Scrum fails quite often. Sometimes it seems like people deliberately avoid to use it properly. Let's investigate 10 common reasons why this happens. Let's see how teams fall in the trap by misusing or forgetting core agile principles. Also, let's talk about how to recognize, prevent and avoid common pitfalls when implementing Scrum in Agile environment.

1. 10 REASONS WHY SCRUM FAILS
– OR SUCCEEDS IF YOU WANT
IGOR PARAC

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3. Ignorance is a bliss!

4. Average readers reach around 250 wpm
with a typical comprehension of 50-60%
The Scrum Guide™
5332 words
Manifesto for Agile Software Development
53 words
Principles behind the Agile Manifesto
191 words
22,304 min
5576 words / 250 words per minute
“To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we
do not know, that is true knowledge." Nicolaus Copernicus
How to know Scrum?

5. Definition of Scrum
Scrum is:
- Lightweight
- Simple to
understand
- Difficult to
master
Scrum (n): A framework within which people can address complex
adaptive problems, while productively and creatively delivering
products of the highest possible value.

6. Shu
Learn the rule
Ha
Bend the rule
Ri
Be the rule

7. Need a secretary?

8.  Scheduling and attending meetings
 Creating agendas and taking minutes
 Make travel arrangements
 Document expenses and hand in reports
 Distribute meeting notes and reports
 Schedule appointments for clients, customers, or supervisors
 Establish work procedures and schedules
 Order and dispense supplies
 Photocopying and printing...
Secretary – job description

9. Definition (Merriam-Webster)
 the power to give orders or make decisions : the power or
right to direct or control someone or something
 the confident quality of someone who knows a lot about
something or who is respected or obeyed by other people
Sociology (Max Weber)
 Traditional Authority
 Charismatic Authority
 Rational-Legal Authority
 Charismatic authority is power legitimized by a leader's exceptional personal
qualities, which inspire loyalty and obedience from followers.
“Wherever there is a man who exercises authority, there is a man who resists
authority.” Oscar Wilde
Authority

10. Leading and coaching the organization in its Scrum
adoption
Planning Scrum implementations within the
organization
Helping employees and stakeholders understand and
enact Scrum and empirical product development
Causing change that increases the productivity of the
Scrum Team
“As soon as we abandon our own reason, and are content to rely upon authority,
there is no end to our troubles.” Bertrand Russell
Scrum Master Service to the Organization

11. Plan, prepare and arrange nutritious meals for children
Change diapers of infants
Give toilet training to toddlers
Adhere to particular dietary rules of family
Organize play group activities with neighborhood children
Supervise children’s activities in their own rooms and play
areas
Plan and organize family events and activities
Oversee children’s homework
Maintain family accounts and pay bills…
Babysitter – job description

12. Plan with commitments!

13. Commitment
an agreement or pledge to do
something in the future
Pledge
A solemn promise or
undertaking

14. Topic One: What can be done this Sprint?
 The Development Team works to forecast the functionality
that will be developed during the Sprint.
 Only the Development Team can assess what it can
accomplish over the upcoming Sprint.
Topic Two: How will the chosen work get done?
 However, enough work is planned during Sprint Planning for
the Development Team to forecast what it believes it can do
in the upcoming Sprint.
“Men should pledge themselves to nothing; for reflection makes a liar of their
resolution.” Sophocles
Sprint Planning

15. “The enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan.”
Carl von Clausewitz

16. What’s the Status?

17. Yesterday, resolved bug 1435, worked on user story US
853, some meetings
Today, US 853, Code review
No impediments
“We live in a world where the laws are getting so tight that management has changed
to micro-management to quantum-management to paralysis.” Jane Siberry
Status Report!

18. Status Assembly!

19. The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute time-boxed event for
the Development Team to synchronize activities and
create a plan for the next 24 hours.
During the meeting, the Development Team members
explain:
 What did I do yesterday that helped the Development Team
meet the Sprint Goal?
 What will I do today to help the Development Team meet
the Sprint Goal?
 Do I see any impediment that prevents me or the
Development Team from meeting the Sprint Goal?
“To me, teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you have five acting as one.
You become selfless.” Mike Krzyzewski
Daily Scrum

20. There is a Bug in
production!

22. Scrum recognizes no titles for Development
Team members other than Developer,
regardless of the work being performed by the
person; there are no exceptions to this rule;
Individual Development Team members may
have specialized skills and areas of focus, but
accountability belongs to the Development
Team as a whole
“The keys to brand success are self-definition, transparency, authenticity and
accountability.” Simon Mainwaring
The Development Teams

23. Something is wrong…

24. Criticize company for
 lack of proper policies and procedures
 too many policies and procedures
 poor usage of old technologies
 poor usage of new technologies
 poor business strategies
 no business strategies
 …
Have a decent complaining session
Talk about bad weather (if applicable)
Also
 Greenhouse gases
 Things that government is hiding from us…
“I personally believe we developed language because of our deep inner need to
complain.” Jane Wagner,
Is there an official time and place to...

