Scrum Flexibility: Navigating the Boundaries of Agile Modification

Published on: September 06, 2021
Last updated: September 07, 2024 Read in fullscreen view

Recommended for you

01 Aug 2024 The Standish Group report 83.9% of IT projects partially or completely fail 160/1785
13 Apr 2024 Lessons on Teamwork and Leadership from Chinese story book "Journey to the West" 44/953
10 Apr 2022 Agile self-organizing teams: What are they? How do they work? 29/441
02 Nov 2021 What is Terms of Reference (ToR)? 24/1470
18 Oct 2020 How to use the "Knowns" and "Unknowns" technique to manage assumptions 21/993
21 May 2022 "Fail Fast, Fail Often, Fail Forward" is the answer to Agile practices of software success 20/945
03 Apr 2022 Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) 14/1162
01 Oct 2020 Fail fast, learn faster with Agile methodology 13/975
12 Oct 2022 14 Common Reasons Software Projects Fail (And How To Avoid Them) 10/505
19 Oct 2021 Is gold plating good or bad in project management? 8/756
18 Dec 2023 The Cone of Uncertainty in Scrum & Requirement Definition 8/646
10 Nov 2022 Poor Code Indicators and How to Improve Your Code? 8/214
18 Oct 2021 Key Elements to Ramping Up a Large Team 7/1115
13 Oct 2021 Outsourcing Software Development: MVP, Proof of Concept (POC) and Prototyping. Which is better? 6/426
06 Feb 2021 Why fail fast and learn fast? 6/376
20 Nov 2022 Agile working method in software and football 6/325
28 Jul 2022 POC, Prototypes, Pilots and MVP: What Are the Differences? 6/612
01 Mar 2023 Bug Prioritization - What are the 5 levels of priority? 6/207
07 Oct 2025 Case Study: Using the “Messaging House” Framework to Build a Digital Transformation Roadmap 5/53
31 Aug 2022 What are the best practices for software contract negotiations? 5/215
05 Mar 2021 How do you minimize risks when you outsource software development? 5/318
14 Oct 2021 Advantages and Disadvantages of Time and Material Contract (T&M) 4/794
12 Dec 2021 Zero Sum Games Agile vs. Waterfall Project Management Methods 4/376
18 Aug 2022 What are the consequences of poor requirements with software development projects? 4/243
20 Jul 2022 Software Myths and Realities 4/801
04 Oct 2022 Which ERP implementation strategy is right for your business? 4/278
22 May 2025 Role of Self-Service in CRM: Customer & Partner Portals for Automation 4/73
05 Sep 2023 The Cold Start Problem: How to Start and Scale Network Effects 3/167
04 Mar 2023 [Medium] Box-Ticking: The Management Strategy That’s Killing your Productivity 3/519
10 Apr 2024 The Parking Lot Method: Unlocking a Simple Secret to Supercharge Your Productivity 3/403
07 Jul 2022 Managing Project Execution Terms 3/379
01 Dec 2023 Laws of Project Management 3/250
24 Nov 2023 The project management paradox: Achieving MORE by doing LESS 3/194
31 Oct 2021 Tips to Fail Fast With Outsourcing 3/376
18 Jul 2021 How To Ramp Up An Offshore Software Development Team Quickly 3/518
08 Oct 2022 KPI - The New Leadership 3/557
12 Oct 2020 The Agile Manifesto - Principle #8 2/449
07 Oct 2020 How To Manage Expectations at Work (and Why It's Important) 2/270
04 Oct 2021 Product Validation: The Key to Developing the Best Product Possible 2/295
23 Sep 2021 INFOGRAPHIC: Top 9 Software Outsourcing Mistakes 2/412
17 Feb 2022 Prioritizing Software Requirements with Kano Analysis 2/284
13 Dec 2020 Move fast, fail fast, fail-safe 2/292
28 Dec 2021 8 types of pricing models in software development outsourcing 2/418
28 Oct 2022 Build Operate Transfer (B.O.T) Model in Software Outsourcing 2/364
02 May 2022 What Is RAID in Project Management? (With Pros and Cons) 2/735
