We all bring assumptions and expectations when we’re trying something new. Sometimes our expectations are well-founded and reasonable, and sometimes they’re not so much. You might be wondering. 

How much do my expectations about Scrum match reality?

This article will walk you through some common expectations I’ve seen people bring to Scrum.

Scrum is simple to learn, but it takes time to master it

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Expectation: Because it’s simple, installing Scrum will be easy.

Reality: It’s a learning process, and it will take a few iterations for your team to master Scrum.

Scrum is simple to learn, but it takes time to master it. Different people struggle with various aspects. For some, it’s all the new terminology, and others will have trouble adjusting to the change in meeting schedules. For most teams, it will take time to develop the trust necessary to thrive.

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Expectation: Scrum is only for software developers.

Reality: You can apply Scrum across many domains.

Scrum originated in software development and is still where you will most commonly find it. However, I’ve seen scrum applied to creative design, marketing, content creation, personal development, and many other disciplines. The trouble is most resources are still written primarily for software audiences. This lack of resources is why I created the What is Scrum? Guide to help people apply Scrum to new contexts.

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Expectation: We will get more done using Scrum.

Reality: This is probably true, though it might take a few sprints to see the increase.

Every time I’ve helped a team begin to practice Scrum, their productivity increased. Many times they were surprised by how much they accomplished. While during the first sprint, everyone is still learning the process, but they still have greater clarity and focus, so it usually breaks even productivity-wise. There is a big jump in the second sprint, and by the third, the team looks back at the first three sprints and is proud of what they’ve done.

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Expectation: Everyone will be excited about implementing Scrum.

Reality: Aspects of Scrum are counterintuitive and will take time for some people

You will have your early adopters and enthusiast who will geek out over Scum. 🙋🏼 If there has been a lot of organizational change, some might see it as just the next thing and not expect it to last. I’ve also seen leaders feel uncomfortable with a structure that doesn’t have apparent top-down authority, and they usually overcome this concern when they see the teams deliver.

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If prioritization isn’t part of the organizational culture, Scrum will make this reality more apparent.

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Expectation: Collaboration will increase when we use Scrum

Reality: Yes, but it likely will take some re-learning to see it happen.

The Scrum framework both supports and requires good communication and collaboration. The team as a whole owns the work and decides how to get it done together. This is how healthy teams operate. Unfortunately, a lot of teams aren’t healthy. Old habits will need to be unlearned and new ones adopted.

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Expectation: The rest of the organization will adopt Scrum

Reality: Some teams will, some should, some shouldn’t.

Scrum will create interest and excitement. You’ll likely get other teams or leaders asking you about how it works and if you would recommend it. If you’re the Scrum Master, this is an excellent opportunity to help others learn about Scrum. But be open about the fact that Scrum isn’t for every team or every type of work. Applying Scrum in the wrong parts of the organization is a quick way to kill adoption.

Scrum can also create tension. If prioritization isn’t part of the organizational culture, Scrum will make this more apparent. This tension can cause some leaders to be uncomfortable, and they may become obstacles to seeing broader Scrum adoption.

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Customizing Scrum before you start opens the door to bringing in past non-agile practices that will ultimately create challenges for the team to excel

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Expectation: We will customize Scrum to our specific situation.

Reality: You really want to start using Scrum as simply and purely as possible.

Scrum can be adapted to all kinds of situations. In fact, it’s designed to adapt. But making too many changes at first can be problematic for a few reasons. Customizing Scrum before you start opens the door to bringing in past non-agile practices that will ultimately create challenges for the team to excel. It also makes it harder for the Scrum Master to teach and the development team to learn unless it’s a customization you’ve already used on another team.

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How to learn more about Scrum

While Scrum is a simple framework, there can still be a lot to learn, especially at first. If you want to learn more about Scrum, here are some topics I think will be helpful to you.

To learn more about Scrum, check out my What is Scrum? A Guide for Everyday People to Learn Scrum. If you have more questions, please feel free to reach out on LinkedIn.

If you’re curious about Scrum can be applied to different kinds of work, I've linked some helpful articles below.