Scrum Won’t Solve all the Problems
I get a lot of emails and messages whenever I publish a post, usually they connect with someone and they ask for more information in fixing problems and implementing them in their company.
When I ask for more information, I am often responded to with things around problems with their company culture or management such as:
- Management are unreasonable and don’t want to listen
- Deadlines created by the company are often too unrealistic
- There are members of the team which are very junior and too much is expected from them
- Management don’t have the correct understanding of what Scrum is
- The Product owners hold the development team accountable for the work but mid-way through the sprint increase the tasks
- Product Owners or Management don’t give enough vision of show what is next in the pipeline
So Whats the Solution?
Unfortunately, not every problem can be fixed. Scrum won’t solve all your problems.
In smaller start up organisations, change might be easier; but working in large scale organisations with thousands of people often brings more complexity. There are often more rigorous processes, change takes time or needs approval. Sometimes the way you like to work just isn’t a culture fit for the organisation that you are in.
It is obviously our obligation as employees to do our best, and as employers its their responsibility to give us the tools and the environment to be able to succeed. We should try and fix the problem; with regards to management or organisational issues we need to try and educate, explain the benefits and risks of not changing.
What if there is no Solution?
Sometimes we just have to accept that there is no fix, and accept that we cannot solve every problem.
If you try to make improvements and the management team don’t want to adapt, you have tried to educate or persuade them and have received no support then you probably need to accept that you are in a position where you cannot change in that instance.
If this is something that you feel really strongly about, and you are not happy to accept the status quo or wait it out then you many need to change jobs or company.
We cannot fix every problem.
Don’t find yourself in the position where you are beating the same tune on a drum and no one is listening. Your time is probably better spent focusing your energy on something that you can affect, and accept or move on from the things you cannot. Not every company culture or need will allow you to implement agile.
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