Hello colleagues,
Let's imagine a situation where the Team fails to reach the Sprint Goals seven times in a row.
Who is responsible to change the situation?
1) Product Owner
2) Scrum Master
3) Developers
4) The Scrum Team
What do we have?
First: PO
The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team.
So PO could ask the Developers about a reason of fails.
Second: SM
The Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team’s effectiveness.
Scrum Masters are true leaders who serve the Scrum Team to be better in continuous learning process.
Coaching the team members in self-management and cross-functionality.
Helping the Scrum Team focus on creating high-value Increments that meet the Definition of Done.
Causing the removal of impediments to the Scrum Team’s progress.
Third: Developers
Developers are the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint.
Adapting their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal.
And: The Scrum Team
Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint.
The Scrum Team is responsible for all product-related activities from stakeholder collaboration, verification, maintenance, operation, experimentation, research and development, and anything else that might be required.
The entire Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint.
So... According to these statements SM, PO and Devs are responsible for the value at the end of a Sprint. It means - The whole Scrum Team. Yes. And It's my vision.
I know "the right" answer: Developers.
But I don't think so. Why they arescapegoats?
Let's see how it could be.
1) PO should ask the Team after the first, second (especially after the third fail) on the Retrospective: "Why do you fail? how can I help you?"
- because environments are not stable. Dear SM, could we ask you to do something, may be ask an organization to change the hardware please?
2) SM should ask the Team: "Guys may be I'm mistaken, but I see what we didn't reach the Goal. Am I right?"
- Yes, because PO changes stories during the Sprint
"What should we do to do not repeat this case again?"
3) Devs don't see the problem because nobody helps them to point on it.
- Really? PO says what it's okay. Nobody (from business) cares about the value.
After that SM goes to PO clarify the question privately.
The next chains of issue solving could be here:
SM rises this topic on the Retro -> Devs create an action item to solve it
PO rises this topic on the Retro -> Devs create an action item to solve it
Devs rise this topic on the Retro -> Devs+PO create an action item to solve it and ask SM to assist
...other scenarios
But any way SM should help the team to betterthrough training, couching and mentoring.
...and Whole Scrum Team takes part in the issue solving: SM as the Team helper to be effective, PO as the value controller, Devs as the implementers.
From my point of view: Bad Scrum Master - who do nothing because "developers are responsible...". (especially several sprints in a row).
What are your thoughts on this?