14 Jun 2022 Example and Excel template of a RACI chart in Software Development 2/708
12 Aug 2022 What is End-to-end project management? 2/382
15 May 2022 20 Common Mistakes Made by New or Inexperienced Project Managers 2/247
26 Sep 2024 Successful Project Management Techniques You Need to Look Out For 2/368
05 Jun 2023 Fractional, Part-Time (virtual) or Interim CTO: Who Will Cover Your Business Needs? 2/109
03 Jul 2022 Manifesto for Agile Software Development 2/240
10 Dec 2023 Pain points of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) 2/417
01 May 2024 Warren Buffett’s Golden Rule for Digital Transformation: Avoiding Tech Overload 2/188
12 Aug 2024 Understanding Google Analytics in Mumbai: A Beginner's Guide 1/85
01 Mar 2024 10 Project Management Myths 1/120
22 May 2022 What are common mistakes that new or inexperienced managers make? 1/243
26 Dec 2023 Improving Meeting Effectiveness Through the Six Thinking Hats 1/205
07 Dec 2023 12 project management myths to avoid 1/169
05 Jan 2024 Easy ASANA tips & tricks for you and your team 1/181
11 Jan 2024 What are the Benefits and Limitations of Augmented Intelligence? 1/436
27 Oct 2020 8 principles of Agile Testing 1/1201
27 Jan 2020 Should a project manager push developers to work more hours due to mistakes of manager schedule setting? 1/412
19 Apr 2021 7 Most Common Time-Wasters For Software Development 1/525
17 Oct 2021 Does Fast Tracking increase project cost? /350
19 Oct 2021 Software development life cycles /628
21 Oct 2022 Virtual meeting - How does TIGO save cost, reduce complexity and improve quality by remote communication? /167
13 Jan 2020 Quiz: Test your understanding project cost management /568
06 Nov 2019 How to Access Software Project Size? /236
09 Oct 2022 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Agile Methodology /666
10 Oct 2022 Should Your Business Go Agile? (Infographic) /109
02 Nov 2022 Frequently Asked Questions about Agile and Scrum /373
16 Jul 2022 What are disadvantages of Agile Methodology? How to mitigate the disadvantages ? /354
12 Mar 2024 How do you create FOMO in software prospects? /131
23 Jun 2024 Best Practices for Managing Project Escalations /184
21 Jun 2024 Dead Horses and the Escalation of Commitment /124
01 Dec 2022 Difference between Set-based development and Point-based development /298
28 Nov 2023 Scrum Team Failure — Scrum Anti-Patterns Taxonomy (3) /228
30 Nov 2023 Project Managers, Focus on Outcomes — Not Deliverables /143
01 Mar 2022 Why Does Scrum Fail in Large Companies? /245
02 Nov 2022 Difference between Change Management and Project Management /216
02 Dec 2021 3 Ways to Avoid Scope Creep in IT Consulting /192
01 Jun 2022 How Your Agile Development Team is Just Like a Football Team? /206
06 Jun 2022 Change Management at the Project Level /293
03 Jan 2023 Organizing your agile teams? Think about M.A.T (Mastery, Autonomy, Purpose) /333
09 May 2022 Build one to throw away vs Second-system effect: What are differences? /299
10 May 2022 Levels of Teamwork /180
09 Sep 2022 Debunking 50+ Agile Scrum Interview Questions /415
14 Mar 2024 Why should you opt for software localization from a professional agency? /117
01 Aug 2022 Is planning "set it and forget it" or "set it and check it"? /264
02 Jun 2024 Reviving Ancient Wisdom: The Spiritual Side of Project Management /204
06 Mar 2024 [SemRush] What Are LSI Keywords & Why They Don‘t Matter /131
07 Sep 2022 The Adaptive Scrum: Why Modified Agile Model? /293
15 Aug 2025 Quantum Technology: Global Challenges and Opportunities for Innovators /57

