Scrum
Scrum is a cadence driven framework created and sustained by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland. The framework is documented very simply in the Scrum Guide. The guide is maintained independently of any commercial organisation and is free to use.
The Scrum Framework
Image Copyright scrum.org
The simplicity of the definition of Scrum seems to make it easy for teams to adopt. However, many teams adopt the doing of scrum without adopting the behaviours of scrum (and of agile). At best, teams like this achieve small gains in the effectiveness of their work and the resilience of the team. The Scrum Guide itself is clear on the importance of empirical pillars of Scrum - Transparency, Inspection and Adaptation. These are included here as key elements of anAgileMind. The Scrum Values - Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage - are also essential in creating a cohesive, collaborative team that can resiliently deliver on its goals.
Scrum is defined using three roles, five events, three artifacts and two additional key concepts:
Scrum Events
The Sprint
Sprint Planning
Daily Scrum
Sprint Review
Sprint Retrospective
Scrum Roles
Developers
Product Owner
Scrum Master
Scrum Artifacts
Product Backlog
Sprint Backlog
Increment
Additional Concepts
Definition of Done
Product Backlog Refinement
The Scrum Guide does a masterful job of describing the simplicity of the framework:
Scrum requires a Scrum Master to foster an environment where:
A Product Owner orders the work for a complex problem into a Product Backlog.
The Scrum Team turns a selection of the work into an Increment of value during a Sprint.
The Scrum Team and its stakeholders inspect the results and adjust for the next Sprint.
Repeat
…The Scrum framework is purposefully incomplete, only defining the parts required to implement Scrum theory. Scrum is built upon by the collective intelligence of the people using it. Rather than provide people with detailed instructions, the rules of Scrum guide their relationships and interactions.
Various processes, techniques and methods can be employed within the framework. Scrum wraps around existing practices or renders them unnecessary. Scrum makes visible the relative efficacy of current management, environment, and work techniques, so that improvements can be made.
Useful Sources
Scrum Guide - an online version of the current Scrum Guide.
Introduction to Scrum - from scrum.org, a useful source of information and guidance about Scrum
Practices
Sprint
Product Backlog Refinement is a Scrum activity that is performed on the Product Backlog. The scrum guide defines Product Backlog Refinement as the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller more precise items. This is an ongoing activity to add details, such as a description, order, and size. Attributes often vary with the domain of work.
Sprint Planning is a Scrum event that is held before the start of the sprint to establish the scope and priorities of the coming sprint. Its purpose is for the whole team to establish an agreed sprint goal based on the Product Owner’s view of the value that can be created for the customer. To establish a scope of backlog items that can be got to done. For each backlog item the team decides how done will be achieved.
The Sprint Retrospective is a Scrum event. Its purpose is to allow the team to inspect and adapt its way of working, the functioning of the team, the working context and all other factors which may impact the team’s ability to deliver its goals. Some factors the team have direct control over, other factors will require external influence to change.
The five-step Sprint Retrospective is a well-recognised and frequently used approach to performing a successful Sprint Retrospective. But what risks lie behind its use?