Introduction
Self-management is at the heart of every successful Scrum team.
One of the key principles outlined in the 2020 Scrum Guide is the ability for teams to operate autonomously, making decisions on how best to accomplish their goals and do their work, without being directed by someone outside of the Scrum Team.
Empiricism emphasizes the importance of experience, inspection, and adaptation, playing a important part in creating this kind of autonomy.
However, many Scrum Teams encounter challenges along the way, and certain anti-patterns—common yet harmful behaviors or unethical practices can emerge and rob the Scrum Team from a potential to self-manage effectively.
1 – Superhero Scrum Master
Practical Example
Superhero Scrum Master who takes it upon themselves to handle every decision the team faces.
This feels compelled to manage the Scrum Team’s workload, assign tasks, constantly check on their progress, and even dictate the solution to problems(how).
While the intent may be to ensure efficiency and effectiveness the result is a Scrum Team that heavily depends on external input instead of developing the skills and confidence needed to make decisions independently.
How to Recognize It?
A clear indicator of this anti-pattern is a lack of initiative from Scrum Team members.
You’ll notice that the team rarely engages in problem-solving discussions or decision-making without first consulting the Scrum Master. Instead of self-organizing, the team waits for instructions and becomes hesitant to take ownership of their work.
How to Avoid It?
Scrum Master is not to control or micromanage but to facilitate and serve the team.
A great Scrum Master practices servant leadership, where they guide the team in a way that empowers them to make their own decisions.
To avoid this anti-pattern, the Scrum Master should step back, offering guidance only when needed and encouraging the team to experiment, learn from their mistakes, and use empiricism to adapt.
2 – Command-and-Control Leadership
Practical Example
This anti-pattern occurs when management or external leadership exert too much influence on the Scrum team.
For instance, managers may impose specific solutions or direct how tasks should be completed, leaving little to none room for the Scrum Team to decide how best to accomplish their work.
This hierarchical style of leadership, rooted in a traditional “command-and-control” approach, can ‘kill’ creativity and undermine the principles of self-management.
How to Recognize It?
A Scrum Team under this kind of leadership will exhibit low levels of ownership and engagement.
Scrum Team members may feel like they are simply executing orders rather than contributing to meaningful solutions.
They become dependent on external approval, constantly seeking validation for their work, rather than feeling accountable for their own decisions.
How to Avoid It?
To counter this anti-pattern, it’s essential to create a culture of trust, respect, and autonomy.
Scrum teams must have the freedom to decide how they achieve their goals, without interference from management.
Scrum values such as commitment, courage, and respect should be actively promoted within the team, encouraging members to take full responsibility for their work.
Additionally, leaders should shift to a more facilitative role, supporting the team’s autonomy and empowering them to make decisions and find the best solutions based on their collective expertise.
3 – Product Ownership: Not Found
Practical Example
A Product Owner’s accountability is to close the gap between the Stakeholders and the Scrum Team.
When the Product Owner is either too detached or unable to effectively communicate the Product Vision, Product Goal and priorities, the Scrum Team struggles to focus its efforts with the broader goals.
For example, a Product Owner who doesn’t regularly update the Product Backlog, or fails to maximize the value delivery properly, leaves the Scrum Team unsure about what to focus on and commit towards. This results in confusion and misaligned objectives.
How to Recognize It?
Scrum Teams facing this anti-pattern will frequently express frustration about not knowing which work items are most important to focus on.
Goals may appear ambiguous, and there may be a general sense of working without clear direction. Sprint Planning Event may also become disjointed, with team members unclear on the next steps.
How to Avoid It?
The Product Owner must take an active and engaged in effective Product Backlog management, clearly communicating the Product Vision and Product Goal and ensuring that priorities are transparent and aligned with business objectives.
Frequent communication with the Scrum Team is crucial, as it provides the necessary context for decision-making.
Moreover, the Product Owner should ensure that empirical processes, such as inspection and adaptation, are followed, using insights from past Sprints to inform future work and decisions.
4 – Ignoring Scrum Values
Practical Example
It’s easy to focus on Scrum’s framework (accountabilities, events, and artifacts), the underlying values of Scrum—commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage—are often missed in all contexts.
A team that diminish the value these Values may find it difficult to build trust between Scrum Team members and Stakeholders, poor communication, or lack of engagement.
How to Recognize It?
The effects of ignoring Scrum values is like not using a compass when you are lost in jungle.
There may be a lack of transparency in communication, with Scrum Team members avoiding difficult conversations or failing to raise concerns early.
You may also notice low levels of commitment, with team members disengaged or not fully invested in the outcomes of their work.
How to Avoid It?
Integrating Scrum Values into everyday practices is essential for building a cohesive and self-managing team.
These values should be openly discussed and regularly revisited during Sprint Retrospectives to ensure the team understands their importance.
For example, at the end of each Sprint, the team can reflect on how well they’ve upheld these Scrum Values and how they can improve moving forward. By reinforcing these values, Scrum Pillars of Transparency, Inspection and Adaptation come to life building trust.
5 – Lack of Accountability Among Developers
Practical Example
A Scrum Team’s success is built on shared accountability, but when accountability is lacking, Scrum Team members may avoid taking ownership of their work.
For instance, some developers might drag their feet on completing work items or achieving goals, assume others will handle key responsibilities, or blame external factors when work isn’t completed on time. Without a culture of accountability, the team’s productivity and trust deteriorate.
How to Recognize It?
Signs of this anti-pattern include missed committments , finger-pointing, blame-game and a general lack of transparency about progress towards the goals. In Daily Scrums, Developers might downplay issues or fail to communicate openly about obstacles they are facing, leading to last-minute surprises and cutting corners at the end of the Sprint.
How to Avoid It?
To build a culture of accountability, Scrum Teams must embrace transparency and effective communication. Scrum Events as minimum are an opportunity to foster openness about progress and challenges, ensuring that Scrum Team members are committed to goals and willing to support each other.
Scrum Masters can encourage this creating an environment where mistakes are viewed as lessons learned with a purpose, rather than sources of blame.
This empirical mindset allows the Scrum Team to inspect its progress as it is and adjust accordingly, enabling continuous improvement and collective ownership of results.
Conclusion
Avoiding these anti-patterns is important for creating a Scrum team that is not only self-managing but also consistently delivering value.
As a Scrum practitioner or leader, it’s essential to stay vigilant and reflective of your Scrum Team’s practices to ensure you are fostering an environment of growth, collaboration, and self-management.
Are you facing challenges in enabling your Scrum team to become self-managing?
I am offer coaching sessions and resources to help you navigate these anti-patterns and create high-performing, self-managing and cross-functional Scrum Team.
