Concepts
In traditional project management, the project kickoff or charter often centers around outlining the project, setting out a roadmap, devising a milestone schedule, identifying resources, and assigning roles and responsibilities. However, initiating a new Scrum team requires a different approach, and for a good reason. Here are three reasons why it is essential to handle the start of a new Scrum team differently from a traditional project kickoff or charter:
1. Emphasis on Self-Organization:
Scrum underlines self-organization, which makes it unique from traditional project management, where roles and responsibilities are assigned beforehand. In Scrum, team members decide amongst themselves who will do what and when. This kind of approach promotes ownership, engagement, and fosters an environment where collaboration and continuous learning underpin the team’s culture, leading to better product outcomes.
For example, in a Scrum team working on a new software development project, rather than the manager assigning the tasks, the team collectively decides considering their skills and the urgency of each task. This process further improves as Sprint Retrospectives provide insights on how to optimize performance.
2. Empiricism Over Planning:
Traditional project management follow a predictive plan, where the outcome, the time, and the cost are quantified before the project begins. Conversely, Scrum reinforces empirical process control. It means progress is based on observations of reality, not fictitious plans.
At the beginning of each Sprint, only parts that are well-understood are planned and taken into the Sprint Backlog. As more is learned throughout the Sprint, plans continuously evolve. This differs significantly from the traditional kickoff, where stages are pre-set and planned, and change is often difficult and disruptive.
For instance, a Scrum team may start a Sprint with the goal of creating a new feature for an application. However, as the team moves forward in the Sprint, they might discover that altering an existing feature would offer a better user experience. The team is not restrained by a pre-decided plan and could change the direction depending on real-time knowledge.
3. Flexibility and Responsiveness to Change:
In traditional project management, any changes after the project’s initiation often lead to disruptions and can inflate the budget or timeframe. On the other hand, Scrum not only accepts but embraces changes. The iterative nature of Scrum with its Sprints provides regular opportunities to inspect, adapt, and change priorities or techniques based on a feedback loop.
Let’s say a Scrum Team is developing an e-commerce website. In the middle of the project, if market research indicates a heavy demand for a new feature (like AI-powered product recommendations), the business can easily put this into the next Sprint’s backlog. This adaptability to change provides a significant advantage and differentiation in handling the start of a new Scrum team.
To summarise the contrast between starting a new Scrum Team vs. Traditional Project Kickoff:
| Scrum Team Start | Traditional Project Kickoff | |
| Main Focus | Self-Organization, Empiricism, Adaptability | Advanced planning, Assigned roles, Resistance to Change |
| Team’s Role | Active involvement in planning and dynamically taking ownership | Predetermined roles with set responsibilities |
| Change Adaptability | High, with provisions for regular adaption and change | Low, with changes leading to disruptions and cost increases |
Starting a new Scrum team is indeed different and requires a departure from traditional project initiation, but this change is sometimes necessary to increase flexibility, promote innovation, and cope with a rapidly changing business environment. As you prepare for the Certified Scrum Professional-Product Owner (CSP-PO) exam, it is essential to understand these distinctions and their underlying reasons to apply the Scrum framework effectively.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
True or False: A new Scrum team does not require any kickoff meeting or charter and can start work straight away.
Answer: False
Explanation: While the approach is different, a Scrum team still needs some starting point, which is often achieved through a kickoff meeting. It’s just that the focus and methodology differ from the traditional charter or kickoff meetings.
What differs in the communication strategy during a scrum and a traditional kickoff?
- a) Communication is discouraged in Scrum.
- b) Only leaders should communicate in Scrum.
- c) Everyone should communicate openly in Scrum.
- d) Communication is not necessary in Scrum.
Answer: c) Everyone should communicate openly in Scrum.
Explanation: In Scrum, open communication and collaboration among all members are highly valued over detailed contracts or plans.
True or False: Unlike a traditional project kickoff, the new Scrum team’s kickoff focuses more on planning and less on team roles and collaborative framework.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Scrum team’s kickoff is less about detailed planning and more about understanding team roles, the vision of the product, and establishing a collaborative framework.
What is the primary focus in starting a new Scrum Team compared to a traditional project?
- a) Creating detailed project plans
- b) Defining team roles and establishing a collaborative work system
- c) Assigning individual tasks
- d) Developing an exhaustive task list
Answer: b) Defining team roles and establishing a collaborative work system
Explanation: In the Scrum methodology, defining roles and setting up a collaborative framework is the primary focus at the start.
True or False: The detailed approach to risk management is a primary area of focus when initiating a Scrum team.
Answer: False
Explanation: While risk management is important in Scrum, it is not a primary focus at the team initiation stage like in traditional projects. Instead, the focus is on team roles, vision, and working agreement.
In a Scrum kickoff meeting, the emphasis should be on:
- a) Detailed planning and task division
- b) High-level vision and product backlog
- c) Risk assessment
- d) Project Charter
Answer: b) High-level vision and product backlog
Explanation: For a Scrum team, the kickoff focus should be on understanding the high-level vision of the product and a rough product backlog.
True or False: A traditional kickoff meeting is more formal and less collaborative than a Scrum kickoff meeting.
Answer: True
Explanation: Traditional kickoff meetings are usually formal and involve less collaborative conversations as compared to Scrum kickoff meetings, which encourage active participation of all the team members.
Which one plays a crucial role when initiating a Scrum team?
- a) Project Manager
- b) Product Owner
- c) Quality Assurance
- d) Client
Answer: b) Product Owner
Explanation: The product owner plays a crucial role in initiating the Scrum team by explaining the product vision and goals
In Scrum, the role of a project manager in a traditional project is typically replaced by:
- a) Product Owner
- b) Scrum Master
- c) Development Team
- d) Stakeholder
Answer: b) Scrum Master
Explanation: The role of a Scrum Master resembles that of a project manager in a traditional setting, but works as a servant leader, facilitating and eliminating obstructions for the team.
True or False: In comparison to a traditional kickoff, starting a new Scrum team involves more focus on team building and relationships.
Answer: True
Explanation: Unlike traditional kickoffs, starting a new Scrum team puts more emphasis on building relationships and effective communication among team members, which plays a critical role in Scrum methodology.
Great blog post! One key reason for handling a new Scrum Team differently is the importance of fostering a shared understanding of Scrum principles among team members.
Thanks for this post! It’s so helpful!
Another reason is the need for a different approach is to establish a team culture that supports continuous improvement and collaboration.
Such a helpful post! Appreciate the deep dive into Scrum Team formations.
A third reason could be the focus on establishing clear and continuous communication channels.
I appreciate this blog post!
Great content, thank you!
One of the reasons mentioned could use more elaboration. The aspect of team culture, for instance, seems a bit general.