[Scrum] Empiricism is an Essential Element of Scrum by Mark Noneman, Scrum Trainer

Empiricism is the most important 💯 element to understand to get Scrum to work in your environment.

Empiricism is a philosophy 🧙‍♂️ that we learn best from our actual experiences.

Using empiricism helps us solve complex problems. 💡

To explain empiricism, let us use an analogy with a thermostat 🥵.

How does a thermostat work?

First, it samples the temperature in the room or inspects it as we say in empiricism, and then based on comparing that inspected temperature with a goal temperature, the set temperature on a thermostat. It adapts, and it decides how to adjust the temperature to get closer to the goal 🎯.

So if it's too above the set temperature 🔥, it calls for air conditioning to move the temperature down toward the goal or

if the temperature is too low ❄️, it calls for heat to move it up toward the goal or if it's right at the goal 🟰 or near the goal, it doesn't do anything right now, but we'll inspect 🕵️ again shortly.

Now, to make empiricism work, there are three 3️⃣ things that you have to have besides this inspect/adapt feedback loop.

1️⃣ First of all, to know what the goal 🎯 is, here is the thermostat set temperature.

2️⃣ Then there's another thing is to inspect/adapt 🕵️ frequently enough to keep the temperature under control.

So imagine if you had a thermostat that you bought at a discount store that only samples the temperature once a day, like at 2 PM.

You sample the temperature and it's too hot so turn on the air conditioning, and we check again tomorrow that's going to be very uncomfortable.

Between now and then so we have to sample frequently enough our inspected frequently enough to keep it under control 🧑‍🔧.

3️⃣ Lastly, there is a last aspect: transparency which is to know what is exactly going on. So that we can adapt to the environment.

‼️ Remember that empiricism is an essential element of Scrum and it is the critical way by which we can emerge the best-fit solution to complex problems.