Speaking

Scrum is a framework, not a set of instructions. Its simplicity makes it powerful for work in complex environments where many unknown variables are at play. Unfortunately, some people like having black-and-white instructions, and consequently, many misconceptions have evolved about the “right” and “wrong” ways to apply Scrum. Let’s kill these myths once and for all.

An Agile transformation is really a change initiative. This lecture will discuss lessons learned from the WPS Health Solutions Agile Transformation. WPS grew from fewer than 5 Agile teams in 2018 to over 60 Agile teams in 2022 while also transforming from technology silos to Product teams.

According to the 15th Annual State of Agile report, 46% of survey respondents report struggles with inconsistent practices, and 43% report cultural classes.
 

Why is this? Often, organizations and teams that adopt Scrum have not fully embraced the concepts behind empiricism (making decisions based on what is known) and have not adopted the three pillars that make empiricism possible: transparency, inspection, and adaptation.

In this keynote, Mary Iqbal discusses the common signs of pretending to be agile and how to use Empiricism to stop pretending.

Many “experts” pedal the idea that they hold the secret ingredient to greater team productivity. The truth is that there is no mystery as to why some teams perform better than others. Team members who understand the purpose and goal of their work, have the autonomy to improve products, and have a method to continuously improve will deliver more value.

Scrum is simple, but that simplicity means that each element is essential. The values, accountabilities, artifacts, and events are all part of the framework for a reason. Teams that mess with the framework are messing with Scrum. Teams that change the elements limit Scrum's effectiveness and aren't really using Scrum. Learn from a born Texan about some common ways teams often mess with Scrum - and why they shouldn't.