The Scrum Trap: How Unfit Practices Will Harm Return on Investment

TL, DR: The Scrum Trap

Scrum is a purposefully incomplete framework. Consequently, it needs to be augmented with tools and practices to apply its theoretical foundation to an organization’s business reality: what problems shall be solved for whom in which market? Moreover, there is an organization’s culture to take into account. However, the intentional “gap” is not a free-for-all to accept whatever comes to mind or is convenient. Some tools and practices have proven highly effective in supporting Scrum’s application and reaping its benefits. And then there are others — the Scrum trap.

Let’s look at what practices and tools for collaboration and team building are not helpful when used with Scrum.

The Scrum Trap: How Unfit Practices Will Harm Return on Investment — Age-of-Product.com
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Scrum Team Failure — Scrum Anti-Patterns Taxonomy (3)

TL; DR: Scrum Team Failure

This post on Scrum team failure addresses three categories from the Scrum anti-patterns taxonomy that are closely aligned: Planning and process breakdown, conflict avoidance and miscommunication, and inattention to quality and commitment, often resulting in a Scrum team performing significantly below its potential.

Learn how these Scrum anti-patterns categories manifest themselves and how they affect value creation for customers and the organization’s long-term sustainability.

This is the third of three articles analyzing the 183 anti-patterns from the upcoming Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide book. The other two articles, see below, address adhering to legacy systems, processes, practices, and communication and collaboration issues.

Scrum Team Failure — Scrum Anti-Patterns Taxonomy (3)
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How to Sabotage A Product Owner — 53 Anti-Patterns from the Trenches

TL; DR: How to Sabotage A Product Owner — 53 Anti-Patterns from the Trenches to Avoid

One of my favorite exercises from my Professional Scrum Product Owner classes is how to best sabotage a Product Owner as a member of the middle management. The exercise rules are simple: You’re not allowed to use any form of illegal activity. So, outsourcing the task to a bunch of outlaws is out of the question. Instead, you are only allowed to use practices that are culturally acceptable within your organization.

Read on and learn more on how to best sabotage a Product Owner from the exercise results of more than twenty PSPO classes. (I edited the suggestions for better readability.)

How to Sabotage A Product Owner — 53 Anti-Patterns from the Trenches — Age-of-Product.com
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Skipping Retrospectives? — Making Your Scrum Work #17

TL; DR: Skipping Retrospectives?

There are plenty of failure possibilities with Scrum. Given that Scrum is a framework with a reasonable yet short “manual,” this effect should not surprise anyone. One area where Scrum’s nature of being intentionally incomplete causes issues regularly is whether Scrum teams shall stick to the event schedule even if the team’s life is uneventful? For example, is skipping Retrospectives okay?

Join me and delve into the consequences of skipping Retrospectives in less than 90 seconds.

Skipping Retrospectives — Making Your Scrum Work #17 – Age-of-Product.com
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The Lack of Agile Leadership Qualities — Making Your Scrum Work #15

TL; DR: The Lack of Agile Leadership Qualities — When Change Agents Don’t Act as Role Models

There are plenty of failure possibilities with Scrum. Given that Scrum is a framework with a reasonable yet short “manual,” this effect should not surprise anyone. When Scrum becomes an element of an agile transformation, a lack of agile leadership qualities on the incumbents’ side may impede its overall progress significantly despite the best efforts of all other change agents.

📺 Join me and explore the consequences of a lack of agile leadership qualities and what you can do about it in less than three minutes.

The Lack of Agile Leadership Qualities — Making Your Scrum Work #15 — Age-of-Product.com

Update: Join the LinkedIn Poll: What leadership behavior have you noticed in the past that is impeding an agile transformation?

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The Frustrated Scrum Master — When all the Effort Leads Nowhere

TL; DR: The Frustrated Scrum Master — When all the Effort Leads Nowhere

There are plenty of failure possibilities with Scrum. Given that Scrum is a framework with a reasonable yet short “manual,” this effect should not surprise anyone. One failure symptom of a botched agile transformation is the frustrated Scrum Master.

📺 Join me and explore the consequences of a Scrum Master who has thrown in the towel in 92 seconds.

The Frustrated Scrum Master — When all the Effort Leads Nowhere — Age-of-Product.com
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