Introduction into SCRUM

Editor's Notes

• #31: Focus – “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” – Alexander Graham BellTeam focus is the domain of the Scrum Master. The SM removes work impediments to the Team, shields them from external influence and is responsible for making the Team fully functional and effective. The nature of Scrum means that the PO aids the focus of the Team by making sure that all work is prioritised in a backlog. Finally the Team must be focused on finishing the sprint User Stories while adhering to the Definition of Done.Courage – “Fortes fortunaadiuvat – fortune favours the brave” – Latin proverbThe SM needs the courage to protect and guide the Team. Standing up to the PO and Stakeholders at the right time, really takes guts. The PO must have the courage to entrust the Sprint Backlog to the Team, a giant leap of faith as it is the PO who answers to the Stakeholders at the end of the sprint. Finally the Team must have the courage to aggressively commit to as much work as they think they can do each sprint.Openness – “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” – EpictetusThe PO must be open to accepting change, alternatives and new ideas, both from the Team and Stakeholders. By providing a qualified backlog with priorities and value, the PO is transparent about what is coming up next and the Team knows what to expect. The Team needs to be open to find the best solution to any problems from within. Scrum also pushes openness with the Retrospective Meeting, where any problems are pushed to light and dealt with in an open environment.Commitment – “Do, or do not. There is no try.” – Master YodaThe whole scrum process is a commitment to a new way of working, to be more adaptable. The Team commits to what they will do each sprint by choosing the Sprint Backlog and they also commit to how the work will be ‘done’ in the Definition of Done. This means the Team commits to doing whatever is necessary in order to meet their goals. The SM commits to actively guiding the Team and takes a weight of responsibility in making the Team adhere to the Scrum process. The PO commits to having a certain fraction of his Product Backlog ready for the Stakeholders every sprint, and also commits on the priorities of what the Team will do in each sprint.Respect – “I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” – Albert EinsteinPersonally I think that this is one of the most important Scrum Values, and a place where many teams struggle.In Scrum, the limits and boundaries of the Scrum roles really need to be transparent, and respected. Everyone on a scrum project needs to be aware that the PO is in charge of what the Team works on, but not how they do their work, and that the Team is responsible for getting the work done, but not questioning what work gets done. The SM also needs to be aware that though he has more responsibility than a Team member, he is an equal member of the Team, and not a leader. In the ideal case, the SM is a gentle shepherd, or quiet guide to the Team, not forcing the Team