Common Scrum Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Scrum is the most popular Agile framework for good reason. Its simplicity makes it look easy to adopt, but a lot of the times it has been proven that it is not so easy to actually implement its techniques successfully.

Below, you will find four frequent mistakes of development teams and organizations and their respective solutions:

Mistake #1: Not Understanding the Principles Behind the Techniques

Solution: Behind every framework and its techniques, there is a set of principles. Those principles, due to their more abstract nature, are harder to understand and be successfully incorporated into daily practices. Nevertheless, they are the fuel that powers all Scrum techniques and practices and makes them sustainable. They are therefore essential! If you feel that your Scrum framework is not functioning properly, maybe you need to take a step back and focus on the Agile principles and how they can influence your organization’s overall culture.

Mistake #2: A Scrum Master with a Commanding Mentality

Solution: Another mistake that clashes with the Agile principles is a kind of Project Manager behavior on the part of the Scrum Master. Effective Scrum teams are characterized by their self-organizing nature, which is best served by a Scrum Master with a servant leadership approach. Teams should be allowed to grow and flourish through trial and error and the Scrum Master should work towards cultivating this environment and be there to coach and inspire members to be productive on their own. In a nutshell, a Scrum Master should guide, not command.

Mistake #3: A Product Owner who is not Involved in the Processes

Solution: The business end of product development is a complex area and more and more Product Owners distance themselves from the development teams while trying to fulfil the tasks associated with their role. However, their presence, availability and effective communication with developers and Scrum Masters is crucial in order for the team to be able to produce results that will satisfy business needs. Product Owners should be involved and be constantly updated on the state of each sprint. Furthermore, each spring goal should be clearly expressed to the development team by the Product Owner before the sprint’s initiation. Their feedback and guidance are needed in order to secure that end results will be up to par with business objectives.

Mistake #4: Skipping Retrospective Meeting After Each Sprint is Completed

Solution: “At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly”. This is one of the Agile Manifesto principles that is sometimes forgotten or neglected due to lack of time. But the reality is that the Sprint Retrospective is essential in successfully implementing Agile methods and not just a luxury. After all, Agile is all about taking the time to find out what works or what doesn’t and coming up with adjustments that will solve problems and enhance productivity. And the Sprint Retrospective is the time to do just that!