrum Teams, and individuals. (Ref. Scrum Guide 2020. Page 5)
But, one-way to maximize the 5 core values is during the Sprint.
Sprints are the heartbeat of Scrum, where ideas are turned into value. (Ref. Scrum Guide 2020. Page 7)
Use every opportunity available to improve by adopting Scrum Values, it should be your Mantra for success, to know more about How does Scrum help to achieve continual improvement? Checkout this article.
Now let’s take a step back and recall What is Scrum?
Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems. (Ref. Scrum Guide 2020. Page 3)
So,
How to generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems
To make that happen it may need organization wide cultural adjustments and might require a change in approach, or you may have to let go some of the beliefs, and behaviors.
You have to create an environment of mutual respect, and everyone should feel safe to discuss their concerns to drive improvement.
There is no magic bullet or guide to follow step by step as we do it in predictive project management or famously know as waterfall method. Rather you have to think out of the box, brainstorm and come up with a solution and Scrum Framework will help you to do that.
Now let’s focus on the term adaptive solutions for complex problems.
First a brief introduction to risks/uncertainties.
Based on the knowledge of an event’s occurrence and impact, Cleden (2009) created to list four possibilities of risks.
· Known–knowns (knowledge)
· Unknown–knowns (untapped knowledge)
· Known–unknowns (risks)
· Unknown–unknowns (unfathomable uncertainty)
-From Managing Project Uncertainty by David Cleden, 2009 Edition
In the early stage of the project, Project managers try to maximize known knowns by detecting as many unknown knowns as possible.
However, it is impossible to identify all risks in advance for many reasons (Hillson, 2005), and unidentified risks remain as unknown unknowns until they are identified or actually happen.
On One end of the spectrum, you have a safety net of Known–knowns which are constant, simple, predictable, and static, or not changing.
The other end of the spectrum you have Unknown–unknowns which are uncertain, complex, unpredictable, and dynamic or always changing.
Complex problems mean problems which are Unknown–unknowns and it is dynamic.
Scrum is simple. Try it as is and determine if its philosophy, theory, and structure help to achieve goals and create value. (Ref. Scrum Guide 2020. Page 3)
Never compromise on the 5 core values of Scrum: Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage.
This is a part of Decoding Scrum Guide 2020 series.
Article 2 — How does Scrum help to achieve continual improvement?
Article 3 — How to make Scrum Successful?
Article 4 — Why everyone despise scrum theory?
Article 5 — Daily Stand-ups are waste of time.
Article 6 — Let’s get rid of Scrum Master.
Article 7 — Who are Product Owners and what do they do?
Article 8 — Who are Developers? What are their Accountabilities?
Article 9 — The notorious Scrum Team.
Article 10 — Why do we need Sprint Planning?
Article 11 — Is your Scrum Team failing in its commitment.