Scrum is a Raft, Not the Destination

The Buddha once said that his teachings are merely a raft, used to ferry you across the river of suffering & desire to Nirvana. Scrum can be seen in the same light, even though the end goal isn’t as profound. Great teams use Scrum as a toolbox, a set of battle-worn suggestions, and a path towards greater long-term value delivery. Not as a sacred text to be strictly obeyed.

Good Scrum Doesn’t Make Money. Good Software Does.

As a process nerd, I’ll admit to occasionally worshiping perfect Scrum practices over practical value creation. But Scrum was designed to be process-light. It provides certain rules, a simple requirement (to deliver production-ready value every sprint), and artifacts that the team can use to understand both their progress, and what’s inhibiting them.

Scrum’s artifacts are usually helpful when used correctly, but every team, project, and environment is different. The team should never sacrifice long-term value delivery for the sake of “perfectly executing” Scrum.

Shu Ha Ri

Each team will go though a series of steps when mastering Scrum, often called Shu Ha Ri. Shu Ha Ri originates from Aikido (a Japanese martial art), though most people recognize it from the OG Karate Kid movie, when Daniel uses his floor-sanding skills to instinctively defend himself. Let’s look at how Shu Ha Ri applies to Scrum.

Shu (守) “protect”, “obey”— In Shu the team follows Scrum’s practices precisely, even if they seem strange or useless.

Before a team rewires or abandons it’s Scrum practices, it should first experience what full Scrum offers them. Scrum is easy to understand, but difficult to master. Too many teams leap to ScrumBut without seeing the power of true, well-executed Scrum. My advice is to spend at least 6 months with Scrum before considering whether it should be adjusted.

Ha (破) “detach”, “digress” —A team that’s embodying Scrum’s values will constantly ask themselves “Can this be done better?”. Their Scrum practicesshould not be exempt from such reflections. Scrum offers a place to reflect & devise experiments, called a retrospective, and a timebox for said experiments to occur, called a sprint.

For instance, if the team doesn’t see the value in a daily stand-up, they can spend one full sprint standing-up every other day. If the team continues to communicate & remove blockers quickly, while enjoying more time to focus, then they should solidify this practice and monitor it’s long-term effects. If at some point inter-team communication lines falter, the team can always return to daily stand-ups with a newfound appreciation for their benefits. A team in Ha will constantly fiddle with Scrum, adapting it to their specific needs.

Ri (離) “leave”, “separate”— In Ri the team fully embodies Scrum’s pillars, principles, and ways of thinking. Sprints are now a mere formality, as the team delivers production-ready value every few days. A team in the Ri stage can safely move past many of Scrum’s practices. Scrum has carried them from the perils of fuzzy requirements, impossible schedules, and hidden impediments, to a place where they can constantly deliver value and delight end users.

Don’t Be Afraid to Change Scrum (When the Time is Right)

If full-Scrum isn’t benefiting the team, it should be adjusted. If Scrum doesn’t fit the environment or project, it should be abandoned for a more appropriate process. Every project is different, every team is unique, and every environment is novel. Don’t fall for the Golden Hammer fallacy, like so many other leaders have.

But before you change or abandon Scrum, consider whether you’ve given it a proper shot.

• Is the team still adjusting to Scrum?
• Is the team executing zombie-Scrum, by following Scrum’s practices while ignoring Scrum’s values?

A yes to either question means your team’s in the Shu stage. The Scrum Master should continue to teach Scrum’s practices, values, reasoning, and benefits.

Once the team reaches Ha, use Scrum’s built-in empiricism to experiment with it’s practices. Treat Scrum as a launching pad for delivering greater value. Finally, move beyond Scrum if/when the time is right (Ri), to continuously deliver value to your stakeholders.