0 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,000 Inside the Scrum Team - Part 1 Written and Narrated by Peter Stevens Graphic and Video by Thierry DELESTRE 1 00:00:07,140 --> 00:00:08,880 Peter Stevens: Welcome to Inside the Scrum Team. 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,350 In part one of this video, you'll discover how a Scrum Team interacts with the outside 3 00:00:13,350 --> 00:00:15,090 world to create great products. 4 00:00:15,450 --> 00:00:16,230 So here we go. 5 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,660 Scrum is a simple, team-based framework for solving complex problems. 6 00:00:22,230 --> 00:00:25,230 If you only remember one thing about Scrum, remember this: 7 00:00:25,740 --> 00:00:28,200 Inspect and adapt at regular intervals, 8 00:00:28,890 --> 00:00:30,090 and tell yourself the truth. 9 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,110 Scrum was created for software development where it is widely used. 10 00:00:34,500 --> 00:00:38,880 But today, it finds application in many other complex domains like digital 11 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:43,470 transformation, healthcare, cybersecurity manufacturing, to name just a few. 12 00:00:44,340 --> 00:00:48,870 The definitive description is found in the Scrum Guide. This is both the reference and 13 00:00:48,870 --> 00:00:49,770 the place to start. 14 00:00:50,310 --> 00:00:54,600 With this video, you can discover how Scrum guides interactions and relationships with 15 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,440 the Scrum Team, so you can apply Scrum effectively in real life. 16 00:01:00,900 --> 00:01:04,020 Scrum was modeled on patterns of successful product development. 17 00:01:04,260 --> 00:01:06,240 So let's start here with the product. 18 00:01:07,020 --> 00:01:11,010 The product might be something you'd put in a box, but it could also be something more 19 00:01:11,010 --> 00:01:15,180 abstract, like a new store location or process improvement for your company. 20 00:01:16,350 --> 00:01:19,170 Scrum works in short iterations called sprints. 21 00:01:19,620 --> 00:01:24,060 At least once per sprint the Scrum Team produces a new version of the product with a 22 00:01:24,060 --> 00:01:25,920 few new or upgraded elements. 23 00:01:26,370 --> 00:01:30,690 Scrum calls this the product increment, but I like to call this a tangible result. 24 00:01:31,470 --> 00:01:35,160 Each Sprint produces a tangible result that supports the overall goal: 25 00:01:35,610 --> 00:01:39,210 Something you can use, something you could sell, or something you can test in real 26 00:01:39,210 --> 00:01:39,600 life. 27 00:01:39,990 --> 00:01:44,730 Most importantly, something the Scrum team can review together with its stakeholders. 28 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,780 The idea is to produce tangible results, every sprint. 29 00:01:49,410 --> 00:01:53,790 You can produce increments more often even deploy them continuously, if that makes 30 00:01:53,790 --> 00:01:56,700 sense and if your team has the technical excellence to do so. 31 00:01:58,230 --> 00:02:02,250 A product is built for its stakeholders, and most development efforts have many of them. 32 00:02:03,090 --> 00:02:06,600 Two of the most important are the users, that is the people who will actually use the 33 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:07,110 product, 34 00:02:07,350 --> 00:02:10,950 and the customers, the people or entities who actually pay for the product, 35 00:02:11,340 --> 00:02:15,450 but many other people could be involved. Without stakeholders, there would be no 36 00:02:15,450 --> 00:02:15,930 product. 37 00:02:18,150 --> 00:02:21,600 Stakeholders usually appreciate having a working increment frequently. 38 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:26,610 This virtually eliminates delivery risk and direct interaction with stakeholders builds 39 00:02:26,610 --> 00:02:31,230 trust and reduces market risk, that is, increases the likelihood that the product 40 00:02:31,230 --> 00:02:32,250 will be a success. 41 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,500 With a working product in hand, you can have good conversations about what you have, what 42 00:02:37,500 --> 00:02:42,270 changes are needed and how best to move forward. You can also identify work to delay 43 00:02:42,270 --> 00:02:45,270 or skip entirely, saving both time and money. 44 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,940 This is possible because each product increment works, it is done. 45 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:56,010 Done is a quality gate, nothing enters the product increment unless it is done. 46 00:02:56,490 --> 00:02:58,710 Every Scrum Team has a Definition of Done, 47 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:01,800 and it is applied to every feature and every increment. 