When most people think of Agile, they think of “Scrum”. Scrum is the most widely used, and arguably, the most abused Agile framework. Scrum is simple in concept but can be difficult to do really well. Here are 10 common Scrum mistakes and how to avoid them:
1. Expecting Transformation to Agile and Scrum to Be Easy
All too often, someone will pick up a book on Agile or Scrum, start chopping up requirements into user stories, begin daily stand-up meetings, develop software in 2-3 week sprints, and then call themselves Agile. Easy, right? They will likely see some improvement in their ability to respond to change, and may even provide working software faster – for a while. It won’t be too long, though, until the promises of Agile become less evident, teams struggle to keep up the pace, software doesn’t always match user expectations, and then Agile is deemed a failure. Agile transformation takes time and almost always starts out messy. Real transformation exposes existing corporate and culture problems that must be dealt with – problems such as poor communication, lack of accountability, distrust, etc. Effective Agile transformation is often a total culture change. Give it time, and be ready to go through the pain and resistance to cultural changes.