Four Things to Consider When Launching A New Scrum Team

Scrum isn’t simply used for software system development professionals any more. Today, many industries have adopted this agile project management framework to increase their small teams’ speed up and to maximize the expertise used when tackling complex assignments. Scrum framework, at a high level includes specific team configurations, specialized skills, ceremonies, communication, and tools to continuously improve collaboration, speed and project outcomes. Because of its uniqueness, a #Scrum implementation often means a cultural and tactical shift for many teams.

As a Scrum Master, with over many years of experience, I have seen many organizations struggle introducing Scrum but don’t let the thought of growing pains stop you. Once fully integrated, you and your team will reap many benefits which Scrum offers.

To get you started, here’s my condensed version on how to successfully launch your Scrum Team.

Scrum Team Size Matter

A Scrum Team consists of a Product Owner, a Scrum Master, the Developers and testers (QA). According to the Scrum Guide (version 2020), “the scrum team should be 10 or fewer people and should have all the skills necessary to deliver product increments.” Small teams are more efficient and productive. It’s easier to manage Scrum events like Sprint Planning, the Daily Scrum (DSU), the Sprint Review and the Sprint Retrospective with a smaller team consisting of 10 or fewer team members. In addition, having a small team size increases the likelihood of team communication. However, the previous Scrum guide version suggests that less than 3 developers in a scrum team will result in limited interaction and less productivity. According to Jeff Sutherlands (Scrum co-founder), the optimal team size is five. I would recommend having five to nine team members in a Scrum Team. Below five, the team is too small, and if there are more than nine team members, the team is too big.

Team Ownership is Essential

The Scrum Team is accountable as a whole to create a valuable, useful Increment by the end of each Sprint. Scrum team must be able to work together as a unit to achieve a common goal. This means that the team members trust each other and are fully committed to the team project.

How do we build trust within a Scrum Team? My suggestion is to have team members get to know each other's histories, behaviors, and interests in a friendly environment. As a Scrum Master you can arrange a “team building meeting” in a nearby coffee shop to have a friendly conversation or you can setup an online zoom/video call if the team is located offshore. You can start the conversation with an introduction and do some fun icebreaker activity. As a Scrum Master, you can create a team activity for them to share their personal histories, strengths and weaknesses. The key here is to break the ice and to get people out of their comfort zones. Make sure to facilitate these exercises in a lighthearted, fun way so as to make it non-threatening for people to participate. The more they know about each other the more they’ll feel connected, and the trust will grow.

Enable Self-Organized & Cross-Functional Team

Scrum Guide emphasizes on having a cross-functional and self-organized Scrum team. How do we do it? To have a cross-functional team is essential to help make Scrum framework successful and productive. Cross-functional teams show more flexibility and can react faster to changing requirements. The benefits of a cross-functional team is to improve coordination across functional areas, increased innovation in product and process, and to get fast feedback from key stakeholders. Scrum framework promotes and encourages self-organization within the Development Team. The Scrum framework revolves around 3 roles, 5 events and 3 artifacts, which helps the team to self-organize within the boundaries of Sprint. The team is self-organized around the Sprint Backlog, deciding the best way to reach the Sprint Goal. Scrum Guide suggests that “self-organizing teams choose how to best accomplish their work, rather than being directed by others outside the team.” Within Scrum, the Development Team decides the best way to accomplish their work, to complete the Sprint Goal, and no one else can tell the team how to accomplish their work. Scrum Master serves as a Servant Leader for the team, therefore, he/she should coach the team to solve its own problems and to resolve its own conflicts rather than doing it for them. The role of Scrum Master is to teach the Development Team to remove its own impediments while supporting it, and helps to remove the ones it cannot. The Scrum Master also teaches the team to continuously improve. The Scrum Master never tells anyone what to do with regards to producing the Increment.

Foster Team Communication

Good communication is one of the essential elements to building a robust Scrum team. Lack of

communication or poor communication will invariably cause the Scrum team to fall apart. A study conducted by The Economist shows that problems in communication often delays project completion, leads to low morale and missed goals, and can result in a loss of sales. A Scrum Master can ask open-ended questions to enhance communication in the Scrum team. Open-ended questions encourage discussion. They require more than a simple one-word answer like “Yes” or “No”. You might want to phrase questions in an open-ended way by adding “why”. Lack of trust among people will directly impact team communication and openness. If a team member is not comfortable speaking up, investigate the reasons. Try to create an open environment where people feel safe to share their ideas and can ask questions without being judged. Enhanced transparency helps establish the context for communication and enables quick decision making. Encourage the team members to practice and promote transparency.

Concluding Thoughts

There is a lot more to launching a successful Scrum team in your startup than these, but hopefully, by following these suggestions in your startup should help improve efficiency within your Scrum Team. Once the team is in place, it will take time to grow. Scrum framework is easy to understand but difficult to implement. Teams that want to succeed in an agile environment must commit to the process and their own personal and collective growth. Those that do are the ones who will stay ahead of the curve.