“Scrum demands co-located teams”
Are you serious? — episode 18
Many people think that Scrum requires people sitting together, being co-located.
Well… this is what the Scrum Guide says about this:
“…..…… …….. …… ………. … ……. ………. … .. …….. .. ………..” — SG
Exactly, the Scrum Guide says nothing about it. If you stretch it you might find this applicable:
“Development Teams are structured and empowered by the organization to organize and manage their own work.” — SG
The Scrum Guide doesn’t prescribe how the team organizes the work. If a Scrum Team decides that they can do their job with the team spread over two or more locations, then this is up to that team. Note that I understand that this often is enforced by the company, that this essentially can’t be decided by the team. This is an interesting topic in itself addressing self-organization, another important aspect of Scrum.
But… where does this come from, the idea that Scrum requires co-located teams?
Here is one of the principles of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development:
“The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.“— Principle of Manifesto for Agile Software Development
Agile is not the same as Scrum, although they are heavily related. However the principle does not exclude distributed teams. It just states that face-to-face communication is more efficient and effective. Which I not only understand, but also agree with.
The rules for Extreme Programming (XP) may also have influenced the perception:
“You can add vital communication paths to your team by just taking down the barriers that divide people.” — extremeprogramming.org
I have understood that XP doesn’t rule out distributed teams, but it clearly favors co-location. Many have used a blend of Scrum and XP. This as a result may have blended the notion on what Scrum says about it.
Co-location vs Distributed Teams
Face-to-face communication tops technology any time. Teams would always go for the option of co-location if they have a choice, these being some obvious reasons:
- Direct communication and as a result faster and easier decision making.
- Team bonding. People that are working at the same location are sure to have more interaction than work alone, leading to a stronger bond.
- Less room for noise.
However this is not always possible. There may be all kinds of reasons for distributed teams, like:
- The talent that you need may not be available where your office is located.
- Talent in other locations may be cheaper. I do believe this can result into being penny-wise and pound-foolish, but there are valid situations for this.
- More diversity. You strive to have input and insights from different cultures.
- Increased coverage. When teams work in different time-zones, then team members can make arrangements when work isn’t finished that a colleague from the other timezone continues with it.
How to ensure that distributed teams are effective?
The communication needs to be as direct as possible. Below picture amplifies the effectiveness of communication channels:
Within our company we work with distributed teams and we use video conversation a lot. What’s more: we have the luxury of dedicated Scrum Rooms with interactive whiteboards. This is topping the video conversation and comes close to face-to-face.
We also have our colleagues from India come over for a number of weeks per year. This way we get to know each other better, which helps to improve collaboration even when they are back in India. Also: distributed teams occasionally could get together.
The Scrum Values have more dimensions when it comes to distributed teams. The distance does have an impact on commitment, courage, focus, openness and respect. The Scrum Team as a whole and the Scrum Master in particular should be aware of this and work on that.
Bottom Line
Scrum does not mention co-location. It does not have an opinion on it. Scrum does not rule out distributed teams. One of the principles of The Manifesto of Agile Software Development mentions that face-to-face is to be preferred. Extreme Programming also is clear that co-location works better. But, as said, Scrum doesn’t.
Did you like the article? Then it would be awesome if you’d clap 👏🏻. I am also very keen to learn what you think about this topic.
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