Scrum is a framework focused around the development of a product, a way of guiding teams and organizing the way in which products are developed.
During times of constant technological advances and in which learning is valued above all else, Scrum is a great solution for constant adaptation.
It is important to remember that Scrum works as a framework and not as a methodology, which is a commonly held misbelief.
It is said that Scrum does not prescribe, it does not tell us “how” to do things, but only tells us what should be done to obtain a product incrementally.
Scrum is not a project management method, but rather a framework focused around the development of a product, which measures the success of said development based on the value that is added to the product over time.
The Scrum Ceremonies
Refinement of the Product Backlog
Through this activity it is possible to obtain more detail, clarity, and definition of what is to be discussed and reviewed later in the Sprint Planning Meeting.
Sprint Planning Meeting
Planning Stages
- Defining “what” will be worked on
- Defining “how” the objective will be achieved
Then it is agreed upon together which of the needs presented by the Product Owner will be fulfilled. From this agreement arises the commitment of the team to what is going to be delivered at the end of the sprint.
In the second stage of Planning the team members discuss in detail “how” this will be achieved. What needs to be done is technically analyzed, tasks are defined, and the Product Owner does not need to be present.
In this meeting there must be debate and discussion, and there must be an agreement on what is to be developed during the Sprint; the team must be clear on what it intends to do before committing to doing so.
There should be no imposition by the Product Owner, or the Scrum Master, or any other stakeholder.
Daily meetings
In these meetings the team members monitor the progress of the Sprint.
It is a 15-minute-maximum meeting where the Team Members present the status of the work that has been completed and that remains outstanding, as agreed for the Sprint.
- In this meeting the team is not accountable to the Scrum Master.
- The objective of the daily meeting is to eliminate or attend to any type of problem that threatens the achievement of the sprint objective in a timely manner. In this way inconveniences are controlled and monitored daily in Scrum.
- It is a meeting to make problems or inconveniences that are preventing the achievement of the Sprint objective “visible". It is not a meeting to "solve" these problems or challenges.
- So, when reviewing the impediments on a daily basis, it could be said that this is a space where the threats that could prevent the team from reaching the objective defined for the sprint are managed.
Product Reviews
As defined in the Scrum framework, the person responsible for presenting these results is the Product Owner who explains what has and has not been done in accordance with what was agreed during the sprint planning meeting, then one of the team members performs a demonstration of the work completed.
The team must have the courage to present what has been done with transparency and must also keep an open mind when receiving feedback.
It is a very important space as what is said here is fed into the Product Backlog.
Retrospective
- "Understand that everyone involved acted as best they could, with the knowledge, skills, information and context available at the time."
- The team must "be tough on the problem and soft on the people."
At this point, the moderation of whoever is facilitating the meeting is important. Usually it will be the Scrum Master, who must have the sensitivity and skills necessary to handle conflicts which may arise during this meeting.
The 3 elements of Scrum
Retrospective
Sprint Backlog
The set of elements that the Product Owner selects as candidates to be developed in the Sprint and that, together with the development team, are used to define what is required to meet the objective of the sprint.
- Can the Sprint Backlog be improved during the Sprint?
Product Increment
In a little more detail we could say that it is the sum of the Sprint Backlog items that are finished, functional, and usable to the end user if the Product Owner decides to put them into production.
An important point to keep in mind is that of when and/or how to consider an item in the sprint backlog as finished.
The “completed” criterion is something that must be agreed between scrum team members and stakeholders, and must be clearly understood by all parties.
About the Author
José Meyer is a talented Project Manager and very experienced in working with teams of diverse sizes and backgrounds. He has excellent planning and communication skills, and specializes in Agile Methodologies. José is a strong leader with a great work ethic.
