What are the obstacles to use Scrum?

Agile practices have not been new for some time. Several companies already use Scrum and other agile practices as an innovative Framework, geared towards business needs. However, there are some obstacles to using Scrum in teams.

What is also not new is that, before using these practices and tools, many organizations. Especially those that do not have IT as their “business core”, are already using a range of various other practices.

Hence, resistance to a possible agile transformation is evident, especially in areas of heavy use of predecessors. In this article, you will see some obstacles that you might have by applying Scrum in your project or business.

Obstacles to implementing Scrum in an Organization

Many entrepreneurs and managers complain that the scrum methodology is inefficient or is not capable of generating the expected results of this method. But what many don’t know is that they may be committing some of the deadly sins of a Scrum Master.

Delivering products and services quickly and efficiently is one of the greatest challenges for organizations that seek innovative ways to meet the new demands of the market and customers.

One of the strategies that have been receiving attention from managers to face the current complex business environment is the implementation of Scrum, an agile methodology focused on project management and planning.

These are behaviors and ways of thinking that directly affect task performance and project management.

But several factors can prevent successful Scrum deployment. Employee awareness, management support, and a clear definition of the roles of process members are critical to the successful transition to Scrum.

Unwill of changing

Resistance to change is a great challenge for organizations that are not adapted to the use of agile methodologies, including Scrum.

Reactive employees incorporate mechanisms to identify and react to changes, which can be bypassed with resistance management, where sponsors identify expected points of resistance and address them before they have consequences.

Transforming the organizational culture is a complicated process and it is necessary to exercise the new principles – the agile culture – every day, until they become a habit, motivating people and clearly presenting the benefits of this transformation, both personally and professionally.

Get used to the new environment

As they are made up of people with different levels of experience and points of view, the Scrum development team must strive to function as a unit, aligned with the customer’s requirements to successfully develop the product and meet their expectations.

In addition, the team must create a collaborative environment, proactively sharing thoughts, ideas and knowledge to overcome challenges and deliver high-quality products in less time.

Understand new roles

The transition to Scrum transforms roles across teams, departments, and even across the enterprise, which can be very daunting.

Managers, for instance, fear losing their authority or power to control, while team members may find it difficult to work more autonomously, managing their processes and decision-making.

Therefore, during the daily meetings, each member must answer the following questions, aiming to form a harmonious whole:

What did I do yesterday that helped the development team achieve the Sprint goal (activity cycle)?
What will I do today to help the development team achieve the Sprint goal?
Do I see any obstacles that prevent me or the development team from reaching the Sprint goal?

Unfollow what they determined

The interactions and demands have been established, but you want it to work out your way. Instead of working with the team, you are making them work for you.

You’ve determined that everyone starts at a certain time. You work for straight hours without breaks and deliver a different amount of demands.

This is wrong in several respects. Keep in mind that each team member knows how best to work individually. If everyone is within the framework of Scrum, there is no problem if everyone works the way they think is best.

As a scrum master, you can even give some direction to the team, but keep in mind that one of the principles of this methodology is precise to increase productivity by working together. Therefore, all steps cannot be done just your way.

Desire to solve problems before they arise

Another mistake you should avoid when applying the scrum methodology is trying to “put out the fire” without even a sign of smoke. This aggressiveness ends up being harmful in several aspects.

You end up getting overwhelmed and often create unnecessary situations that do not help project management at all.

This is not to say that you should let your team make lots of mistakes and just hide everything under the rug. On the contrary, you need to allow your collaborators to find the problem and look for a solution.

It is precisely this journey of mistakes, successes, and learning that will form a winning team that knows how to manage any obstacles that may arise along the way.

No empathy for obstacles to using Scrum

Having empathy doesn’t mean you should put your developers “under your wing”. Understand that each person has their values, ideals, strengths, and also flaws.

Also, remember that a healthy and creative work environment will ultimately encourage and motivate developers. The way you work today is completely different from a few decades ago.

This is because companies understand that there is no point in making a developer spend hours in front of a computer if his productivity will drop after 2 hours of direct programming. So be empathetic, help stimulate creativity in the workplace, take breaks and understand your professionals.

Focusing solely on training the development team

Another deadly sin a Scrum Master must avoid when applying the scrum methodology is to focus only on the development team.

Keep in mind that a scrum master needs to work with all teams connected to the product. Only then will it be possible to reach a really satisfactory final result. It is necessary to apply the agile values in all departments of the company.

Whether in development, marketing, accounting, or any other sector. After all, a company works like clockwork where each team is a cog that performs a specific function.

Your team is agile just by using scrum

Many Scrum Masters believe that the fact that they use the scrum methodology is what makes them agile professionals.

But just as not following the rules is a mistake, believing that just because you’re using them you’re being agile is, too. A product can spend years in the development phase and still meet Scrum.

And at the same time, you can submit a project in two weeks, but it’s not nimble. This is because there are probably still several residues that need to be eliminated.

Extra: Benefits outweigh risks

Even though the transition to Scrum initially seems a challenge for organizations, the great advantage of using the Scrum methodology is learning to do more in less time. It relates to concepts widely pursued in the corporate environment, such as efficiency and productivity.

By adopting the Scrum model, it is possible to guarantee quality deliveries.. As a result, this avoids financial losses, dissatisfaction with the results, or unnecessary rework.

The main thing is to understand the impact that Scrum will have on the company’s culture. To understand that adopting an agile methodology requires a period of transition and adaptation, training, guidance, and persistence. Thus, until the new processes are part of the way people work and the way to run projects.

In the end, the goal is to overcome the challenges for organizations transitioning to Scrum, increasing delivery speed, ensuring customer satisfaction, and optimizing efficiency and flexibility.

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