promises to frame scrum

04/11/23

Promises to Frame Scrum

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30-40 min Discussion PURPOSE: This is a 30-40 minute discussion that should be run

an experienced facilitator to help a team of people understand what it takes to implement scrum.

1. Present the slides with light Q&A2. Pause more on the promises3. Then initiate small group digest.

* Assumes basic knowledge of the Scrum Framework, professional work history and small team experience. Don’t do this without those knowledge areas being filled. If you do it will only create more confusion and probably stymie your team’s ability to learn.

Recommend as an accelerated learning cycle (ALC) for leadership that does not have time for a fuller introduction to Scrum but, must consider what they are getting into. This will help frame the context for managing complex conceptually driven initiatives.

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ScrumScrum is…A simple framework that can be understood and

implemented in a few daysAn approach to managing complexityA collaborative effort that enables an engaged ongoing

dialogA work management wrapper around existing practicesAn enabler of informed strategic decision by providing

line of sight to ground floor realitiesScrum is not a methodology – it is a pathway

to Well Formed Teams

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Scrum Terms3 Roles:

ScrumMasterTeamProduct Owner

3 Artifacts:Product Backlog (PBL)Sprint Backlog (SBL)Burndown

3 Meetings:Sprint Planning Daily Standup Sprint Review

Other Terms:SprintPrioritization

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Scrum Roles

Scrum Master

Product Owner

Team

► Defines the features of the product, decides on release date and content

► Is responsible for the profitability of the product (ROI)► Prioritizes features according to market value► Can change features and priority every 30 days► Accepts or rejects work results

► Cross-functional, seven plus/minus two members► Selects the iteration goal and specifies work results► Has the right to do everything within the boundaries of the project

guidelines to reach the iteration goal► Organizes itself and its work► Demos work results to the Product Owner

► Ensures that the team is fully functional and productive► Enables close cooperation across all roles and functions and

removes barriers► Shields the team from external interferences► Ensures that the process is followed. Invites to daily scrum, iteration

review and planning meetings

The ScrumTeam

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The Basic Scrum Engine

Walls of the “Container”:Time-boxingImpediment ResolutionCross-functionalitySelf-OrganizationProtection from

“wolves”Clear Acceptance

Criteria

Business Owner

Scrum Master Product Owner

Cross-Functional Team

Product Backlog Product

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Flow Through 1 Sprint

DailyScrum

Sprint

MeaningfulProduct Increment

Product

SprintPlanning Sprint

Backlog

Inspect Adapt

Sprint Review/ Retrospective

Reports• The Work• Metrics• Impediments

ProductBacklog

Product Owner Scrum Master

Cross-FunctionalTeam

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Scrum is a FrameworkScrum’s Big RuleThe team will own and adapt its processes to

realities they encounter and improve their abilities to deliver quality product.

Scrum is a descriptive process and has prescriptive elementsDescriptive: what we can expect when the

process is in motionPrescriptive: telling us how to get started

This is very subtle and forms a trap!

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Self Organizing ScrumTeam

Individuals on a ScrumTeam focus on building working product more than on their specialty

The individuals on a team self-organize for the task at hand - transparency

The smallest group of people that can build a meaningful increment of product is the TeamletThe Teamlet has all the skills it needs (analysis, development,

design, test, documentation, …)It typically consists of 2-4 people to get all the skills “covered”It swarms on one thing at a time

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Organization, Stakeholders and Scrum Team

Org.

Key Stakeholders

All of the Stakeholders

Scrum Team

Visually it’s a mess and very fluid!

Business Owner

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Implementing ScrumScrum Requires that a ScrumTeam be set up.

The Organization and ScrumTeam must make some promises to each other

Members of the ScrumTeam must make some promises to each other

We will consider two sets of promises as contracts

The ScrumTeam promises the Stakeholders that there is a ProductOwner on the ScrumTeam driving the ScrumTeam based on

Stakeholders interests.

The Organization promises the ScrumTeam that there are Stakeholders (including Subject Matter Experts) who will help when needed.

The ScrumTeam promises to use the Stakeholders’ time wisely, by focusing on questions that are relevant to the work being done now.

The Organization promises that they will help the ScrumMaster in the removal of impediments to the ScrumTeam’s

progress

The ScrumTeam promises that they will do quality work the best way they know how within the constraints set forth by the organization.

The Organization promises the ScrumTeam that they will not change priorities or constraints in the middle of a sprint without ScrumTeam’s

consent.

The ScrumTeam promises to deliver demonstrable product at the end of every sprint for review and validation by the Stakeholders.

