Worst agile advice you've ever heard?

TL;DR

Rigid rules like requiring everyone to stand during daily meetings go against Agile’s core values of flexibility and respect for individuals. Teams should adapt processes to fit their unique needs and prioritize inclusivity and human-centric practices. Development managers should focus on outcomes and team well-being rather than enforcing one-size-fits-all routines.

9 May 2023
Written by Martin Hinshelwood
2 minute read
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Worst agile advice you’ve ever heard?

The Worst Scrum Master’s Advice -  Ever! 🚫

In my articles, I don’t often talk about negative aspects of Agile and Scrum, but today I want to talk about one of the worst pieces of Agile advice I’ve ever heard, which was, “Everyone MUST stand up during the daily stand-up, or you’re not doing Scrum.” 😱

I recall working with a Seattle team where a Scrum Master adopted an overly dogmatic and totalitarian approach. This Scrum Master insisted that everyone stand up during the daily Scrum, ignoring that a team member was bound to a wheelchair. In a spirit of inclusivity, the team chose to sit down so they weren’t towering over their colleague. 👏

I have to point out that this isn’t just bad advice from a Scrum Master. This is a complete misunderstanding of the core Agile principle of flexibility and the Scrum value of respect. 🙌

The very last thing that Agile is about is rigid, one-size-fits-all rules. Quite the opposite, Agile is about adapting processes to meet different teams’ unique needs and contexts. That’s Agile’s very essence and power – every team can (and should) do things differently to achieve the best results. ✅

So, remember, rules and routines in Agile and Scrum are essential, but they are secondary to the human-centric nature of these methodologies.

Don’t let dogmatic or totalitarian approaches cloud the true embodiment of Agile. Check out my Agile and Scrum courses to learn more about this holistic approach to team management. 📈💡

Naked Agility is an #agile consultancy that specializes in #scrumtraining, #agilecoaching and #agileconsulting to help teams evolve, integrate, and continuously improve.

We recognize the positive impact that a happy AND inspired workforce can have on customer experience, and we actively help organizations to tap into the power of creative, collaborative, and high-performing teams that is unique to #agile and #scrum environments.

If you are interested in #agiletraining, visit https://nkdagility.com/training/

If you have identified the need for #agilecoaching and #agileconsulting, visit https://nkdagility.com/agile-consulting-coaching/

We would love to work with you.

#scrum #agile #scrumteam #agileprojectmanagement #agileproductdevelopment #projectmanagement #productdevelopment #agilecoach #agileconsultant #agiletraining #scrumtraining #scrumorg

Keywords:        Agile, Scrum, Inclusive Teams, Flexibility.

Hashtags:        #BadAgileAdvice #Agile #Scrum #TeamInclusivity

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#Agile, #AgileCoach, #Scrum, #ScrumMaster, #AgileCentre, #ProductOwner, #BusinessAnalyst, #AgileProjectManagement, #BusinessAgility, #ScrumTraining, #AgileProductDevelopment.

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