Scrum is founded on empirical process control, and transparency is one of the three pillars.
During each of the Scrum Events, and throughout the Sprint itself, the Scrum Team and the stakeholders need transparency so there is a common understanding.
Transparency as such is way more than bringing “visibility”. It is about reaching ”a common understanding”.
PS. Remember from earlier posts: I will repeat the above few lines in the coming blog posts: repeating = learning. ;-)
Today, we check the Sprint Review.
Common understanding about what?
About the Increment. What is the status right now? What capabilities, features, etc. does it have? What outcomes do we expect of it as it stands? What would we need to have next? How does the market evolve for our type of product? ...
Once these, and probably more, questions are answered by the team and the stakeholders based on their current knowledge and experiences - indeed, the stakeholders are part of your Sprint Review; real users provide you with lots of valuable input - a shared understanding, transparency, is raised to levels you cannot achieve without them.
Common understanding amongst who?
Amongst the Scrum Team and the stakeholders.
Summary:
At the end of your Sprint Review, does your Scrum Team and the stakeholders have a common understanding about the latest Product Increment?
Prompt:
With your team, have a conversation about
- What does Transparency mean to you and your team?
- And how do you and your team use the Sprint Review to raise Transparency?
I hope you find value in these short posts and if you are looking for more clarifications, feel free to take contact.
If you want to take a deeper dive into the core concepts we are covering in this blog series, then surely check out our Professional Scrum Mastery workshop. We have some scheduled in the coming period.
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