Heath Herel - Practical Scrum: A Users Guide

Scrum (n): A framework within which people can address complex adaptive problems, while productively and creatively delivering products of the highest possible value.

Ive written a lot of words over the last 10 years or so about Scrum. I have talked about Scrum at work, at home, and even on the set of Jeopardy! when asked by Alex Trebek what a Scrum Master is. Ive been told I am a walking commercial for Scrum. Like many of you reading this, I believe in Scrum to my very core. I have seen what it can do when it works, and how it can transform the way we work into something exciting and dynamic. I have also seen my share of problems and challenges arise. I have attended classes and conferences, and taken numerous certification exams to challenge myself and verify (to myself) that I have gained the knowledge I desire.

In my blog I have written about many of my personal observations (and I will undoubtedly continue to do so), and you will find the genesis of many parts of this book in my blog. Some of it is copied here almost word for word. It is these very observations that drove me to write this book to talk about what works and what doesnt from my own perspective; not from the perspective of a professional trainer or consultant, but from someone who is in the trenches with Scrum Teams on a daily basis.

Not everything in here will apply to you, to your situation, or to your organization. There might even be things I have written here that you strongly disagree with. Thats cool. I dont think anyone can write a book with personal insights and tips that will be all things to all readers. Hopefully, you can find something in here that does appeal to you and that provides guidance or makes you think a little bit.

If you pull only two things from this book, let it be these:

Do what is right for your team.

When in doubt, ask your team.

What works perfectly for one team might not for another. It is important that we are as Agile as we want our teams to be. Dont be afraid to experiment and see what works. I tell everyone that we can try anything for a Sprint or three and see if it works for us. It is through this constant experimentation, and a frequent Inspect and Adapt cycle, that we transform how we work and truly gain the benefits of Agile. Dont be afraid to get outside of your own comfort zone, and dont be afraid to have FUN. Specific tactics for how you use the Scrum framework can, and should, vary based on what your team requires. While it is important that you don't leave out parts of Scrum, it's also important that you aren't acting as the Scrum police and enforcing every little thing along the way. The Scrum Team needs room to breathe and find what is going to work best for them.

Ultimately, the best way to know whats right for your Scrum Team is often to simply ask them. Theres something you want to have them try to do? Ask them. Theres a question about whether something extra can be done in the current Sprint? Ask them. You want to get ice cream or craft beers for the team and dont know what to buy? Ask them. Not all questions have to be serious, business-oriented ones, after all. Trust your team. They know what is best for them.

You absolutely have to do everything that is in the Agile framework your organization is using. That's important. But what makes a difference and makes your teams truly Agile is the understanding of why it is important. This book is focused on Scrum because thats where my expertise lies, but much of what is here applies to any Agile framework your team(s) might be using. It's also critical to recognize that you can't just keep working in the same old ways but use the Scrum terminology, because nothing will change. Scrum is not about micromanaging your teams, it relies on empowering your teams and letting them make the right choices for your product.

This book is intentionally short and written in brief easily-digestible sections. Feel free to skip around and find the parts that are important to you. This isnt a Scrum 101 book, but there are definitely pieces here that focus on what to do. Hopefully what follows will help guide you as to why we do it.