Modifying Scrum – is it allowed? Yes, and, No.

The Scrum model is very well defined. It works for a reason. Many have modeled it for us before. Any modification you make you are risking doing Scrum half way or being in a what I call Scrum-isch scenario in which case you may miss the actual benefits of Scrum.

However every team has different, unique needs. Start out by integrating the process as clean as possible, do it by the book, and do it for a while. Then observe and listen to feedback from the team.

Ask yourself: What is the person/team struggling with, and why? What are the underlying causes?

Be selective about what modifications you are considering to make. It's typical for people to object to new processes and structure in general, so you will have to separate the standard complaints about the process overall, stand by the argument of why it is useful to keep the process clean and investigate the generic “the process does not work” comments for the actual underlying cause. If you do that, and you still find that there are indeed some minor nuances of the process that could be changed based on recommendations without impacting the larger structure, then by all means do it.

The problem with Scrum is that it is so perfectly pre defined, that people have done it for so long now and know it works, that it leaves no space for a team to be part of the creation process any more. It seems as if you are forcing people into a process they had no say in. Of course it is that way for a reason. Can you imagine the chaos if we created our own process based on everyone's wants and needs? It makes sense for process oriented people to see the benefits of a template, but psychologically it does not work for everyone. Some team members always want to feel that they have a say in what their every day work structure looks like.

Modifications of meeting days/times should always be an option for the team to decide on as a whole. Meeting length for sprint kick ofs is another one that can be modified. Initially you will need 4 hours, but over time as you become more efficient with the team, perhaps there is an opportunity to change it. If you end early often, this is a good indicator that you are ready to reduce the meeting time. I wouldn’t recommend going below 2 hours for kickoff meetings or else you are prone to rush through your items and don’t allow the time needed to drill into the stories deep enough. Overall the message should be that the time invested in the Scrum meetings is time well spent.

Ask the team what format they want to follow for the retrospective? Shall the group use a spreadsheet for tracking of action items or just talk free form in the rounds about how the sprint went?

Can we please sit down in stand ups? I know - it couldn't be more obvious than calling a meeting a "stand up" - however I get asked this all the time. So, I passed the question back to the team. If the majority would want to sit I feel we could compromise on this, even though there are clear benefits to standing. So far it hasn't been the majority who want to go this route, only one or two. So we stand. At least we asked.

How to track velocity may not be something you easily want to change since it takes several sprints to accumulate an average velocity in either metric and is an important artifact to plan and measure on a company level.

When making changes, keep in mind that anything can be a trial. Agree to try something new, just the tiniest thing and then change it again if it doesn’t work. Discuss at retrospectives. With that you are applying one of the top Agile principles of “inspect and adapt” to the process and are modeling what you are teaching.

Remain open and listen. Rather than having to refer back to Scrum rules and use the "this is how it is" expression, in my experience it is better to let the team come to their own realizations of the benefits of the structure of the process as it is. And sometimes that can only happen if you change it.

About the Author

Judith Basler, MBA

Program & Project Management

I am a creative operations leader with many years of experience supporting product development teams in various sectors. I spent the last 4.5 years at Meta working in Integrity and Responsible Innovation, instating company wide principles and furthering the understanding of how to produce products that are more ethical and inclusive. Once I started focusing on Product Ethics I never could look back, everything I do I view under the lens of product equity, trust and safety. I am convinced that educating people and developing an operations process that is inclusive of responsible innovation checkpoints can fundamentally enhance the positive impact a product has on society and minimize the negative consequences. I am excited for the opportunity to partner with anyone who wants to put actionable changes in place.

A A A A

[{"displaySettingInfo":"[{\"isFullLayout\":false,\"layoutWidthRatio\":\"\",\"showBlogMetadata\":true,\"showAds\":true,\"showQuickNoticeBar\":true,\"includeSuggestedAndRelatedBlogs\":true,\"enableLazyLoad\":true,\"quoteStyle\":\"1\",\"bigHeadingFontStyle\":\"1\",\"postPictureFrameStyle\":\"1\",\"isFaqLayout\":false,\"isIncludedCaption\":false,\"faqLayoutTheme\":\"1\",\"isSliderLayout\":false}]"},{"articleSourceInfo":"[{\"sourceName\":\"\",\"sourceValue\":\"\"}]"},{"privacyInfo":"[{\"isOutsideVietnam\":false}]"},{"tocInfo":"[{\"isEnabledTOC\":true,\"isAutoNumbering\":false,\"isShowKeyHeadingWithIcon\":false}]"},{"termSettingInfo":"[{\"showTermsOnPage\":true,\"displaySequentialTermNumber\":true}]"}]

Via

{content}