How to Decide that Your Team is Ready for Scrum?

Scrum has been the most popular Agile framework globally for over 20 years. However, implementing Scrum is not an easy task, especially if the conditions are not suitable. What I mean by "suitable" is that Scrum demands a significant investment and commitment, making it inherently difficult to adopt. Therefore, to achieve success and derive meaningful benefits from the change, organizations must be prepared for it.

Each organization has a unique culture, risk tolerance, and adaptability, among other attributes. What works for one organization may not work for another. Therefore, if you're unsure about implementing Agile/Scrum for your teams, it's crucial to assess your organization's readiness. This way, you can identify potential obstacles early on and take measures to avoid them.

To help you determine how prepared your team is to adopt Scrum or any other Agile approach, we have compiled a list of 10 factors. Review this list to determine if it's worth investigating further before making a significant financial investment.

Does Your Team Resist Change?

If your team is comfortable of things how it is, it can become a problem in the long run. The current world is unpredictable and dynamic, and to stay competitive, teams must be able to pivot and adapt quickly. However, this does not necessarily mean that you need to remove team members who are uncomfortable with change. Instead, it's important to cultivate a culture of adaptability by gradually introducing small changes that can help alleviate any potential stress that the team may feel.

Does Your Team Prefer to Do What They are Told?

If your team is accustomed to simply following orders without questioning why, they may have difficulty adjusting to Agile methods that encourage self-organization and decision-making based on limited data. It will take time and effort to help team members shift their mindset and learn how to make decisions. As mistakes are a natural part of the learning process, it's important to avoid punishing errors and instead encourage learning from them. Reinforcing positive behaviours and creating a psychologically safe environment will promote a growth mindset.

Is Your Team Afraid to Experiment with New Tools/techniques?

Some teams may also be hesitant to experiment due to fear of repercussions or a "zero-defect" mentality in the organization. Setting clear boundaries and providing support can help reduce fear and encourage experimentation.

Get Ready Your Team to Get Familiar with Transparency

Transparency is a crucial component of Agile methods, but some team members may be hesitant to share problems or ask for help due to a fear of appearing incompetent. Providing mentoring or coaching can help team members understand that sharing problems is encouraged and does not diminish their value on the team.

Make Your Team Familiar with Adapting New Things

It can be frustrating to encounter team members who are resistant to learning new things and prefer to stick to what they know. However, one approach is to pair them with a less experienced team member and have them act as a mentor. This can lead to a symbiotic relationship where both parties learn from each other.

Let Your Team Learn Not to Wait When They are Stuck

Another potential challenge is when team members tend to wait for solutions instead of taking initiative. This can hinder the self-management required in Agile methods. One solution is to implement regular check-ins and encourage team members to brainstorm possible solutions to problems instead of waiting for someone else to solve them.

Does Your Team Think Everything is Just Fine?

There are some teams that are content with their current work and have never been asked to do anything differently by management. This can be a dangerous situation as it can lead to complacency and ultimately mediocrity, which may put them at a disadvantage compared to their competitors.

To address this issue, you can introduce small changes based on the team's input. Challenge the team to identify one area for improvement that can help achieve a specific business objective, such as improving quality, reducing lead time, or increasing delivery frequency. Ask them to set a measurable goal and track progress towards it, which can help build momentum and foster a culture of continuous improvement. It's important to set realistic goals that are achievable, yet aspirational enough to drive the team to succeed. By doing so, the team will gradually develop a mindset of continuous improvement, which can help them stay competitive and adapt to changing business needs.

Does Your Team Struggle to Make Decisions without All the Information

Do team members struggle to make decisions when they don't have all the necessary information? This could be a sign of fear of failure or negative consequences, which in turn reflects a lack of psychological safety within the team. To address this, it's important to build a culture of trust and openness.

Does Your Team Struggle with Deadlines?

Another common issue is when teams struggle with meeting deadlines, which can be detrimental to the organization. One way to address this is by implementing short time increments, such as sprints, to help the team operate within manageable cycles and provide clear checkpoints to work towards. A little sense of urgency can be motivating and keep the team focused on their goals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if your team is struggling with these above issues then your team need to be trained with Scrum, and you need to get your team out of their comfort zone for digging more productivity.