Once Upon a Backlog Grooming
It’s been a minute since I last posted on Serious Scrum. As of late, the responsibilities of my new gig have pulled me in ten different directions, but like Janet Jackson sang, “What have you done for me lately?” So, here we are. My first official post of 2019. If you’ve been following along, you may have noticed that I’ve the shifted focus of my posts to the more subjective, nebulous side of the Scrum Master (SM) role; the intangibles. This one is no different. So, let’s dig into it.
Language is important. It’s why I’m careful about the words I use, especially when it comes to my profession. The Scrum powers-that-be think along the same lines too. Take The Scrum Guide (TSG) for instance. The current incarnation (November 2017) uses the word change 17 times. After calling it out this often, you can reasonably assume that it’s an important concept to keep in your head. So, when organizations decide to follow the darkened trail into the woods (spending time, and money on Scrum training), why do some folks insist on straying from the path? Just ask Little Red Riding Hood how that story played out.
If you’ve been in the game awhile, you’ve probably heard someone mention a sprint demo. Maarten Dalmijn recently wrote about this misnomer here on Serious Scrum, and while a demonstration of working software is part of a Sprint Review, it’s not the main focus. The Scrum Lord that I frequently write about (and former coworker) used to jump all over folks when they called this ceremony (another word that I’ll come back to later) a demo. Other than vomiting out the phrase “according to The Scrum Guide…,” he never explained why referring to it as a demo wasn’t appropriate. It’s like he didn’t know the event’s true purpose in the first place.
Let’s go back to the word ceremonies. Over the years, I’ve lost count how many times I’ve heard people use this word. It’s so deeply-ingrained into the SM vocabulary, but when asking the question, “Where does this term come from?,” you get a myriad of responses. TSG never uses it, but if you’ve ever rolled with Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), it’s all over their documentation. However, I’m not sure that’s where it originated. Someone once told me that they heard the term in a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) course that they attended. If there’s already a descriptor (Scrum events) in our universally-agreed-upon playbook, why the hell do we insist on calling it something else?
If you’ve been with the same organization awhile, oftentimes there’s a push to measure the progress of your Agile transformation. “How Agile are we?” tends to be the question. The response can sometimes come in the form of an Agile Maturity Model. Rather than measuring against metrics, and percentages, running reports, and compiling data, I contend that this question can be answered by the language people use. Sprint demo, ceremonies. Which brings us to the crux of this post, and probably my biggest pet peeve: backlog grooming.
Upon reading this, you might claim that I’m arguing semantics, or being nit-picky. But from where I sit, it’s a telling indicator of that one thing you crave: Agile Maturity. As Scrum Masters, we’re conditioned to expect resistance to change; it’s part of the dance. But when our peers perpetuate this language, are we inadvertently contributing to the Agile Industrial Complex that Martin Fowler called out at Agile Australia 2018?
Here’s why it makes a difference in my mind. Out of confidence, or ignorance, when you refer to backlog refinement as grooming, you’re unconsciously saying a few things about yourself:
- It’s been years since you last read The Scrum Guide.
- You’ve read it, but you don’t think it’s a big deal.
- It’s what everyone has always called it.
- You don’t give a sh*t about other people.
Let’s break these points down…
It’s been years since you last read The Scrum Guide.
In 2018, I wrote a piece called Your Playbook Changes, So Should You, which touches on this point. Sometime between 2011–2013, the language around backlog maintenance in TSG was changed. So, when referring to Backlog Refinement as grooming, are you painting a picture of yourself as someone who hasn’t updated their knowledge in 6–8 years?
Taking it back to my developer days, it’s kinda like using open source code. What happens when you upgrade to the new version, yet continue to use deprecated methods, and functions defined 6–8 years ago? In terms of software development, that’s a lifetime. By not updating your Scrum vocabulary, it’s worse. What outdated ideas are you perpetuating, and disseminating into the world?
You’ve read it, but you don’t think it’s a big deal.
Maybe you have read TSG, are fully aware of the 2011–2013 updates, but think still calling it grooming is a non-issue. I’ve heard that argument before, and I’m sure I’ll hear it again. I’ve been accused of overthinking, or that I’m making too much fuss over a simple word. Yet that’s missing the point. For me, it’s not about the word per se, but about the heart of the SM role.
It should be no secret that as Scrum Masters, we’re “…responsible for promoting, and supporting Scrum,” and it’s our job to “…help folks understand its theory, practices, rules and values.” So if that’s the gig, what are we gonna say when we direct folks to TSG as the source of truth for Scrum, and they ask, “Why do you call it grooming, when your playbook calls it refinement?”
It’s what everyone has always called it.
I’m not gonna dive too deep into this one. As Scrum Masters, we’re asked to embrace one thing: change. Remember how TSG mentioned it 17 times? If we can’t fundamentally do this, are we really contributing to changing the way people think, or subjecting ourselves to herd mentality? It takes crazy-little effort to use one word over another. Refinement over grooming. See, easy.
You don’t give a sh*t about other people.
And now let’s get to the meat of this topic. You should already know that Scrum is founded upon empiricism (learning from experiences) — you know, that jam that Francis Bacon dreamed up back in the 16th & 17th centuries. Even TSG is all about employing the idea, adapting, and changing based on experiences of those in the Agile community.
If you know the backstory on why grooming was changed to refinement, you may argue that it’s about political correctness (PC). But in truth, PC is really about not being an asshole, giving respect, and inclusion; not limiting those ideals to geography.
Back in 1995, Scrum, in terms of applying it to software development, was introduced to the world at an annual conference called OOPSLA (Object-Oriented Programming, Systems, Languages & Applications). The developer landscape back then primarily consisted of white men from the United States. But over time, as Scrum (as well as software development) matured, and spread around the world, the landscape changed, no longer confined to a single country, ethnicity, or gender. With that growth, the Scrum powers-that-be recognized the power of words, different connotations in other countries, and the negative impact they had in other cultures. Grooming is one such word. Recognizing that Scrum is an international community, the terminology changed to refinement.
Always remember, it’s not about you. Being a Scrum Master is about influencing people through courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness. The use of a single word may seem innocuous, but by perpetuating grooming are you honestly upholding these values? Are you inadvertently telling folks that you don’t care if they get offended? That you don’t respect their feelings, or beliefs?
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” ― Leo Tolstoy
Back in the 1980s, there was a movie called The Beast Master, based on a 1959 novel of the same name. As you’d expect, this dude had the ability to speak to animals, earning him the moniker master of beasts. Beast Master. See… clever. That being said, isn’t that the same idea behind being a professional Scrum Master? Not telepathically talking to animals, but masters of Scrum. You get the point.
Human beings are psychological creatures, and changing mindsets comes down to how we interact with others on a personal level. It’s not easy. But as professional Scrum Masters, that’s our arena. So, know your sh*t, and the next time the Big Bad Wolf comes calling, you’ll recognize that he’s tryna sway you from the path.
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