The Framework Doesn't Matter

OK this article may seem hypocritical from a woman who just published “Scrum More than Ever.” But hear me out.

The framework doesn't matter. Let the team pick the framework. Why? Because if they pick it, they'll be more invested in it. Do they prefer Kanban? Let them use Kanban. Do they prefer Scrum? Let them eat cake (I mean, let them use Scrum.) Scrum with Kanban? Well, that's the best of both worlds—let them do it.

The framework doesn't matter as long as they are working together, collaborating on value delivery.

Do I prefer Scrum? Absolutely. It has just enough, but not too much, structure to help the team collaborate. And despite what people may think, it actually reduces the amount of time spent in meetings.

But I have been part of teams that actually voted out Scrum and went with Kanban. And they did well. We did end up adopting many of the elements of Scrum, such as a regular planning meeting and a daily touch base, but the team did not go back to fully embracing Scrum. And they did fine. Because they felt empowered and trusted to deliver value.

And that is at the heart of Scrum and Agility itself. The team is empowered to figure out how to interact and work together, how to deliver working product, how to collaborate with customers, and how to respond to changing customer needs.

And that is why I can say that the framework doesn't matter in the same breath that I say that Scrum is more important than ever.