5 Lessons Learned Over 5 Years as a Project Manager of Agile Teams
I’ve worked as a project manager and scrum master for the past five years and used Scrum because it is the most popular and practical framework for working under Agile values. In recent years, Agile frameworks like Scrum or XP have become popular for managing projects. In fact, the proliferation of Agile teams in companies across industries is gaining momentum. The main advantage of using the Agile philosophy is the ability to manage changing priorities and project visibility. I have learned several lessons throughout my work with teams and clients on following the Scrum framework and Agile values that I'd like to share.
Lesson #1: People and Interactions are More Important than Rules and Processes
The main value proposition we deliver to our clients is that while we follow Agile values, we do not impose Scrum as the only way to conduct a project. We develop a hybrid approach that includes some of the Scrum framework and something that will suit our partner or client. We understand that every project and client is one-of-a-kind, which is why we craft a hybrid methodology that blends Scrum's best practices with tailored solutions to perfectly fit our partner's needs.
For example, on one of our projects, our partner could not take on the full role of a Product Owner due to their involvement in business development. Since Scrum does not imply having two Product Owners, our Business Analist filled the role instead. They were the proxy PO who was deeply immersed in the product and involved in many discussions. Together, they complemented each other and were able to guide development in the desired direction.
Lesson #2: Flexibility Allows You to Achieve Results
"June, 1 - and not a day later" - this was a deadline set by a client to release a set of features. The value of Scrum lies in the flexibility it offers. In this case, we were deprived of this flexibility by the deadline. While we had to deviate from following all of the Scrum rules, this did not stop us from following Agile values.
To meet the pressing timeline, we made some necessary adjustments. Regular meetings were temporarily suspended, and the retrospective sprint was postponed until after delivering the functionality. Our 15-minute planning sessions became instrumental in synchronizing our team members, ensuring everyone was on the same page to meet the impending deadline.
By June, 1 we had completed our two-month sprint, deviating from Scrum's guidelines but remaining true to Agile principles. Rules serve as guideposts that help us embody Agile values, but without staying rooted in those values, rules lose their purpose. If team members are afraid to take responsibility, be brave, and give or receive feedback, blindly following rules will not lead your team to success.
Lesson #3: Scrum is Not Ideal for All Projects
Scrum undoubtedly brings numerous advantages to project management, but it's crucial to recognize its limitations and carefully assess the needs of each unique project. When requirements for a project are well-defined, encompassing aspects like design, technology, and other factors that offer a crystal-clear vision of the final deliverable, the classic waterfall framework becomes a compelling alternative.
Agile involves working with a high degree of chaos and uncertainty. If your path is unknown, Scrum is the best option. It will allow you to overcome uncertainty, manage risks in a timely manner, and keep the team focused.
The optimal team size for Scrum is 3-9 people. If your team has more than nine people, communication will take significantly longer. For teams with less than three people, communications become redundant. A team of more than 9 people can consider scalable Scrum frameworks like SAFe or Less. For a team with less than three people, you can adopt the best Scrum practices of working in short iterations, receiving client feedback, and describing and prioritizing upcoming work in the backlog.
Lesson #4: Implementing Scrum in an Existing Team Can Take Time
People are not prone to change. If you plan to use the Scrum framework with an existing team, be prepared for some resistance and performance degradation. You must also expect your team's productivity to drop until the "transition" is over.
To overcome this conflict, focus your attention on team members who support upcoming changes. By doing so, you will demonstrate positive behavior towards change. Over time, this will help the rest of the team overcome their resistance.
If you are looking for a way to get more out of an established team, I'd advise Kanban in place of Scrum. Kanban allows you to improve current processes, whereas Scrum helps teams take advantage of the long run.
Lesson #5: Scrum is Easy to Follow and Helps Teams Achieve Quick & Efficient Results
Scrum is very simple, and not much is needed to start using it. There are only 13 pages of text in the Scrum Guide, compared to more than 200 pages in the PMBOK project management rulebook (which is an improvement to the previous version with 600 pages). Scrum allows you to show results in a short time and is the best framework if you are looking for a quick start. For example, if you want to start development tomorrow, Scrum can make it possible.
The advantages of using Scrum for a project include:
A quick start, thanks to simple rules;
Clearly described processes that are easy to apply;
An accelerated onboarding process for new team members, either on the development team or the customer's team;
Cost savings for the customer.
A big plus to this methodology is how you can apply it to different aspects of life. Scrum can enable you to manage projects in software development, medicine, construction, human resources, and more. You can also apply the approach to organizing your personal life. For example, I know one married couple who managed their family life according to Scrum. By adhering to the values of Scrum and Agile, you can move towards your business goals and your personal goals while maintaining respect for all the different participants in the process.
For more information, you can review the Agile Manifesto and the Scrum Guide. To learn more about Kepler Team's experience using Scrum in software development, contact us.