我們希望 Scrum Master 能調整的10件事情

2023/03/15閱讀時間約 18 分鐘

Photo by mostafa meraji on Unsplash

共同作者：Shalom Chin 與 KK；譯者：KK

Scrum 是許多知識工作者進行團隊協作的流行工作框架。在最近的《16th State of Agile Report》中，提到 10 個團隊中有 9 個使用 Scrum，以作為採用更好的工作方式的轉型。在常年關注 Scrum Master 招募訊息並與公司內的敏捷實踐者合作後，我們希望能調整以下 10 件事：

Scrum Values 體現了 Scrum 的精神。然而，當 Scrum 被強加於團隊時，將使該群人在不接受 Scrum Values 的狀況下一起工作。我們更傾向強調建立一個快樂的團隊。建立快樂的團隊，能體現 Scrum Values，以及能在安心的環境中，展現出強大的團隊協作。
請盡量使用 Scrum Guide 中的正式術語「Event」，而非「Scrum ceremonies」。Event 並非指以任何方式成為例行公事。Event 的存在是為了降低交付風險，以及呈現檢視性（inspection）和調適性（adaptation）。
我們傾向使用「Daily Scrum」，而非「Daily Stand-up」。團隊為了辨識出要解決的障礙、分享資訊，與確認他們實現目標的進展而開的 15 分鐘會議，稱為 Daily Scrum。你其實不需要每次都站起來參加這個會議。
我們建議使用「Product Backlog Refinement」，而非「Backlog Grooming」。Grooming 這個字，在某些地方含有負面意涵。為避免困擾，建議使用這個名詞。
敏捷與價值和原則有關（請參閱 Agile Manifesto）。我們建議盡可能減少在方法論和實踐上提到敏捷的次數。並開始盡量多談論 Scrum Values。若未具備這些價值和原則的思維，你將很難在你的組織中看到持續長久的改變。
如果你相信適應變化的更好方法，是讓團隊自組織，那麼，避免期待 Scrum Master 會管理團隊。經驗豐富的 Scrum Master 會為團隊創造出適合的協作環境、從實驗發現中得出結論，而非照規則做事。許多職缺提到期望 Scrum Master 要管理團隊，或審查技術設計。這種期待與給予自治權和賦權團隊是背道而馳的。
為了促進培養你的組織或團隊更有效的領導力，請避免讓 Scrum Master 做筆記或會議記錄者、Event 的組織者，或讓 Scrum Master 做任何會分散履行主要職責的事，這個主要職責即為「帶領團隊達到更高層次的高績效表現，以及取得真的商業成果」。非常建議在招募過程中，開誠布公的說明你需要的是具有 Scrum Master 背景的商業分析師（Business Analyst）或軟體架構師（Software Architect），而非將第二份工作的職責悄悄塞進職務描述中（Job Description/JD）。
若你想有更成功的轉型，我們建議減少只關注在教練（coach）團隊上，而是要藉由更多的教練領導（coaching leadership）或高階主管來做出平衡。為了消除根本/全面性的障礙而進行的重要組織變革，參與轉型的人員應包含具有能影響真正變革的真的有職權（正式權力）的決策者。這件事經由許多對話而產生。若你想看到你的組織加速變化，那就要允許 Scrum Master 與領導層進行溝通。
為了使你的組織或團隊盡可能善用 Scrum，我們希望少提到「專案」交付，多重視在「產品」交付。將團隊放在產品或商業能力中間，能長久的創建穩定的團隊。Martin Fowler 在這裡說得非常好，他說：「…我們想要轉換為以產品為導向的世界觀，而非專案，專案是執行一段時間後停止；也能這麼說，『讓我們專注在更長久的事情上，並圍繞它組成一個產品團隊。』（we want to switch to a product-oriented view of the world where instead of projects that you spin up, run for a while and then stop; you instead say, ‘Let’s focus on things that are much more long-lasting and organize a product team around that.）」
最後，與其將「持續改進」當做口號提出，不妨多考慮讓 Scrum Master 改變並影響當中的文化。 Scrum Master 應該支持領導者建立一種渴望，這種渴望能讓整個組織獲勝且變得讓人讚嘆。與其幫助團隊改善，不如想想如何促成更快的回饋循環出現，這樣公司就能更快適應變化。

