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How Is Scrum Simplifying or Adding Complexity to Your Life? (SGE007)

October 3, 2024

From the Scrum Guide: “We use the word “developers” in Scrum not to exclude, but to simplify.

 

From Cambridge Dictionary: “to simplify: to make something less complicated and therefore easier to do or understand”.

 

I love this one! Maybe because we have another initiative called learnhow.simplification.works…

 

Has the introduction of the Scrum framework simplified things for your team? Or has it added more complexity?

 

The goal is to make things simpler. The challenges teams are facing are already sufficiently complex that they do not need another layer of complexity. Deal with complexity through simple solutions.

 

For example, what recurring meetings have been replaced by, or reused for the Scrum Events? 

How has the organisational structure been simplified? Less functions, clearer accountabilities? A person with software development skills is also expected to have analytical and testing skills, so why not combine all these skills under the term Developer, or Engineer?

Which layers have been made obsolete? Do you really still need a team manager…? What’s the accountability that goes with it? Can’t the team take up most of this as a self-managing team? What would be needed to make this happen?

How has the solution been simplified? Is there still a big monolithic application? Or is it more modular; is there more decoupling?
How about tools and processes? Less, but supportive tools, less bureaucratic processes? Or more?

 

Think about it: how is Scrum simplifying the work, the day-to-day? If not, then there clearly is something wrong with the use of the framework.

 

I hope you find value in these short articles and if you are looking for more clarifications, feel free to take contact.

Don't want to miss any of these blog posts? Have the “The Scrum Guide Explored” series weekly in your mailbox.

 

Wishing you an inspiring read and a wonderful journey.

Scrum on!

 

 


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