Scrum with Multiple Projects and only a single scrum team
Hi fellow Scrum Masters,
I am currently in a scrum team where the team is working on multiple projects and task, which may or may not be a product.
The developers in my team are all working on a different project. I have read previous discussion that a possible solution is to include these tasks into 1 single product backlog.
I am facing difficulties in getting the team to come up with a sprint goal as the goal is different depending on which project the dev is taking up. Also, during our retros, i am having difficulties in reviewing back what went well in our sprint as the developers are working differently.
Would like to hear on some feedbacks and suggestion to improve on this please.
I am facing difficulties in getting the team to come up with a sprint goal as the goal is different depending on which project the dev is taking up. Also, during our retros, i am having difficulties in reviewing back what went well in our sprint as the developers are working differently.
Perhaps this is just exposing an underlying truth. Scrum is a framework for developing and sustaining complex products. A clear product is not yet evident in your case. If you can find such a product and where accountability for value lies, you may find a reason to use Scrum and a reason to Sprint at all.
Thanks Ian. Some projects do have a clear product but there are others that are not product per se.
The management decides that there is a need for a Scrum Master to run these projects through adopting the Scrum Framework, which is why i am finding it so difficult.
+1 for @Ian's response.
You are not taking advantage of the Scrum framework. It was not meant to manage Developers time or track their work on disparate projects. It was meant to allow incremental delivery of value for a product. It does not appear that you have a product designated.
I agree above response from Sean and Daniel that Scrum should focus on single product.
And in your case, I think you should try create separate scrum board for different project and separate meetings for developers.
In fact from my experience most of companies who announce they are using Scrum are running in wrong way as their Scrum team are facing complex work that need to facing different role from different business department, this absolutely cause Scrum team can not focus on single area to make incremental improvement.