48 00:03:02,790 --> 00:03:06,780 The Definition of Done does not address whether the product is complete or finished. 49 00:03:07,350 --> 00:03:11,430 As long as a product is viable, its development usually never really ends. 50 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,410 The Definition of Done is often a simple checklist that covers both acceptance 51 00:03:16,410 --> 00:03:18,420 criteria and quality control. 52 00:03:19,020 --> 00:03:21,960 It ensures that the features from previous sprints still work, 53 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:24,600 and that the team maintains its quality standards. 54 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:31,230 The Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, working product increment, every 55 00:03:31,230 --> 00:03:31,680 sprint! 56 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,670 Ideas come into the team, the product owner sequences them, 57 00:03:35,940 --> 00:03:38,130 and the Scrum Team commits to do its best 58 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,420 to turn the most valuable of those ideas into a working solution by the end of the 59 00:03:42,420 --> 00:03:42,840 sprint. 60 00:03:44,010 --> 00:03:47,790 Accountabilities define each member's contribution to the overall result. 61 00:03:48,330 --> 00:03:51,510 Scrum forbids hierarchies or sub-teams within the Scrum Team. 62 00:03:51,900 --> 00:03:54,630 There is one team working towards a common goal. 63 00:03:55,770 --> 00:04:00,180 The Scrum Team consists of Developers who are accountable for creating the increment, 64 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:04,350 a Product Owner who is accountable that the increment is valuable, and 65 00:04:04,350 --> 00:04:08,430 a Scrum Master who is accountable that people can work and collaborate effectively. 66 00:04:10,710 --> 00:04:15,390 The Scrum Team solves the problem together. They organize and manage themselves. 67 00:04:15,900 --> 00:04:20,220 A Scrum team is cross-functional, that is, it has all the skills and authority 68 00:04:20,220 --> 00:04:25,140 necessary to transform incoming ideas into something that is done and valuable. 69 00:04:25,590 --> 00:04:28,020 This includes making decisions about the product. 70 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:34,980 Typically, a Scrum Team has 10 people or less. The limit is not rigid. But as the 71 00:04:34,980 --> 00:04:38,910 team gets larger, effectiveness usually declines and performance suffers. 72 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:43,350 Conversely, a small team may not have all the skills needed to build a product, 73 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:47,790 especially if someone goes on vacation gets sick or is otherwise unavailable. 74 00:04:48,830 --> 00:04:53,690 Product Development in Scrum is a continuous cycle of generating ideas, creating new 75 00:04:53,690 --> 00:04:56,780 product increments, collecting feedback and self improvement. 76 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:02,240 In Part Two, we'll zoom in on the Scrum Team to see how each member contributes to the 77 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:02,540 whole. 78 00:05:02,840 --> 00:05:04,100 I hope this is useful to you! 79 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:11,100 (c) 2022 Peter B. Stevens Video and Text Licensed under Creative Commons CC-SA-ND 1 00:05:16,110 --> 00:05:17,940 Peter Stevens: Welcome back to Inside the Scrum Team. 2 00:05:18,540 --> 00:05:22,080 In Part One, we looked at how the Scrum Team interacts with the outside world, 3 00:05:22,410 --> 00:05:26,550 and discovered how product development in Scrum is a continuous cycle of generating 4 00:05:26,550 --> 00:05:31,020 ideas, creating new product increments, collecting feedback, and self-improvement. 5 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:36,180 With this video, you will explore how Scrum guides interactions and relationships within 6 00:05:36,180 --> 00:05:36,870 the Scrum Team. 7 00:05:37,380 --> 00:05:40,050 Again, so you can apply Scrum effectively in real life! 8 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:41,520 So let's look inside. 9 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:43,980 Here is the Product Owner. 10 00:05:44,310 --> 00:05:48,390 She is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of 11 00:05:48,390 --> 00:05:48,990 the Scrum team. 12 00:05:49,530 --> 00:05:51,210 Her key question is, 'why?' 13 00:05:51,450 --> 00:05:55,710 And it shows up frequently, both in her conversations with the stakeholders and with 14 00:05:55,710 --> 00:05:56,490 the rest of the team. 15 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:02,820 Stakeholders are tremendous sources of ideas, know-how, feedback, validation, and 16 00:06:02,820 --> 00:06:03,540 priorities. 