Scrum events are disruptive but necessary
Scrum events are disruptive but necessary
In complex environments, regular inspection and adaptation is key
I understand developers who are frustrated by the loss of focus due to moving from coding to Scrum events to coding. The Scrum events can be major disruptors for Scrum teams. But they serve a purpose.
Scrum events exist to grapple with complexity. Today’s product environments are volatile. What used to be true yesterday may have changed today. Teams need to inspect and adapt constantly. They need to align regularly and this is why the Scrum events exist.
The Daily Scrum serves the purpose of optimizing the chances to meet the Sprint Goal and replan the work if needed. The Sprint Review helps to gain these insights while collaborating with stakeholders and the Sprint Planning serves to use these insights to plan to work on the next important objective. The Sprint Retrospective serves to assess if the Scrum team can improve their way of working.
Traditional project management approaches are sometimes less meeting intensive. This suits developers who love to sink their teeth into a topic for a longer period. But these approaches are catered for predictable environments. They will not help teams that work in complex environments.
Scrum is not alone in this. Other approaches that suit complexity also have these frequent feedback loops. Our world has changed. So have our approaches to building great products.
Developers can’t only focus on coding. They also need to optimize the chances to create value. And this requires regular alignment within the team and with stakeholders.