我們相信，上述資訊對於人資（HR）、用人主管、職缺發佈者、職務面試官和正在接觸 Scrum 的人，在談到 Scrum 時能更了解，並且促成其共同語言（幫助溝通）與減少混淆。不止如此，這也能幫助 Scrum Master 透過平衡的關注正確的事物，為你的公司帶來更有效的正向和持續性的變化。

補充摘錄：

針對 Scrum Master 的挫折，我們曾進行相當有成果的討論。從我們與 Scrum 團隊合作的經驗，我們列出了最希望調整的、無前後順序的 10 件事。

從不一致的術語，到錯誤的期待，若你類似經驗，也許會產生共鳴。你還希望哪裡也產生調整呢？

Co-written by Shalom Chin and Kaitlyn Peng

Scrum is a prevalent framework used by many knowledge workers collaborating in teams. In the recent 16th State of Agile Report, 9 out of 10 teams are using Scrum as part of the transformation journey to adopt better ways of working. After years of reading Scrum Master job postings and working with Agile practitioners in companies, here are 10 things we would like to see less of:

Scrum values embody the spirit of Scrum. However, when Scrum has been imposed on a team, the focus is to have a group of people work together without recognition of the Scrum values. We prefer more emphasis on building a happy team that embodies the Scrum spirit and exhibits strong collaboration in a psychologically safe environment.
Please use the official term “Events” in the Scrum Guide, instead of using “Scrum ceremonies. The Events are not meant to be ritualistic in any way. They exist so that delivery risks can be mitigated, as well as for inspection and adaptation to be enabled.
We prefer using “Daily Scrum”, instead of “Daily Stand-up”. The 15 minutes that teams meet for identifying impediments to be addressed, sharing information, and determining their progress toward the goal is called the Daily Scrum. You do not necessarily have to stand up each time you do the Daily Scrum.
We suggest using “Product Backlog Refinement”, instead of using “backlog grooming”. Grooming has negative connotations in certain places. To avoid confusion, please stick to the official name for this activity.
Agile is about values and principles. We suggest reducing the number of times Agile is mentioned in terms of methodologies and practices. Start mentioning more about Scrum values. Without the mindset encompassing these values and principles, you will never see lasting change in your organization.
If you believe that a better way forward to adapt to change is for the team to be self-organizing, do not expect the Scrum Master to manage the team. Rather than dictate the what and how of the solutions, experienced Scrum Masters create the right environment for their team to collaborate, experiment and derive a conclusion from their findings. Several job postings expect the SM to manage the team or review the technical design. That sort of expectation is the opposite of giving autonomy and empowering teams.
To foster more effective leadership in your organization or teams, please refrain from asking SMs to be note-takers, event organizers, or anything that would distract the Scrum Master from doing their primary role, which is, to lead the team to higher levels of hyper-productivity and real business outcomes. It is better to be upfront during the hiring process that you want a Business Analyst or a Software Architect with a Scrum Master background rather than to sneak the responsibilities of a second job into the JD.
If you would like to achieve a more successful transformation, we suggest focusing less on just coaching teams, but to balance that with more inclusion of coaching leadership or executives. Important organizational changes to remove systemic impediments should include decision-makers with formal authority that can effect real change. This takes place through conversations. If you want to see accelerated change in your organization, allow SMs to have conversations with leadership.
To make your organization or teams make the best out of Scrum, we would like less mention of project delivery, and more recognition of product delivery. Center the teams around products or business capabilities that are long-lasting to create stable teams. Martin Fowler puts it very nicely here when he says, “…we want to switch to a product-oriented view of the world where instead of projects that you spin up, run for a while and then stop; you instead say, ‘Let’s focus on things that are much more long-lasting and organize a product team around that.’”
Lastly, instead of throwing out “continuous improvement” as a buzzword, think more about having the SM change and influence the culture within. SMs should support leaders to establish a desire for the entire organization to win and be awesome. Instead of helping the team to improve, think about how to enable faster feedback loops so that the company can adapt faster to change.

We believe it is important for HR, hiring managers, job posters, job interviewers, and people who are getting into Scrum to be more aware of this to facilitate a common language and less confusion when talking about Scrum. Moreover, this would enable Scrum Masters to be more effective in bringing about positive and sustainable change in your company by balancing the focus on the right things.

Extract: Kaitlyn Peng and I had a fruitful discussion on what frustrates us as Scrum Masters. From our experience in working with Scrum teams, we made an unordered list of our top 10 things that we would like to see less of.

From inconsistent terms to misplaced expectations, if you have experienced this, maybe it would be relatable. What are other things you would like to see less of?