17 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:07,980 The challenge is that stakeholders can be noisy, have different priorities and other 18 00:06:07,980 --> 00:06:08,580 things to do. 19 00:06:09,180 --> 00:06:11,970 Committees can be notoriously slow at making decisions. 20 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:14,130 Let's call this the alignment problem. 21 00:06:14,700 --> 00:06:19,050 Scrum solves the alignment problem by designating one person who is authorized to 22 00:06:19,050 --> 00:06:21,510 make decisions about the product, the Product Owner. 23 00:06:22,260 --> 00:06:26,460 Her decisions are visible in the content and sequencing of the product backlog, and in 24 00:06:26,460 --> 00:06:28,080 the increments produced every sprint. 25 00:06:29,850 --> 00:06:34,440 These decisions include sequencing, acceptance criteria, and whether to release 26 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,710 the product, continue development, or even abandon the effort. 27 00:06:38,370 --> 00:06:42,690 The Product Owner can decide what will be done first, and can have final say both on 28 00:06:42,690 --> 00:06:46,650 the definition of acceptance criteria, and whether an item is done. 29 00:06:47,460 --> 00:06:52,440 Since each increment is really done, whether to release, continue, or abandon becomes a 30 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:53,280 business decision. 31 00:06:53,910 --> 00:06:57,750 If the return on investment looks bad, the product owner is expected to pull the plug. 32 00:06:58,830 --> 00:07:01,950 The product owner is often called the voice of the customer or stakeholder. 33 00:07:02,460 --> 00:07:07,080 Her primary focus is not simply on staying within the budget, but on ensuring that the 34 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:08,580 sponsor's money is well spent. 35 00:07:08,940 --> 00:07:12,960 How does she know? By having good conversations with stakeholders and getting 36 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:14,670 good answers to the why questions. 37 00:07:16,380 --> 00:07:20,280 Traditionally, the Product Owner's mission has been summarized in three words: 38 00:07:20,580 --> 00:07:22,080 Vision, focus and flow. 39 00:07:22,770 --> 00:07:27,540 Scrum represents these concepts through the Product Goal, the Sprint Goal, and backlog 40 00:07:27,540 --> 00:07:28,050 refinement. 41 00:07:30,690 --> 00:07:34,500 Backlog refinement is the process of making the most important backlog items 42 00:07:34,500 --> 00:07:37,230 transparent, visible, understood, and small. 43 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,760 Backlog items that are small enough to be completed in a sprint are considered ready. 44 00:07:42,270 --> 00:07:43,560 The whole team is involved; 45 00:07:43,830 --> 00:07:45,390 stakeholders can be invited; 46 00:07:45,630 --> 00:07:47,040 and the Product Owner is accountable. 47 00:07:49,230 --> 00:07:52,650 The Product Owner defines work for the team using the Product Backlog. 48 00:07:53,130 --> 00:07:55,890 The Product Goal describes the future state of the product. 49 00:07:56,250 --> 00:08:00,330 The rest of the Product Backlog emerges to define what will fulfill the Product Goal. 50 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:05,970 The Scrum Team takes on work through the sprint planning process, which addresses 51 00:08:05,970 --> 00:08:06,840 three questions: 52 00:08:07,050 --> 00:08:08,610 Why, what, and how? 53 00:08:09,690 --> 00:08:11,610 Why? Why are we doing this sprint? 54 00:08:12,270 --> 00:08:16,380 The answer, called the Sprint Goal, is a business goal that represents the best step 55 00:08:16,380 --> 00:08:17,940 forward to achieve the Product Goal. 56 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:22,470 It is not a stretch goal. The team believes they can accomplish the Sprint Goal during 57 00:08:22,470 --> 00:08:22,980 the sprint. 58 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,270 What? What are we going to deliver this sprint? 59 00:08:27,900 --> 00:08:32,370 This is a list of backlog items that the team believes will enable them to achieve 60 00:08:32,370 --> 00:08:33,030 the Sprint Goal. 61 00:08:33,630 --> 00:08:37,440 I call this the forecast and, like the Sprint Goal, the team believes it can 62 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:39,030 deliver the forecasted items. 