Scrum is Hard and Disruptive 9 - Scrum is Change Management

Ryan and Todd look back at a 2006 post by Ken Schwaber, which covers 15 ways Scrum is both hard and disruptive.

The ninth statement from Ken:

"The focus of using Scrum is the change from old habits to new ways of doing business. Scrum is not implemented or rolled-out as a process; it is used to foment change. "

Podcast Focus: The podcast "Scrum is Hard and Disruptive" by professional scrum trainers Todd Miller and Ryan Ripley explores a white paper published by Ken Schwaber, co-creator of Scrum, in 2006. They assess 15 statements about Scrum to see if they remain relevant 17 years later.

Scrum's Purpose: The primary focus of Scrum is to facilitate a transition from old habits to new ways of conducting business. It is emphasized that Scrum should not just be implemented as a new process but should be used to instigate significant organizational change.

Common Misconceptions: There's a critique of how many organizations misunderstand Scrum, often using it merely as a new process rather than a tool for real change. This leads to maintaining old habits instead of adopting genuinely new ways of doing business.

Technology and Business Integration: A key point discussed is the need to stop viewing IT departments as separate from the rest of the business. In the modern world, where technology is central, IT should be integrated into the core business processes.

Challenges of Implementing Scrum: The podcast underscores that implementing Scrum can be challenging and disruptive, as it requires significant changes in organizational behavior and mindset. The goal is to move beyond superficial adoption of Scrum as a process to deeply ingrained changes in how businesses operate.