Scrum for the Layperson
Its content is sixteen years old now, and naturally out of alignment with the 2020 Scrum Guide—but really only superficially. Scrum has barely changed since its inception in the mid-1990s. It has just become clearer, and therefore perhaps even simpler than how I describe it here.
A Spanish translation is available here, courtesy of Angel 'Java' Lopez.
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Scrum began its life as one of the new (now known as Agile) approaches to building software. These days it is considered an approach that can be used to improve the world of work in a more general sense, and indeed, to change the way individuals think and interact with one another in work situations. The full potential of Scrum has yet to be explored.
In a nutshell, Scrum is a simple approach to the management of complex problems, providing a framework to support innovation and allow self-organising teams to deliver high quality results in short time-frames. Scrum is a state of mind; it is a way of thinking that unleashes the creative spirit while remaining firmly grounded in some solid and long-respected theoretical principles, including empiricism, emergence and self-organisation.
Empiricism refers to the continuous inspect/adapt process that allows both workers and managers to make decisions in real time, based on actual data, and as a result respond quickly to ever-changing conditions in the surrounding environment, most importantly the market place in which the software is sold or distributed.
Emergence results from an empirical approach. It implies that all solutions to all problems will become clear as we work. They will not become clear if we simply talk about them. Big Up Front Design will only result in Big Wrong Design or at best Big Working But Totally Inflexible Design. When we allow solutions to emerge it is always the simplest and the most appropriate solution for the current context that rises to the surface. Emergence coupled with Empiricism will lead us to the most appropriate and the most flexible (i.e. changeable) solution.
Self-organisation refers to the structure of the teams creating the product of work. Small multidisciplinary teams are empowered to make the important decisions necessary to i) create high quality product and ii) manage their own processes. The thinking here is that those doing the work know best how to do the work. These teams work in a highly interactive and generative way, emerging the product through continuous dialog, exploration and iteration. Self-organisation works when there are clear goals and clear boundaries.
In addition to these principles Scrum relies on two core mechanisms: prioritization and timeboxing.
Prioritization simply means that some things are more important than others. This is obvious, yet quickly forgotten when the "we need it all now" mindset is entered. Scrum helps put the focus back on selecting the most important things to do first — and then actually doing them! Making time to prioritize, and being rigorous about it are essential to the success of Scrum.
Timeboxing is a simple mechanism for handling complexity. We can't figure out the whole system at this time, so let's take one small problem and in a short space of time, say one week or one month, figure out how to solve that problem. The results of that will then guide us towards a solution for the next, bigger problem and give us insight into the needs of the system as a whole.
Organizational Change With Scrum The management hierarchies of organisations tend to get leveled and development teams have a more immediate and direct contact with customers. The work environment becomes less command-and-control and more collaborative. Regular, open dialog is encouraged over extensive documentation, and negotiated agreement is preferred to formal and impersonal contracts of work.
The qualities of openness, honesty and courage are fostered at all levels, and individual gain becomes secondary to collective advancement. A Scrum environment is a supportive one, where people at all levels show respect and trust for one another. Decisions are made by consensus, rather than imposed from above and all knowledge is shared in a fearless and transparent way.
Scrum goes against the grain for most companies in the software industry, where a phased approach coupled with a high degree of micro-management, and an insistence on defined processes and extensive documentation have been the norm for over thirty years. Many companies rely on fear and money as the key motivators for their workers. This approach has shown short-term success but more and more companies are beginning to understand that it is not a good long term strategy. Nevertheless, the concept of changing to something as radical as Scrum strikes terror into many executive and middle-management hearts.
Scrum is still at the early-adopter stage. It will take many years for the majority of companies to recognize the benefits of creating more trustful and compassionate workplaces. Without such change many software companies will likely sink under the sheer weight of their heavy processes, and overstaffed workforces. Others—those who dare to embrace the lean, lightweight, agile approach of Scrum—stand a greater chance of surviving and prospering. For those who turn to Scrum, and fully embrace it, a reversion back to the old way of working becomes unthinkable. A paradigm shift is occurring in the workplace, and Scrum is an important part of that shift.
Palo Alto, 01/05/2015 comment