63 00:08:39,930 --> 00:08:42,660 How? How will we accomplish the Sprint Goal? 64 00:08:43,050 --> 00:08:47,580 This is an actionable plan for achieving the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Backlog consists of 65 00:08:47,580 --> 00:08:50,580 the Sprint Goal, the forecast, and the task planning, but 66 00:08:50,580 --> 00:08:55,650 does not define who does which tasks when. Those decisions are taken by the Developers 67 00:08:55,710 --> 00:08:56,610 in the Daily Scrum. 68 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,840 What if your team has work to do that doesn't support the current Product Goal? 69 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:05,400 While existing product sometimes need maintenance, constantly changing priorities 70 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,100 slow you down, and can even put your investment at risk! 71 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,400 The Product Owner is accountable for finding the right balance. 72 00:09:13,020 --> 00:09:14,940 The Developers create the product increment. 73 00:09:15,210 --> 00:09:17,370 They solve the problem and deliver the solution. 74 00:09:17,940 --> 00:09:20,880 Together they have all the skills needed to create the increment. 75 00:09:21,510 --> 00:09:25,380 Even though no one individual can do everything, together they are strong. 76 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:28,320 The key question for developers is, 'How?' 77 00:09:29,070 --> 00:09:31,110 The developers are self-organizing and self-managing. 78 00:09:32,010 --> 00:09:36,540 They make the forecast, plan their work, design the solution, and ensure the quality 79 00:09:36,540 --> 00:09:37,170 of their work. 80 00:09:37,830 --> 00:09:39,960 They are professionals who care about results. 81 00:09:40,710 --> 00:09:43,500 The Developers are dedicated 100% to the project. 82 00:09:43,500 --> 00:09:47,670 If they work on more than one project at a time, commitment to results and 83 00:09:47,670 --> 00:09:49,530 accountability would not be possible. 84 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:55,590 The skills needed depend on the problem to solve. For software products, this often 85 00:09:55,590 --> 00:10:00,600 includes user experience, analysis, design, engineering and testing, and may involve 86 00:10:00,630 --> 00:10:02,250 multiple different technologies. 87 00:10:02,940 --> 00:10:05,640 For organizational transformation, the skills may include 88 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:09,930 coaching and facilitation, knowledge of the organization, authority to change the 89 00:10:09,930 --> 00:10:13,020 organizational structure, and access to senior leadership, 90 00:10:14,010 --> 00:10:16,710 The developers estimate the work because they do the work. 91 00:10:17,250 --> 00:10:20,670 Combining these estimates into schedules release plans and budgets 92 00:10:20,850 --> 00:10:22,560 is usually handled by the Product Owner. 93 00:10:24,390 --> 00:10:28,740 Thanks to the transparency and tangible results created by Scrum, traditional 94 00:10:28,770 --> 00:10:31,740 command-and-control is no longer necessary to hold the team together. 95 00:10:32,340 --> 00:10:37,140 Scrum teams create better results faster using trust, transparency, and fast 96 00:10:37,140 --> 00:10:37,680 feedback. 97 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,600 Sometimes more than one Scrum team will be involved on the same product. 98 00:10:43,050 --> 00:10:47,430 Regardless of the number of teams involved, the responsibility for 'how' stays with the 99 00:10:47,430 --> 00:10:48,090 developers. 100 00:10:48,780 --> 00:10:52,530 The Scrum Masters do not become intermediaries between developers, but 101 00:10:52,530 --> 00:10:57,060 rather facilitate and encourage direct communication between the experts involved. 102 00:10:58,740 --> 00:11:03,240 Direct communication usually leads to the clearest understanding of the users needs. 103 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:07,320 So Scrum ensures a clear line of sight from those doing the work to those benefiting 104 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:07,980 from the work. 105 00:11:08,790 --> 00:11:11,970 Communicating through intermediaries is error prone and inefficient. 106 00:11:12,390 --> 00:11:15,630 So the Agile Manifesto recommends frequent collaboration. 107 00:11:16,140 --> 00:11:20,520 Nothing in Scrum prevents Developers from talking directly to stakeholders when it is 108 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:21,450 helpful to do so. 109 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:27,150 Each Sprint, the Scrum Team holds a Sprint Review for its stakeholders to demonstrate 110 00:11:27,150 --> 00:11:31,470 the latest increment, discuss what has been learned, and identify what changes are 111 00:11:31,470 --> 00:11:33,330 needed to the future version of the product. 