Nine thinking behaviors for Scrum Teams
Background
This post is inspired by the original work of "Richard Paul and Linda Elder: Critical Thinking: Tools for taking charge of Your Learning and Your Life, 2006". Copyrights belong to respective owners.
When I was going through the original author's work, I could not stop myself relating these Nine thinking behaviors with Scrum Teams. I could make connections with core elements, the theory and the essence of Scrum. For each of these thinking behaviors I am highlighting few concepts and examples. Feel free to wear your thinking hat and discover more.
I hope you would enjoy reading this. And I appreciate you taking time for that. Thank you very much.
Clarity
Let's start with one of the PO's accountability from Scrum Guide:
Creating and clearly communicating Product Backlog items.
How does PO create clarity about #PBIs? We can think of following:
Being #available to #developers throughout the #sprint when ever required
Accuracy
Empiricism helps Scrum Team's to take decisions based on what is known and experienced.
#empiricism significantly reduces #assumptions and the decisions taken are more backed by evidence and facts. By focusing on creating an #usable #increment each Sprint, Scrum Teams can #validate the assumptions that went into building the increment - in short feedback cycles.
#definitionofdone helps Scrum Teams to create transparency about what "Done" means and when the increment can be considered "Done" - this increases the accuracy of the increment.
Precision
Scrum value focus requires precision.
Supported by the #selfmanaging nature - Scrum Teams #demonstrate one of the Scrum values #focus - by precisely looking at what is being inspected. For example during Daily Scrum, the precise focus is to plan for the next day. Developers think about what they can do on that day to get closer to Sprint Goal.
Relevance
Scrum's commitments - #productgoal and #sprintgoal provide relevant direction.
At any point of time, Scrum Teams can validate their approach - whether it is relevant to reach the Sprint Goal for each Sprint and thus Product Goal in the long run. By not #freezing or #finalizing Sprint Backlog, allowing it to evolve during the Sprint as more is discovered, relevant value related PBIs can be picked up by Developers.
Depth
Frequent inspection and adaptation opportunities backed by shorter feedback cycles, helps Scrum Teams to think deep about what could go wrong.
The depth of thinking of Scrum Teams increases due to short cycles, practicing empiricism, demonstrating other Scrum Values - being #open and #courageous to explore possible outcomes and self managing in taking relevant decisions.
Breadth
Thinking about the Breadth helps Scrum Teams to explore multiple ways to deliver value.
The Breadth of value increases with each Increment from each Sprint. Also Scrum Teams consider alternate perspectives, explore multiple ways - being #creative and thinking about #innovative ways working on #complex #problems.
Logic
Logical thinking involves thinking in a way that makes sense and backed by evidence.
You are aware that Scrum doesn't encourage #jobtitles, #hierarchy and #subteams. All these promote Scrum Teams to think logically about their approach towards Sprint Goal, meeting Definition of Done etc. One of the Scrum Value #respect flourishes when different perspectives are explored, encouraged and finally a path is chosen that is logically making sense. These decisions are taken from experience and evidence.
Fairness
Scrum Teams are open to change their approach, respect each other's views and agree to disagree.
Few thoughts that support #fairness include "Am I considering the thinking of other Developers?", "Are we fair in validating the increment towards DoD?" etc.
Scrum Teams can reduce #technicaldebt significantly when they are courageous and open to take fair ways of working and developing the increment.
Significance
The thoughts are focused on the Sprint Goal during the Sprint, Product Goal in the long run.
With short sprint cycles, Scrum Teams easily can focus and think on the #significant or #most valuable outcomes from each Sprint. #minimumviableproduct concepts, #prototypes help Scrum Teams to think about "what is the most important thing to consider to deliver value".
Conclusion
I have kept this newsletter issue short - so that my readers can think and explore further, discover something that is more relevant to their context and situations.
Thanks once again for coming this far. #rawagility