The Organization promises that being on a ScrumTeam will not hurt the members’ careers.

The ScrumTeam promises the Stakeholders that there is a ProductOwner on the ScrumTeam driving the ScrumTeam based on

Stakeholders interests.



The Organization promises that they will help the ScrumMaster in the removal of impediments to the ScrumTeam’s

progress


The Organization promises the ScrumTeam that they will not change priorities or constraints in the middle of a sprint without ScrumTeam’s

consent.



The ProductOwner promises the Team to he/she will supply an initial Product Backlog.

The ProductOwner promises the Team that he/she will prioritize the Product Backlog when needed.

The ScrumMaster promises to keep the Team healthy by focusing on the removal of impediments, both internal and external.

The ProductOwner promises that an empowered “voice of the customer” will be provided to answer business domain questions

promptly (minutes / hours, not days).

The ScrumTeam promises that its work will be transparent, that it will make decisions and solve problems as a group, and that no individual

Team member will be left behind.

Each member of the ScrumTeam promises that they will bring issues, problems, impediments and realities encountered to the ScrumTeam

The ProductOwner promises the Team to he/she will supply an initial Product Backlog.

The ProductOwner promises the Team that he/she will prioritize the Product Backlog when needed.


The ProductOwner promises that an empowered “voice of the customer” will be provided to answer business domain questions

promptly (minutes / hours, not days).

The ScrumTeam promises that its work will be transparent, that it will make decisions and solve problems as a group, and that no individual

Team member will be left behind.


Contract 1 Contract 2

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Contract Between The Organization And The ScrumTeam

The ScrumTeam promises the Stakeholders that there is a ProductOwner on the ScrumTeam driving the ScrumTeam based on Stakeholders interests.



The Organization promises that they will help the ScrumMaster in the removal of impediments to the ScrumTeam’s progress

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(Continued) Organization and The ScrumTeam


The Organization promises the ScrumTeam that they will not change priorities or constraints in the middle of a sprint without ScrumTeam’s consent.



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Contract Between Members of the ScrumTeam

The ProductOwner promises the Team to supply an initial Product Backlog.

The ProductOwner promises the Team to prioritize the Product Backlog when needed.


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(Continued)Members of the ScrumTeam

The ProductOwner promises that an empowered “voice of the customer” will be provided to answer business domain questions promptly (minutes / hours, not days).

The ScrumTeam promises to make decisions and solve problems as a group, make its work transparent, and leave no Team member behind.


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When Promises Are Broken

Common Causes of Failure

1. Lack of an empowered, rapidly-responding ProductOwner

2. Unstable priorities and focus within a sprint

3. Prescriptive direction of the team

4. Lack of Retrospection

5. Failure to build and leverage LocalKnowledge

… and many more

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Impact of Broken Promises

A promise broken is a organizational/process issue, not a team issue

For example, we don’t blame a Product Owner for not being able to make decisionsWe blame the business for not empowering the

Product Owner to make decisionsWe blame the business for not allowing the Product

Owner to learn enough about the businessPossible Solution: The team calls “time out” and

does other stuff while the Product Owner goes off and gets up to speed

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Team Dialog and Group Dialog: Promises for Scrum

Turn to people in your group and share short answers to the following for 5 minutes:

1. Do you agree with the common causes of failure listed?

2. Are there any others?

3. Should we call these a contract or covenant? Or just an agreement? Does it matter?

4. Do we need periodic review of our Scrum implementation?

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Letting Go And Transition

What will it take to implement Scrum?

Will you do it a revolutionary way? Knock everything down and start over?

Will you take a softer evolutionary path?Work it in slowly, learn and grow but, don’t change things that are not

broke?

The above questions are simply a way of looking at your implementation. They are not answers in and of themselves.

In either case you will have a sense of letting go so that you can transition. What will you be letting go?

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Advanced Topics in ScrumThis Slide Series is part of an upcoming book.

By Doug Shimp and Dan Rawsthorne

You Can:

Join, Share, Contribute and Be Recognized

Our Personal Websites

Dan Rawsthorne

Doug Shimp

http://advancedtopicsinscrum.com

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http://advancedtopicsinscrum.com/

http://danube.com/dan_rawsthorne.htm

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Starting at Scale: Transitioning to Agile Product Development for Large Groups

Adaptive Strategic Planning And Management Scrum Team Training ScrumMaster Training Agile Requirements Training Many of our engagements are “customized efforts”

which requires an agile dialog to craft

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04/11/23

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