Name: Scrum
Rating: 4.4 (302 reviews)
Author: Jeff Sutherland

What’s in it for me? Learn how Scrum changed the technology industry forever.

Project management systems never get the credit they deserve. It’s always superstar engineers or beautiful products that steal the spotlight. But how do they come together, the engineer and the product? How do the two of them join together in a beautiful technological embrace and move forward? That’s what project management systems are for.

In Scrum, Jeff Sutherland describes his Scrum system, a way of managing projects that is so effective at saving time and money that it has been used to clear up the bureaucratic mess at the FBI. And now, Scrum is changing the way most technological companies approach their work.

Although Sutherland is already known as one of the geniuses behind The Agile Manifesto, these blinks will explain the ideas that make him one of the most important behind-the-scenes thinkers in the world.

After reading these blinks, you’ll learn

how Scrum learns from fighter jet pilots;
why leaders should report to their teams, not the other way around; and
how to start your first Scrum project today.

If you want to get things done, ditch the traditional waterfall method, and try Scrum.

How many times have you planned to complete a project, only to find yourself painfully behind schedule as the deadline loomed closer?

Unfortunately, this happens often when we use traditional management processes, like the waterfall method epitomized by Gantt charts.

Gantt charts illustrate project timelines using color-coded parallel bars that indicate the timing and length of different parts of the process, which may occur simultaneously (the result can look like a stylized waterfall, hence the name). Although these are popular organizational tools, they often assume an outsized degree of importance, as when a project has fallen behind schedule, and managers pile more resources into it so that they can make their work fit that schedule, and not vice versa. It can lead to disastrous results.

For instance, the FBI planned to implement a modernized software system called Virtual Case File (VCF), in order to better share information and prevent another 9/11.

Using a Gantt Chart, the agency created a deadline for every important milestone. So the “technical design” stage was scheduled to end on a specific date, at which point the “coding and testing” phase of the project would commence.

Unfortunately, the project broke down before a single line of code was written. VCP ultimately wasted years of the agency’s time and $170 million in taxpayer money.

Since these kinds of failures happen periodically with the waterfall method, many organizations have adopted the scrum project management system instead.

Scrum is characterized by team building and constant feedback. This team-oriented approach is reflected by the name, which describes the moment in a rugby game when the team works together to move the ball down the field, all united by the same clear goal.

And this process works: When the FBI applied Scrum to Sentinel, their next attempt at large-scale modernization, the agency successfully implemented the system in less time, with fewer people and at a lower cost.

Curious to know more about the core ideas behind scrum? Well, keep reading to find out!

Create a regular feedback system to keep your project on track.

As you surely know, humans are bad at estimating how long things will take – and this leads to major project management problems. Luckily, Scrum addresses this issue through a system called Sprints, which will help your team with time management.

Sprints are short periods of work (one to four weeks is optimal) focused on a specific task. After a Sprint, the team meets to review progress and refine goals before embarking upon the next Sprint.

Avoid anything that distracts you from meeting your goals.

We’ve arrived at another core idea in Scrum: avoid waste – that is, anything that distracts you from completing the task at hand. Here are a few ways to eliminate waste.

Firstly, finish your projects by focusing on one thing at a time. Multitasking might seem appealing, but it just wastes time and energy. Do you really want to promote the project management equivalent of texting while driving?

Increase your employees’ happiness in order to boost productivity.

How is happiness connected to success? Well, people aren’t happy because they’re successful – they’re successful because they’re happy.

Zappos is a great example of this principle. The über-successful retailer works to keep its employees happy by focusing on connection via various programs – like a “boot camp” introductory training and internal “apprenticeships” – to foster learning and growth. And thanks to these policies, Zappos has been rewarded with 124 percent year-over-year growth.

Kernaussagen in Scrum

Worum geht es in Scrum?

Learn all about Scrum, the project management system that has revolutionized the technology industry. This is a uniquely adaptive, flexible system that allows teams to plan realistically and adjust their goals through constant feedback. By using Scrum, your team can improve their productivity (and the final result) without creating needless stress or working longer hours.