Scrum At Hail

I’m starting this post with a pun of a title…. hopefully I can weave one together so that this title makes sense…

Let’s say you have an Agile team. You probably call it a Squad, admit it. Let’s also say this team is running Scrum, and because this is all hypothetical, let’s finally say it’s doing Scrum well.

Well done. ‘Twas all you. Give yourself a… self-five.

Let’s now say you have more than one Agile team Squad, at varying levels of Agile maturity at different stages on their Agile journey, and their work is either related to or dependent on each other no, wait, that was right, let’s keep it… and their work is either related to or dependent on each other.

Well, crap. It’s all on you. Pick a scaling framework… from five.

Let’s celebratorily say you’ve picked one. Now you can have focused conversations around ‘the now’ and ‘the next’, incorporating more aspects of the business, and hopefully addressing impediments quickly, even with as many Squads as you have.

Well, there you have it: Scrum, at scale.

This does not make sense when you’re a ScrumOfOne. Or does it? No, it doesn’t.

Let’s however say a new stage of your Agile journey has led you to… complications, not of scale, but of… life.

  • you had a break-up
  • you moved (again) (and again)
  • you become unemployed (again) (and again) (and yet again)
  • you got married (again)
  • you became a parent (again?) (you sure???)
  • you have an existential / life-purpose reassessment (racked up a few ‘again’s here)

Well then. Ain’t it all about you. Reflect and act after you… take five.

(If I had to boil Agility down to three verbs, it’s: act, reflect, iterate. I got this from listening to Bill Joiner talk about his Leadership Agility book.)

So how do you go about taking five / taking a break / stepping back / giving yourself a moment?

I like the metaphor of the complications of life as hail storm.

  • it can be sudden
  • the forecast said rain, but this totally ain’t rain, so it feels random
  • it is cold
  • it can wear you down
  • it can be noisy
  • it is usually considered ouchy

So how do I go about taking five?

  • lean on Stoicism
  • write in my journal
  • take a shower
  • litter casually
  • blog, even though it’s been 7 months

Well, there you have it: Scrum (Of One), at hail.