Experiment: Share an Impediment Newsletter Throughout the Organization
In our book — the Zombie Scrum Survival Guide — we dive deep into what causes Zombie Scrum; something that looks like Scrum from a distance, but lacks a beating heart. We also offer 40+ experiments to recover from Zombie Scrum. In this series, we share experiments that either didn’t make it to the book or a selection of those that did and are just too good to miss. Download the paper “10 Powerful Experiments to Overcome Zombie Scrum” to get more inspiration on how to fight Zombie Scrum.
The impediments that make it hard for Scrum Teams to work empirically often involve people across the organization. Helping these people understand the impediments, and the problems they cause creates awareness that enables double-loop learning, which can lead to systemic improvements.
This experiment is a great example of how Scrum Teams and Scrum Masters can create transparency around issues that impede empiricism.
Required Skill
This experiment calls for nothing but courage and a dash of tact.
Impact on Survival
Although painful, this is a great way to create urgency around the biggest problems.
Steps
To implement this experiment, do the following:
- With your Scrum Team, ask everyone to silently write down impediments they see that are making it hard for them to build what stakeholders need and/or ship fast(er). What skills are missing? Where is protocol getting in the way? Which people do they need, but don’t have access to? After a few minutes, invite people to pair up to share and build on their individual ideas. Together, share all impediments and pick the three to five impediments that are most impactful (e.g. with dot-voting).
- For the biggest impediments, ask “What is lost because of this? What do we and our stakeholders gain when this impediment would be removed?“. Capture the consequences for the various impediments.
- For the biggest impediments, ask “Where do we need help? What would help look like?“. Collect the requests for help for the various impediments.
- Compile the biggest impediments, including their consequences and requests for help, in a format that you can easily distribute to everyone who has a stake in your work. It could be a mailing, a paper newsletter, a blog post on your intranet, or a poster that you put in a heavy-traffic corridor. Include the purpose of your team and how to contact you.
Our Findings
- Make sure to include (higher) management and consider informing them upfront. Also, they will probably appreciate a shorter, more concise version.
- Transparency can be painful. Be honest but tactful in your messaging, and don’t blame others or be negative. State what is happening and make clear requests for help.
- If you are planning to do this frequently, make sure to include the accomplishments of your team as well. What is going well? What has changed since the previous newsletter? And most importantly; from whom did you receive (unexpected) help?
How Did it Go?
We’d love to hear how it went when you’ve tried this experiment. With your feedback, we can empirically improve experiments, add new ones, and remove what doesn’t work. Let us know in the comments how it went and/or fill in this short feedback form.
Looking for more experiments?
Aside from a deep exploration of what causes Zombie Scrum, our book contains over 40 other experiments (like this one) to try with your Scrum Team. Each of them is geared towards a particular area where Zombie Scrum often pops up. If you’re looking for more experiments, or if these posts are helpful to you, please consider buying a copy.
