Scrum
Get 8 team members together, get their heads down and try to move the ball forward, all while resisting the opposing forces that are trying to do the exact opposite. Sounds like a good game.
And it also sounds like a great way to develop software.
Scrum is the executable of the Agile Manifesto. It's where the actual work occurs, the deliverables are created, and the work is released. And it's also where the mindset of the team has to change to
allow this coordination of work to meet its destiny of the shippable product.
Scrum is not Agile. Scrum follows the Agile Manifesto concept of the self-organizing team and continuous improvement to focus on delivering valued products to the customer via scheduled iterations.
Scrum allows the team to build the Agile principles into their work and communications. It's the heart and soul of Agile. But it's not Agile. And understanding that they are separate, allows the team
to work in a more efficient manner and focus on the delivery of the product, and not management of the project.
By embracing Scrum, the team will begin to embrace change. The change in requirements. The change in prioritizations. The change in delivery of product and the change in improving the product. Using
Sprints, development can occur in shorter, reviewable cycles that can allow more immediate feedback from customers, that can lead to changes in design concepts. Iterative releases in more frequent
cycles also helps the team to recognize more tangible progress made on the product and provides a deeper connection of Product and Developer. And Developers can also engage with the team with
Retrospectives at the end of the Sprint. This chance to speak freely helps the team communication and builds trust and respect in the team.
In addition to the development team, another key role in Scrum is the Product Owner. As the Scrum Master role aligns with the Project Manager in traditional Waterfall, the Product Owner assumes the role
of the Product, and therefore, Project advocate. It's the Product Owner that works with the budgeting and road mapping of the product. They also interact with customers and stakeholders regarding the
requirements of the product. It's the Product Owner that is ultimately responsible for the development of the product.
What I Bring to the Table
As Project Manager I am often hired to manage projects in an Agile environment. Therefore, it's up to me to take on the role of Scrum Master and sometimes, even as Product Owner. This depends on the
organization and environment I'm engaged with. With over 10 years of experience with Agile and Scrum, I am more than comfortable at engaging in these roles.
As Scrum Master:
- I organize and groom the backlog
- I lead Sprint Planning and Grooming efforts including Planning Poker
- I facilitate updating and conducting the retrospectives
- I will schedule demos for the team.
- I also engage with the product Owner, if available, in road map reviews and Story creations. If not Product Owner is available, I will take on that role to engage with Customers to gather Stories in planning sessions
- I review Product planning and road mapping with Customers
- I plan and groom the Backlog with the Scrum Master and Team to confirm Sprint planning
- I create and confirm Acceptance Criteria for Stories
- I review Demo Planning to confirm work to be presented aligns with Delivery Plans
- I review Retrospective content and present Velocity reviews to the team to align team capacity with delivery velocity
- I will work with Finance teams to produce Product budgets and Resource Planning
