Why I Use Scrum (And You Should Too)

Many of us working in startups and projects have probably heard of and even used scrum. When I first heard about it, it was about 8 years ago and I had no idea what it was. Most of my friends at the time were software engineers (SEs) and they would toss in the word ‘scrum’ Once in a while. Since they were SEs, I thought it was a coding term. Not until I was told to learn it 4 years later did I truly understood what it was.

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After the first project where I used scrum was finished, I never felt more understood by co-workers and leadership. We were not slowed down by requirements changing after months of hard work from everyone. The team was able to speak up about problems they were having sooner rather than later (when the problems were small and not summed up after months of not being talked about). We were all really happy and proud of our work.

This is why I use scrum for every project regardless if it is technical or not. Below is my perspective.

Why I Use It (3 Reasons)

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1. Fast and Efficient

Many of us are used to projects following the traditional waterfall method. First, organization leadership meets with stakeholders to discuss what projects need to be done and what are the requirements needed. Second, the leadership assigns project managers to the projects discussed. Third, the project managers relay project requirements and deadlines to their respective teams. When the project is done a few months later, the leadership shows the stakeholders what was accomplished.

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The problem with this is the stakeholders tell the leadership, in most cases, that requirements have changed and most of the project has to be redone. To maintain deadlines, the leadership tells project managers and teams to work overtime to meet the deadlines which usually leads to the team burning out.

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This method is extremely inefficient. So much work has often had to be scrapped because requirements have changed. I have been on the receiving end and it was terrible to hear that all my hard work had to be redone. Scrum is so great because rather than showing stakeholders the project when it is finished, the team shows small chunks of the project every couple of weeks so that when requirements inevitably update, the team can adjust and change course sooner and not waste hard work later down the road. Thus, they will be agile.

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2. Transparent

If a team is using Scrum, all actors in the system meet more often, everyone can stay in the loop. Requirements change all the time and, as I said before, the team can adjust what they are building before they waste time working on something that will later be tossed. Also, with everyone staying in the loop, the possibility of not meeting deadlines can be discussed earlier. That way, leadership, and stakeholders will know if they need to delay launches much earlier in the process.

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3. Healthy

The most overlooked part of project management is team health. Teams are often told, the business comes first or the client comes first, etc. This is all an excuse to exploit team members. I have seen this script happen many times before. Just with a different cast. The team is assembled, managers only hire for the exact workload needed, more workload is added later, team members work overtime, team members get overwhelmed, everyone’s personal health is compromised, team members do not have time to take care of themselves, the team eventually tell management, management tells the team that measures will be taken, managers do nothing or very little to change, some of the team members quit due to lack of workload ease/change, remaining team members have to pick up the slack, the project is finally finished, team members who quit are replaced, repeat.

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This play is so sad to see. We should not have to break people down to accomplish our projects. It is a very unhealthy and morally wrong system to keep. Scrum purposefully implements a dedicated meeting at the end of every sprint to talk about team dynamics alone. We are all human. If we do not talk about subjects that are troubling us when it comes to team dynamics, our health deteriorates and we end up burning out. Just like the change of requirements of a project, if workplace problems are talked about and solved early, then the team is more likely to finish their work in an efficient manner without having to compromise their health.

Those three reasons are why I like scrum. Stakeholders’, leadership’s, and team’s needs are met. Building and reflecting in small chunks added up over time, leading to fast, transparent, and healthy project managing.

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My mission is to use my skills to help people feel understood in a world of full of inconsideration and injustice by other human beings. In my work life, Scrum provides a really solid framework to accomplish my projects so smoothly and efficiently without anyone on the team feel they are not heard. No one is overlooked.

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