Remember that Scrum is founded on empirical process control, and that adaptation is the third pillar, following transparency and inspection.
Each of the Scrum accountabilities participates in one or more adaptations. If you feel that something needs to be adapted to any aspect of your initiative, check who could best start taking action.
👉 Adaptation is making adjustments in order to minimise any deviations to acceptable limits related to agreed goals.
Let’s take the Product Owner.
Being accountable for optimizing the value of the product, the Product Owner is managing the Product Backlog (PBL) and as such adapts it quite frequently. Including setting and refining the next Product Goal, adding, removing, changing, ordering Product Backlog Items (PBI) with the Scrum Team. This in order to show to the team and the stakeholders what is needed in the Product to reach the next Product Goal.
Next to that, the Product Owner also assists in the creation of the Sprint Backlog: together with the other Scrum Team members setting the Sprint Goal and selecting PBIs. In her/his role, again to get a step closer with the next Increment towards the Product Goal.
And s/he participates in adapting the ways of working, typically related to the management of the PBL. In order to... more effectively get closer to the next Product Goal.
Summary:
In order to fulfil his/her accountability the Product Owner will frequently adapt the Product Backlog, and as part of the Scrum Team also the Sprint Backlog and the ways of working. S/he typically looks at these from the perspective to close the gap towards the next Product Goal.
Prompt:
Together with your Scrum Team, evaluate your adaptations from a Product Owner perspective:
Is the work, the adaptations made or planned to be made on
- the Product Backlog,
- the Sprint Backlog,
- the Increment,
- the Definition of Done,
- the Individuals & interactions, processes, and tools
getting you closer to the Product Goal.
I hope you find value in these short posts and if you are looking for more clarifications, feel free to take contact.
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