Barry Overeem - Zombie Scrum Survival Guide

Scrum is cited by analysts and the press as the most widely used agile framework, with potentially millions of people applying it every day. To prove its impact, just wear a t-shirt with Scrum written on it and walk through an airport. People will stop you and ask you questions about Scrum and if you can help them do x or y. But there are many people using Scrum and not getting the most out of it. They are, as Christiaan, Johannes, and Barry describe, acting like zombies, mindlessly using the Scrum artifacts, events, and roles but not really getting the benefits from it.

But there is hope! The Zombie Scrum infection can be cured, with focus and perseverance. Christiaan, Johannes, and Barry have written this excellent survival guide to help teams and organizations improve their use of Scrum to achieve better results. It is a perfect complement to the other titles in the Professional Scrum Series, all of which focus on helping to improve the ability of Scrum Teams to deliver value in a complex and sometimes chaotic world.

Professional Scrum, the antithesis of Zombie Scrum, consists of two elements. First is Scrum, which is of course the framework as described in the Scrum Guide, but also the foundations that framework is based upon. Those foundations are empirical process; empowered, self-managed teams; and a focus on continuous improvement. Surrounding the framework and its ideas are four additional elements:

Discipline. To be effective with Scrum requires discipline. You have to deliver to gain learning; you have to do the mechanics of Scrum; you have to challenge your preconceived ideas about your skills, role, and understanding of the problem; and you have to work in a transparent and structured way. Discipline is hard and may at times seem unfair as your work exposes problem after problem and your efforts seem in vain.

Behaviors. The Scrum values were introduced to the Scrum Guide in 2016 in response to the need for a supporting culture for Scrum to be successful. The Scrum values describe five simple ideas that when practiced encourage an agile culture. Courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness describe behaviors that both Scrum Teams and the organizations they work within should exhibit.

Value. Scrum Teams work on problems that deliver value to stakeholders when they are solved. Teams work for a customer who rewards them for that work. But the relationship is complex because the problems are complex; the customer might not know what they want, or the economics of the solution might also be unclear, or the quality and safety of the solution may also be unknown. The job of a Professional Scrum Team is, to the best of their ability, to do the right thing for all these parties by delivering a solution that best meets their customers needs within the constraints that have been placed on them. That requires transparency, respect for each other and for customers, and a healthy curiosity to uncover the truth.

Active Community Membership. Scrum is a team sport where the team is small. That means that the team is often the underdog trying to solve problems that it barely has the skills and experience to solve. To be effective Professional Scrum Teams must work with other members of their community to learn new skills and share experiences. Helping to scale the agility of the community is not completely altruistic, because the helper often learns valuable things that they can bring back to help their own team. Professional Scrum encourages people to form professional networks in which ideas and experiences that help teams can be exchanged.

Professional Scrum and Zombie Scrum are two mortal enemies in eternal locked combat. If you relax your guard for a moment, Zombie Scrum comes back. In this book Christiaan, Johannes, and Barry describe a guide for how to stay on your guard, providing practical tips for both identifying when you have become a zombie and how to stop this happening. Their humorous and very visual material is a must-have for any Zombie Scrum hunter.

Good luck in fighting Zombie Scrum!

Dave West
CEO, Scrum.org