25. The Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the
Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for
improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint.
The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to:
 Inspect how the last Sprint went with regards to people,
relationships, process, and tools
 Identify and order the major items that went well and
potential improvements
 Create a plan for implementing improvements to the way
the Scrum Team does its work
“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”
James Joyce
Sprint Retrospective

26. Set the stage
Set context and tone for the meeting
Gather data
Gather factual and relevant
data
Generate insights
Generate feedback
Decide what to do
Collaborate on
course of action
Closing the retrospective
End session
How to Retrospect?
(friendly remainder)

27. Battleground 2.0

28. Tribal Mindset
 tribes exist for themselves alone
 tribes are hostile to all outsiders
 tribes fight in defense of home soil
 next step is dehumanization and demonization
Silo Mentality
 no share information or knowledge
 reduces the organization's efficiency
 negatively affect employee morale
“Silo builds the wall in people’s minds and creates the barrier in
organizations’ hearts.” Pearl Zhu
Us versus Them

29. Product owner
Responsible for
maximizing the value of
the product and the work
of the Development Team
No one is allowed to tell
the Development Team to
work from a different set
of requirements
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
Ernest Hemingway
„Maximize the value“

30. Kill it with Bureaucracy!

31.  I as a User what Bug 14285 to be resolved so that I can work with application
 Meeting minutes from Daily Scrum?
 How vacations are regulated in Scrum?
 How the salaries are distributed in Scrum?
 We need processes for
 Code review
 Bug fixing
 Other teams support
 Refactoring...
 Extra tools for
 Ticket tracking
 Bug tracking
 Issues tracking
 Time tracking...
“Bureaucracy gives birth to itself and then expects maternity benefits.”
Dale Dauten
Quick Bureacracy Guide

32. Process
a series of actions that produce something or that lead to a
particular result (Merrian-Webster.com)
Checklist
comprehensive list of important or relevant actions, or steps
to be taken in a specific order. (Business Dictionary.com)
a type of informational job aid used to reduce failure by
compensating for potential limits of human memory and
attention. (Wikipedia.org)
“Have no fear of perfection – you'll never reach it.”
Salvador Dali
What is Process?

34. Empiricism asserts that knowledge comes from
experience and making decisions based on what is
known.
Experiment
 a test, trial, or tentative procedure; an act or operation for
the purpose of discovering something unknown or of testing
a principle, supposition… (Dictionary.com)
“No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single
experiment can prove me wrong.” Albert Einstein
Solving the unknown...

35. Scrum is founded on empirical process control theory,
or empiricism.
Empiricism asserts that knowledge comes from
experience and making decisions based on what is
known.
Scrum employs an iterative, incremental approach to
optimize predictability and control risk.
Three pillars uphold every implementation of empirical
process control: transparency, inspection, and
adaptation.
“The greater the contrast, the greater the potential. Great energy only comes from
a correspondingly great tension of opposites.” Carl Jung
Scrum Theory

36. Unicorns on rainbows

37. Fashion
 A general direction in
which something is
developing or changing
Vogue
 The prevailing fashion or
style at a particular time
Fashion statement!

38. Scrum is a framework for developing and sustaining
complex products
Development Teams
 consists of professionals
 empowered by the organization
 are self-organizing
 are cross-functional
 accountable
“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”
Michael Jordan
What is Scrum for?

39. Culture Shock!

40. Characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of
people
Defined by language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music
and arts
Values that contribute unique social and psychological
environment of an organization
 it includes:
organization's expectations, experiences, philosophy
 it is expressed in:
self-image, inner workings, interactions and future expectations
 it is based on:
shared attitudes, beliefs and written and unwritten rules
“The role of a creative leader is not to have all the ideas; it's to create a culture
where everyone can have ideas and feel that they're valued.” Ken Robinson
What is Culture?

41. Culture Effect
Make decisions
Question authority
Understand language
Ask questions
Raise issues
Negotiate
Deal with conflicts
“The role of a creative leader is not to have all the ideas; it's to create a culture
where everyone can have ideas and feel that they're valued.” Ken Robinson
Culture, People and Scrum
Scrum Values
Commitment
Courage
Focus
Openness
Respect

42. Commitment
indifference, irresponsibility, denial, refusal
Courage
cowardice, fear, humility, irresolution, weakness
Focus
disarrange, disorganize, disperse, divide, ignore
Openness
reticence, disagreement, disbelief
Respect
criticism, dishonor, ignorance, neglect
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
Peter Drucker
Scrum Values Antonyms

43. Commitment
guarantee, engagement, responsibility, loyalty, devotion
Courage
bravery, nerve, valour, daring, power
Focus
motivation, application, converge, emphasis
Openness
honesty, accountability, candidness, sincerity
Respect
admiration, appreciation, honor, recognition
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
Peter Drucker
Scrum Values Synonyms

44. Have fun!