Published by Addison-Wesley Professional (December 22, 2015) © 2016
Mitch LaceyThousands of organizations are adopting Scrum to transform the way they execute complex projects, in software and beyond. This guide will give you the skills and confidence needed to deploy Scrum, resulting in high-performing teams and satisfied customers. Drawing on years of hands-on experience helping companies succeed, Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) Mitch Lacey helps you overcome the major challenges of Scrum adoption and the deeper issues that emerge later.
Extensively revised to reflect improved Scrum practices and tools, this edition adds an all-new section of tips from the field.
Lacey covers many new topics, including immersive interviewing, collaborative estimation, and deepening business alignment. In 35 engaging chapters, you’ll learn how to build support and maximize value across your company.
Now part of the renowned Mike Cohn Signature Series on agile development, this pragmatic guide addresses everything from establishing roles and priorities to determining team velocity, setting sprint length, and conducting customer reviews.
Coverage includes
- Bringing teams and new team members on board
- Creating a workable definition of “done”
- Planning for short-term wins, and removing impediments to success
- Balancing predictability and adaptability in release planning
- Running productive daily scrums
- Fixing failing sprints
- Accurately costing projects, and measuring the value they deliver
- Managing risks in dynamic Scrum projects
- Prioritizing and estimating backlogs
- Working with distributed and offshore teams
- Institutionalizing improvements, and extending agility throughout the organization
Packed with real-world examples straight from Lacey’s experience, this book will be invaluable to anyone transitioning to Scrum, seeking to improve their early results, or trying to get back on track.
Foreword by Jeff Sutherland xix
Foreword by Kenneth S. Rubin xxiii
Preface xxv
Acknowledgments xxix
About the Author xxxi
Chapter 1: Scrum: Simple, Not Easy 1
The Story 1
Scrum 6
Keys to Success 17
References 18
Part I: Getting Prepared 21
Chapter 2: Getting People on Board 23
The Story 23
The Model 29
Change Takes Time 30
Keys to Success 33
References 34
Work Consulted 34
Chapter 3: Using Team Consultants to Optimize Team Performance 35
The Story 35
The Model 39
Keys to Success 47
Reference 50
Works Consulted 50
Chapter 4: Predicting Team Velocity 51
The Story 51
The Model 56
Keys to Success 65
References 67
Chapter 5: Implementing the Scrum Roles 69
The Story 69
The Model 73
Keys to Success 78
Chapter 6: Determining Sprint Length 81
The Story 81
The Model 84
Keys to Success 91
Reference 92
Chapter 7: How Do You Know You’re Done? 93
The Story 93
The Model 95
Keys to Success 101
References 102
Chapter 8: The Case for a Full-Time ScrumMaster 103
The Story 103
The Model 106
Keys to Success 112
References 116
Work Consulted 116
Part II: Field Basics 117
Chapter 9: Why Engineering Practices Are Important in Scrum 119
The Story 119
The Practices 123
Keys to Success 131
References 133
Works Consulted 134
Chapter 10: Core Hours 135
The Story 135
The Model 138
Keys to Success 142
Chapter 11: Release Planning 143
The Story 143
The Model 147
Keys to Success 154
Reference 156
Chapter 12: Decomposing Stories and Tasks 157
The Story 157
The Model 159
Keys to Success 167
References 168
Works Consulted 168
Chapter 13: Keeping Defects in Check 169
The Story 169
The Model 170
Keys to Success 172
References 173
Work Consulted 174
Chapter 14: Sustained Engineering and Scrum 175
The Story 175
The Model 178
Keys to Success 181
References 182
Chapter 15: The Sprint Review 183
The Story 183
The Model 186
Keys to Success 188
Works Consulted 191
Chapter 16: Retrospectives 193
The Story 193
The Practice 196
Keys to Success 200
References 202
Part III: First Aid 203
Chapter 17: Facilitating a Productive Daily Scrum 205
The Story 205
The Model 208
Keys to Success 213
Chapter 18: The Fourth Question in Scrum 217
The Story 217
The Model 220
Keys to Success 221
Reference 221
Chapter 19: Keeping People Engaged with Pair Programming 223
The Story 223
The Model 225
Keys to Success 230
References 231
Chapter 20: Adding New Team Members 233
The Story 233
The Model 235
Keys to Success 238
References 239
Chapter 21: When Cultures Collide 241
The Story 241
The Model 246
Keys to Success 251
References 254
Works Consulted 254
Chapter 22: Sprint Emergency Procedures 255
The Story 255
The Model 257
Keys to Success 260
References 261
Part IV: Advanced Survival Techniques 263
Chapter 23: Sustainable Pace 265
The Story 265
The Model 269
Keys to Success 274
References 276
Chapter 24: Delivering Working Software 277
The Story 277
The Model 281
Keys to Success 284
Work Consulted 287
Chapter 25: Optimizing and Measuring Value 289
The Story 289
The Model 292
Keys to Success 297
Reference 299
Works Consulted 299
Chapter 26: Up-Front Project Costing 301
The Story 301
The Model 306
Keys to Success 310
References 311
Chapter 27: Documentation in Scrum Projects 313
The Story 313
The Model 316
Keys to Success 323
References 324
Chapter 28: Outsourcing and Offshoring 325
The Story 325
The Model 328
Keys to Success 332
References 337
Work Consulted 337
Chapter 29: Prioritizing and Estimating Large Backlogs–The Big Wall 339
The Story 339
The Model 342
Keys to Success 346
References 348
Chapter 30: Writing Contracts 349
The Story 349
The Model 353
Keys to Success 361
References 363
Part V: Wilderness Essentials 365
Chapter 31: Driving to Done through Collaboration 367
The Story 367
The Model 371
Keys to Success 380
References 382
Chapter 32: How Story Points Relate to Hours 383
The Story 383
The Model 386
Keys to Success 391
References 394
Chapter 33: Immersive Interviewing and Hiring 395
The Story 395
The Model 398
Keys to Success 404
References 406
Work Consulted 407
Chapter 34: Aligning Incentives with Outcomes 409
The Story 409
The Model 412
Keys to Success 415
Reference 417
Chapter 35: Risk Management in Scrum 419
The Story 419
The Model 420
Keys to Success 424
Works Consulted 425
Appendix: Scrum Framework 427
The Roles 428
The Artifacts 429
The Meetings 431
Putting It All Together 434
Index 435