Scrum is not the wild, wild West. I think a lot of people think that Scrum means that we can do what we want. Like it's the wild, wild West, and anything goes. This is really (really!) not the case. Scrum - when done well - actually promotes even greater accountability than waterfall, because the Scrum team is accountable for value delivery. And great Scrum teams measure - and reflect upon - customer outcomes so that they can adjust course and improve their ability to deliver value.
Here are 5 ways that Scrum is not the wild, wild West:
1) Sprint Backlog & Sprint Goal: Scrum Teams don’t just work on whatever they feel like. The Sprint Backlog provides transparency on what they are working on, and the Sprint Goal keeps them focused. The team decides what gets pulled into the Sprint, but once they commit, they are accountable for achieving the Sprint Goal. The Scrum team may make changes to the scope of the Sprint, if needed, but they are accountable for delivering a done increment which meets the Sprint goal.
2) Self-Organizing, Not Free-For-All: Yes, the Scrum Team self-organizes, but within guardrails set by the organization. They decide who does what within the Sprint—because they are closest to the work. No need for managers to assign tasks. Instead, leaders can focus on ensuring the team has the resources they need, fostering culture, and helping the Product Owner align the Product Goal with broader business objectives. And when multiple Scrum Teams support the same product, they can organize themselves across teams—but that doesn’t mean they decide reporting structures.
3) Definition of Done: The Scrum Team defines their Definition of Done, but they don’t get to make up their own rules entirely. If the organization has a standard Definition of Done, the team must adopt it at a minimum. Work isn’t “done” until it meets the agreed quality and completeness standards. No shortcuts.
4) Empirical Process Control: Scrum is based on transparency, inspection, and adaptation. There’s no “winging it” or hoping for the best. Teams regularly inspect their progress (Daily Scrum), reflect on how to improve (Sprint Retrospective), and make adjustments to optimize value delivery. If something’s not working, they adapt—not just plow forward blindly.
5) Stakeholder Collaboration & Accountability: Scrum Teams don’t work in isolation. They engage with stakeholders frequently, ensuring alignment and feedback. The Sprint Review isn’t just a demo—it’s a checkpoint where stakeholders and the team inspect progress and adjust direction if needed. This level of engagement and accountability ensures that Scrum isn’t chaos—it’s structured responsiveness.
So no, Scrum isn’t the wild, wild West. It’s not a free-for-all. It’s a disciplined framework designed to maximize learning, adaptability, and, most importantly, value delivery. The best Scrum Teams don’t just embrace this accountability—they thrive on it.
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