Scrum as a container for agility, not Agile itself

When did promoting new ideas become a bad thing in the Scrum community? 2008. That's when I suggested considering Scrum to be a partial implementation of Lean would enable you to use it better. Ken threw me off Yahoo Scrum Development Group saying I was promoting myself. I had not mentioned I taught Lean. I was merely trying to let folks know about it. 12 years later, the Scrum guide gives lip service to lean. Scrum's foundation is inconsistent with Lean. But trying to tell Scrum proponents this is a difficult one as Upton Sinclair mentioned - "it's hard to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." Tobias Mayer deleted my very related comments on this post. I do believe him when he said he didn't see the relationship. But not seeing a relationship doesn't mean it's not there. Learning new relationships is a good thing. Turning our back on them isn't. He never asked me about the relationship. The two most impactful insights I've seen in the Agile space are: 1. inherent simplicity 2. integrating how to coach into one's approach (not the light guidance Scrum proposes, but real coaching). Scrum has mostly protected those who follow it from these and other concepts by saying proponents of them are promoting themselves. See Not all Agile is equal http://bit.ly/4n5g5Sy Here's a promotion https://lnkd.in/dsJkKEw4 BTW: I was trying to explain why the way Scrum is defined will necessarily cause confusion. But that would undercut Scrum, so it is heresy.

Agile started like a person on CPR. Many companies tried to revive it, but for the betterment of the tech and development, it died an honorable death. Scrum was the biggest scam of last decade in tech companies. The only good thing that came out of it was people who followed it knew powers of 2 by heart, that too only until 32. Here’s what I’ve seen actually work: 1. Async by default. 2. Grabbing a coffee with a teammate when you need to talk things through. 3. Focused meetings with just the people who matter. WDYT? #scrum #agile

💡 Scrum's Three Simple Rules for Success! 💡 Scrum is all about learning by doing. We call this Empiricism, and it rests on three basic pillars: See It (Transparency): 👁️ Show everyone the work, the process, and the progress. No hiding! Check It (Inspection): 🧐 Look closely and often at what you've done. Is it good? Is it on track? Fix It (Adaptation): 🔄 If it's broken or off track, change your plan right away. Don't wait! That's it! See it, Check it, Fix it. This simple loop keeps teams honest, focused, and always improving to deliver the best product. #Scrum #Agile #Teamwork #ContinuousImprovement

In 1995 Scrum (or SCRUM) was described as a Development Process, in 1998* as an Extension Pattern Language, and in 2003 as a Methodology. The word "framework" was used in the 1995 paper but as a synonym for method, rather than a description of Scrum itself. The term was also used in the 2003 paper as a synonym for skeleton (an Agile process was described as having a skeleton and a heart). In 2005 I recall very clearly Ken Schwaber informing the attendees at the first Scrum Gathering: "Scrum is not a methodology, it is a pathway". The first reference I can find to Scrum being described purely as a framework is in the 2009 draft Scrum Guide: "Scrum is not a process or a technique for building products; rather, it is a framework within which you can employ various processes and techniques." So, to summarise, Scrum is a process, not-a-process, a pattern language, a skeleton, a method, a methodology, not-a-methodology, a pathway, and finally a framework. Confused? You are not alone :) * I first wrote 1999, but the Beedle paper was actually 1998 (Thanks Brad Appleton for the correction). The papers I reference in this post can all be read from this page: https://lnkd.in/ehVc7Gse #scrum #process #methodology #pattern #framework

Trunk-Based Development keeps delivery fast & reliable. • Commit frequently, keep changes small, and fix builds immediately. • Strong code reviews + feature toggles = safer, incremental releases. • With automation & Scrum Master support, teams deliver value continuously. #Agile #Scrum #TriageCalls #ProjectManagement

Trust: The Real “Sprint Fuel” for Empiricism Trust in Scrum is like the music in a road trip—when everyone shares updates and mistakes without fear, the team can inspect, adapt, and take smarter routes, even if there’s a jam ahead. Without trust, feedback gets sugarcoated, progress stalls, and learning just doesn’t happen. Teams that celebrate each other’s wins and admit slip-ups drive empiricism forward—they make real-time pivots and build better products together. If your team can say “I messed up” as easily as “yes, we did it!”, you know trust is powering your journey. #Scrum #Empiricism #Trust #Agile #Teamwork #Growth #ScrumMaster #SM #PSM #CSM #ScrumOrg #ScrumAlliance #PO #ProductOwner #AgileFramework #Teamwork #SDLC

"We don’t need a roadmap. We are agile." Sounds familiar? I’ve heard it more than once. At first glance, it makes sense as agility is about flexibility, while a roadmap feels like a fixed plan. But that’s a misconception. In agile, a roadmap is not a prison of dates. It’s a navigator. It shows the direction, aligns the team with business goals, and still leaves room to change the route when needed. Without it, you can move fast but in circles. With it, you can adapt without losing sight of the destination. Agility without a roadmap is motion. Agility with a roadmap is progress. What about you? Do you see roadmaps as a must-have or unnecessary bureaucracy? #Agile #Roadmap #ProjectManagement #ProductManagement #AgileMindset #Scrum #AgileCoach

In Scrum, one of the most common misunderstandings is the difference between the Definition of Done vs Acceptance Criteria. At first, they might seem like they serve the same purpose—describing when a Product Backlog item is finished. But while they appear similar, they have very different scopes, perspectives, and purposes. Understanding this distinction can help your team improve quality and avoid miscommunication. Read the full blog to learn how Definition of Done and Acceptance Criteria differ: https://buff.ly/zqdKCX4 #scrum #agile

Acceptance Criteria & Definition of Done - The Difference Scrum.org reports there are over 1,132,000 professional scrum certified people out there and the number continues to grow. I am sure some of those people may find it difficult to understand what Acceptance Criteria and the Definition of Done are. More importantly, what the difference is between the two. Here. Let me help. Acceptance Criteria = conditions that the specific work item must meet. E.g., my website pulls up in 3 seconds. Definition of Done = checklist items that all work items must meet to ensure processes were followed in order to complete the work item. E.g., work item must have a test case attached. Acceptance criteria conditions apply only to the specific work item. Definition of Done, checklist items, apply to all work items. When both artifacts are met, then the work item is considered Done! Hope this helps. #acceptancecriteria #definitionofdone #agile #coaching #scrummaster #productowner #scrum #agilemindset #newwaysofthinking #scrumwithsoul #devteam #SAFe

Acceptance Criteria & Definition of Done - The Difference Scrum.org reports there are over 1,132,000 professional scrum certified people out there and the number continues to grow. I am sure some of those people may find it difficult to understand what Acceptance Criteria and the Definition of Done are. More importantly, what the difference is between the two. Here. Let me help. Acceptance Criteria = conditions that the specific work item must meet. E.g., my website pulls up in 3 seconds. Definition of Done = checklist items that all work items must meet to ensure processes were followed in order to complete the work item. E.g., work item must have a test case attached. Acceptance criteria conditions apply only to the specific work item. Definition of Done, checklist items, apply to all work items. When both artifacts are met, then the work item is considered Done! Hope this helps. #acceptancecriteria #definitionofdone #agile #coaching #scrummaster #productowner #scrum #agilemindset #newwaysofthinking #scrumwithsoul #devteam #SAFe