Introduction
Scrum is one of the two most commonly used implementations of the Agile program (the second being “Kanban“). This framework focuses on self-organization, prioritization, and continuous, iterative improvements. Unlike Kanban, Scrum generally has regular fixed-length sprints as opposed to continuous flows of work. Some of the most recognizable practices of Scrum include: planning, daily stand-up, reviews, and retrospectives.
Theory
Scrum is founded on empiricism (we learn from past experience) and lean thinking (we operate as efficiently and waste-free as possible). As detailed in the Scrum Guide, we combine the four practices mentioned above (planning, stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives) and implement the principles of transparency, inspection, and adaptation.
- Transparency — All work is visible and clear to others in that current progress is unambiguous and next steps are aligned
- Inspection — All documentation and progress towards goals are frequently reviewed for variance and problems
- Adaption — Deviation from the desired scope of the development cycle must be addressed as soon as possible to minimize further deviation
Execution
In order for Scrum to be properly used, we must have a team that exhibits a particular set of values — commitment to the team and its goals, focus on the necessary work to succeed, open about current/next state and challenges, respect for each other and stakeholders, and the courage to do the right thing and work on difficult problems.
The team consists of one scrum master, one product manager (and/or owner), and developers.
- Scrum Master — helps keep efforts aligned to Scrum principles and helps the team to achieve its goals on time and in budget
- Product Manager / Owner — aligns the team on the product’s goal, priorities, and backlog
- Developers — execute on the plan for a sprint and adhering to each deliverable’s definition of done
The team meets each sprint for the following meetings: planning, stand-up, review, and retrospective.
- Planning is a collaborative discussion on why the sprint is valuable and what work will be committed to being delivered by end of sprint.
- Stand-up is a daily meeting in which developers discuss current work, upcoming work, and address blockers against desired progress.
- Review is a meeting where the Scrum team and stakeholders review what was accomplished in the sprint and what it means for the immediate future.
- Retrospective is the official closing meeting of the sprint in which the Scrum team reviews what went well, where things could improve, and align on action items for the next sprint.
Some teams may opt to include a “refinement” session to a sprint’s lifecycle. In this meeting, the product manager/owner and technical leads meet to refine items prior to Sprint Planning in the hopes of minimizing any ambiguity when the broader team evaluates said items. It is highly recommend to adopt such a meeting if your team’s Sprint Plannings have a tendency to have items that the team spends a disproportionate amount of time discussing or if longer Sprint Plannings are not practical for the team and the business.
Conclusion
Scrum is likely the most common implementation of Agile that you will encounter in the real world. I highly recommend you only have time to familiarize yourself with one framework as a product manager, place your time and effort into Scrum as it is arguably the most versatile of Agile implementations in use today.
And, that’s not to say you will never use frameworks outside of Scrum. In practice, you’ll likely start mixing in elements of other frameworks should they prove to benefit your team and their unique needs. Nonetheless, a solid foundation in Scrum and its structure provides you a solid and adaptable starting point as a product manager no matter the length of your career.