112 00:11:33,930 --> 00:11:38,280 The Team also refines the backlog frequently and can invite stakeholders to support them. 113 00:11:41,370 --> 00:11:44,700 The Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team's effectiveness. 114 00:11:45,180 --> 00:11:49,410 He does this by enabling the Scrum Team to improve his practices and collaboration. 115 00:11:49,830 --> 00:11:52,710 He doesn't tell people what to do, but rather coaches them 116 00:11:52,710 --> 00:11:56,400 to recognize, understand, and address issues as they arise. 117 00:11:57,180 --> 00:11:59,640 A high-performance team is continuously improving. 118 00:11:59,850 --> 00:12:04,230 So the Scrum master is continuously helping the team and the organization to find better 119 00:12:04,230 --> 00:12:05,550 ways of doing what they do. 120 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:11,430 Among all the metaphors for the Scrum Master, I find 'Voice of the Common Sense' 121 00:12:11,670 --> 00:12:12,720 to be the most compelling. 122 00:12:13,350 --> 00:12:15,120 Common sense is often not very common. 123 00:12:15,660 --> 00:12:19,650 So the Scrum Master helps the Developers, the Product Owner, and the organization to 124 00:12:19,650 --> 00:12:22,920 create a common understanding of how to work together effectively. 125 00:12:24,810 --> 00:12:27,810 Anything that slows the team down is considered an impediment. 126 00:12:28,230 --> 00:12:30,300 Most impediments arise within the Scrum Team. 127 00:12:31,110 --> 00:12:35,340 The Scrum Master may not resolve these issues personally, but is accountable that 128 00:12:35,340 --> 00:12:37,260 they are recognized and dealt with promptly. 129 00:12:37,770 --> 00:12:41,730 Both the daily Scrum and the Sprint Retrospective are opportunities to identify 130 00:12:41,730 --> 00:12:43,050 and respond to impediments, 131 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:46,440 but you can raise these issues even sooner if that is helpful. 132 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:51,510 Some issues can be really difficult and require time, perseverance, and 133 00:12:51,510 --> 00:12:52,980 persuasiveness to fix. 134 00:12:53,460 --> 00:12:57,690 The Scrum Master will usually take the lead on such issues, so developers can focus on 135 00:12:57,690 --> 00:12:58,620 creating the product. 136 00:12:59,220 --> 00:13:02,910 I like to think of the Scrum Master as the team's ambassador to the outside world. 137 00:13:03,330 --> 00:13:07,560 When the Developers need outside help, the Scrum Master is usually most able to focus 138 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:08,190 on the issue. 139 00:13:09,270 --> 00:13:11,880 The Scrum Master is often called a Change Agent. 140 00:13:12,510 --> 00:13:14,910 Change is easiest when everyone wants to do it. 141 00:13:15,150 --> 00:13:19,530 So a good Scrum Master will ensure that everyone genuinely wants to improve, is 142 00:13:19,530 --> 00:13:22,410 willing to change for the better, and wants to do Scrum. 143 00:13:23,730 --> 00:13:25,200 A Scrum team is a happy team. 144 00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:29,910 If your team is not happy doing Scrum, that is a warning sign that something is amiss. 145 00:13:30,420 --> 00:13:33,060 The goal is not to cram more work into each Sprint. 146 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:35,580 The goal is to produce more value sooner. 147 00:13:36,060 --> 00:13:39,750 Listen to your team, and address at least one concern every sprint. 148 00:13:41,790 --> 00:13:45,900 The first impediment that most Scrum Masters face is whether the team even has the 149 00:13:45,900 --> 00:13:47,370 necessary skills and authority. 150 00:13:48,030 --> 00:13:50,490 Can the Product Owner make decisions about the product? 151 00:13:50,970 --> 00:13:56,100 Are the developers dedicated 100%? And do they have all the skills needed to produce a 152 00:13:56,100 --> 00:13:57,840 working increment every sprint? 153 00:13:58,740 --> 00:14:03,000 Finally, as Scrum Master, do you have time and permission to work proactively on 154 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,270 impediments, especially those originating outside the team? 155 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:12,420 After that, frequent sources of impediments include excessive pressure, multitasking, 156 00:14:12,510 --> 00:14:14,040 bugs, and dependencies. 157 00:14:14,790 --> 00:14:18,900 The best way to manage these issues is not to have them, so start working on them soon. 158 00:14:23,010 --> 00:14:26,340 The goal of Scrum is to enable you to create better results sooner. 159 00:14:26,850 --> 00:14:29,910 A good Scrum Team is both effective and a joy to work in. 160 00:14:30,330 --> 00:14:33,480 So that's a look Inside the Scrum Team. I hope this is useful to you