Concepts
Setting up a new Scrum team
Setting up a new Scrum team usually involves a series of strategic decisions and actions. Whether you’re launching your first Scrum team or expanding an existing one, this article will guide you through the key areas to consider for effective project execution and delivery.
Step 1: Assemble the Team
Assembling a new Scrum team involves selecting the right range of skills and experience. This requires a balanced composition of team members with diverse competencies, enabling them to work together to create and deliver a potentially releasable increment.
A balanced Scrum team typically consists of the following roles:
- Scrum Master: Facilitates the team and organization to adhere to Scrum principles.
- Product Owner (PO): Manages the Product Backlog and ensures value production.
- Development Team: Executes the work to deliver the increment.
Step 2: Establish Team Rules and Norms
Once the team is assembled, the next step is to establish team rules. Clear rules are essential to inform every member of their responsibilities, maintain harmony within the team, and ensure everyone has a shared understanding of what is expected.
The Scrum Guide is an excellent starting point for this process. In this document, there are numerous practices, norms, and events that the team can adopt. Examples include Daily Scrum, Sprint Planning, and Sprint Retrospective.
Step 3: Develop Vision and Roadmap
The PO should develop a clear vision that guides the team towards achieving the product goals. This vision should be readily available and understood by every team member. Additionally, the PO should outline a product roadmap to help the team understand how the vision will be achieved over time.
Step 4: Prioritize the Backlog
The Product Backlog is a prioritized list of desired functionalities or features for the product. The PO is primarily responsible for managing it, while the Development Team provides estimates on the efforts required for each item enlisted. These backlog items are typically sorted based on business value, risk, and dependencies.
Step 5: Begin Sprint Planning
Sprint planning is a meeting where the PO, Scrum Master, and Development Team come together to decide what to accomplish in the upcoming Sprint. The objective is to select a set of items from the Product Backlog to be developed within the upcoming Sprint, creating a viable Increment.
Step 6: Execute Sprints
After planning the Sprint, the Development Team starts working on the chosen Product Backlog items. Daily Scrum meetings facilitate updates and adjustments needed to stay on track. By the end of the Sprint, the team should deliver an increment that’s “Done,” meaning it’s potentially releasable and conforms to the team’s agreed-upon definition of done.
Step 7: Perform Sprint Reviews and Retrospectives
At the end of the Sprint, the team should conduct a Sprint Review to inspect the increment and a Sprint Retrospective to review how the sprint went process-wise. These cycles of inspection and adaptation are crucial to improve team performance.
In conclusion, setting up a new Scrum team takes meticulous planning and thoughtful execution. Understanding the Scrum guidelines and implementing them efficiently is a crucial aspect reviewed in the Certified Scrum Professional – ScrumMaster (CSP-SM) exam. By following the steps outlined above, aspiring CSP-SM candidates can learn how to effectively plan and launch a Scrum team.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
True or False: Scrum is a type of Agile methodology.
Answer: True.
Explanation: Scrum is one of the Agile frameworks which has specific roles, artifacts, and meetings.
When planning the launch of a new Scrum team, communication is not an important factor.
Answer: False.
Explanation: Communication is crucial in a Scrum Team. Clear and transparent communication ensures everyone is on the same page.
Which of the following is NOT a role in a Scrum Team?
- a) Scrum Master
- b) Product Owner
- c) Team Leader
- d) Development Team
Answer: c) Team Leader.
Explanation: In Scrum, there are only three roles: Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team. There is no role as “Team Leader”.
True or False: Product Backlog refinement is an ongoing process.
Answer: True.
Explanation: Product Backlog refinement is an ongoing activity in Scrum. The Product Owner and the Development Team collaborate to refine the backlog.
Who is responsible for managing the Product Backlog?
- a) Scrum Master
- b) Product Owner
- c) Development Team
- d) Stakeholders
Answer: b) Product Owner.
Explanation: The Product Owner is responsible for the Product Backlog, including its content, availability, and ordering.
True or False: The Scrum Master is responsible for delivering the product increment.
Answer: False.
Explanation: The Development Team is responsible for delivering a “Done” product increment at the end of each Sprint, not the Scrum Master.
The definition of “Done” is decided by:
- a) Scrum Master
- b) Product Owner
- c) Development Team
- d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above.
Explanation: The definition of “Done” should be a shared understanding among the Scrum Team and must be agreed upon by all members.
What is the maximum duration of a Sprint in Scrum?
- a) 1 week
- b) 2 weeks
- c) 1 month
- d) 3 months
Answer: c) 1 month.
Explanation: The maximum duration for a Sprint in Scrum is one month.
True or False: Scrum promotes self-organizing teams.
Answer: True.
Explanation: Scrum encourages self-organizing teams. The Development Team should organize itself to best meet their goals each Sprint.
When should Scrum principles and values be established and communicated to a new Scrum team?
- a) After the first Sprint
- b) Before the first Sprint
- c) During the first Daily Scrum
- d) As needed during the project
Answer: b) Before the first Sprint.
Explanation: The Scrum principles and values should be shared and understood by the team before the first Sprint starts. It helps in creating a foundation for effective teamwork.
What is the purpose of a Sprint Retrospective?
- a) To review backlog items for the next Sprint
- b) To monitor the team’s performance
- c) To reflect on the past Sprint and plan for improvements in the next Sprint
- d) To present the increment to the stakeholders
Answer: c) To reflect on the past Sprint and plan for improvements in the next Sprint.
Explanation: The Sprint Retrospective is a meeting held after the Sprint Review and before the next Sprint Planning. It’s an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint.
Which of the following is NOT a Scrum artifact?
- a) Product Backlog
- b) Sprint Backlog
- c) Increment
- d) User story
Answer: d) User story.
Explanation: A user story is a way of capturing a description of a product feature from an end-user perspective. It’s not an artifact however. The three Scrum artifacts are the Product Backlog, the Sprint Backlog, and the Increment.
Great blog post! Planning the launch of a new Scrum Team can be quite challenging but also rewarding.
Agreed! Effective planning is crucial for a successful Scrum Team. Which planning tools do you recommend?
As a CSP-SM, what is your primary focus when starting a new Scrum Team?
Thanks for sharing your insights! It really helps.
Great post! Any tips on how to handle resistance from team members who are new to Scrum?
Weekly retrospectives have been a game-changer for my Scrum Team. What’s your take on their frequency for new teams?
I think bi-weekly retrospectives allow more time for changes to take effect before evaluating.
Excellent write-up! New Scrum Teams need strong alignment on goals.