⚽ SCRUM: Two Ingredients for Self-Management (No Recipe Possible Though) by Marc Kaufmann

Scrum uses self-managed teams, agile and adaptable in complex environments.

They leverage the team's collective potential for faster, creative problem-solving.

Here, I'll discuss implementing self-management for high-performing teams.

What is self-management?

Peter Drucker, in 'Management Challenges for the 21st Century,' 📖:

--emphasizes that knowledge workers must manage themselves and have autonomy, aligning with Agile principles where teams self-manage tasks and decisions.

Unlike manager-led teams, self-managing teams autonomously determine who does what, when, and how.

Self-management can't be forced; it arises from engaging goals and clear boundaries.

Manipulating these factors shapes the degree and direction of self-management, providing guidance and defining the solution space for the team.

Two curcial ingredients for self-management:

1️⃣ 𝑰𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 #1: 𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍 🎯✅

A good goal motivates and provides context, aiding planning and decision-making.

In Scrum, the Product Goal defines the 'why' for development, while Sprint Goals set short-term objectives.

These goals are concrete, measurable, and visible on the Scrum board, helping the team stay focused and make progress.

2️⃣ 𝑰𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 #2: 𝑩𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 🛂

Teams need clear boundaries for effective self-management.

Supportive boundaries strike a balance between guidance and autonomy, fostering trust and collaboration.

Scrum provides a balanced set of rules:

But external constraints like budget and organizational limitations can hinder self-management.

• 🎉 Scrum Events and Artifacts provide transparency and rapid feedback for result inspection and adaptation.
• 🎭 Scrum roles clarify responsibilities: Product Owner (what to do), Developers (how to do), and Scrum Master (framework).
• ⌚ Timeboxing maintains focus, synchronization, and stakeholder alignment.
• 👌 The Definition of Done ensures transparency and trust in release readiness.
• 💖 Scrum values (focus, respect, openness, commitment, and courage) build a foundation of trust for collaboration.

As Scrum Masters, we work on modifying these boundaries to empower teams.

𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 🚧

Begin by identifying 🆔 team boundaries for delivering the Increment and their impact.

Explore ways to make them more supportive, like enhancing transparency and speeding up decision-making.

Use visualization tools and involve the team in proposing small, measurable steps and finding allies.

Make the plan and expected benefits visible to management 👩‍💼, then collaborate on experiments to address the most limiting boundaries and measure the results.

𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏

Scrum encourages self-managing teams, emphasizing the importance of setting good goals and supportive boundaries.

Scrum Masters, coaches, or managers, play a role in helping teams achieve autonomy.