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Scrum Teams are often Coached to Death, while the Problems are With Management
Team-level coaching isn’t enough
I feel for all the Scrum teams that do the best they can to make their Scrum work, only to be obstructed by management. I have seen so many teams who understand the concepts of Scrum and who are super motivated. They often improve greatly in the first few months. And then their improvements come to a grinding halt.
The company leadership obstructs their progress. And to put insult to injury, the team gets the blame for stalling. So they are sent to yet another training or the company hires external coaches to improve the teams. And all the while, the elephant in the room is not addressed. The managers and company leaders do not change. As “Agile is for teams only”. It doesn’t affect them.
The idea that Agile is for teams only is a gross misconception and harmful. Not only are the teams limited in creating high-value products. But the people are also sure to feel disappointed, frustrated, or even betrayed. They feel restricted. And this is not the best state of mind to do your work. Or to stay with the company.
Scrum Teams are generally great at managing themselves. But they are restricted by the organization in many ways. Let’s dive into a couple of examples.
