Scrum Mastery

by Geoff Watts

Vince wrote the team’s stated rules on a flipchart sheet, stuck it on the wall and began the meeting. Within 30 minutes, one of the team members, Janet, got her laptop out and started going through her inbox, replying to emails. The rest of the group looked at her, looked at the sheet on the wall, back at Janet and then at Vince, as if to say, “So what are you going to do about it?” Vince considered for a moment. He was disappointed that Janet had shown disrespect to the team, the meeting, and her own commitment. He was more curious, though, as to why the rest of the team didn’t feel able to pull Janet up on her behaviour. Vince decided to ask the group about it. “Let’s pause just a moment and return to our working agreements,” he began. “Janet, I notice that you are on your computer right now. And I’ve noted a few times where one or two of you have interrupted each other. Both of these actions seem to violate the rules here on this flipchart,” Vince concluded, pointing to the paper he’d hung on the wall. “I’m sorry,” Janet said quickly, blushing as she shut her laptop. “My intention isn’t to single you out, Janet,” explained Vince. “You are not the only person who has violated the stated rules today, just the most recent. I want to ask the team a question: are these agreements truly reflective of your intended behavior? Because you are not only breaking your own rules, you are also failing to take action or hold each other accountable to them. If I weren’t here, how would...