What is a scrum (and how is it different than a regular business meeting)?

Kyle Dobson CPA, CA and certified scrum master explains the popular concept of “scrums” and shares his best tips for facilitating them successfully.

Have you ever questioned if your meeting—or even your entire project—could have gone smoother?

Most people would answer “yes” to that question. One way to improve in the future, according to Kyle Dobson CPA, CA, is by experimenting with agile project management and the scrum framework.

Kyle has applied his knowledge of scrums in numerous large and complex projects. Through that experience, Kyle has developed a passion for helping business professionals, especially CPAs, use this novel approach to projects and facilitate scrums in place of project meetings.

“Accountants have traditionally used the waterfall approach for project management,” says Kyle, who recently joined Suncor as the Data Product Design and Delivery Lead. He explains that the waterfall approach is a sequential development process that flows like a waterfall through all phases of a project. “Because that approach is very linear, it may not be ideal for accommodating unexpected change. In some situations, agile project management, which typically allows for flexibility and fast results, may be more suitable.”

To help CPAs explore this approach and create value, Kyle explains the key terms and shares his expert tips for first-time or seasoned scrum facilitators alike.

Understanding agile and scrum

Agile project management principle

“Failing fast means that you’ve involved others and understood the potential flaws sooner,” he says. “By reaching successful experiments faster, you’re able to lower project costs and achieve a bigger payoff.”

Kyle explains that adopting this may require a shift in mindset. Fundamental to the agile approach are prioritizing what’s important and empowering the project team to make decisions.

Scrums

Many people would agree that empowering a team is easier said than done.

The scrum process framework, which falls under the agile umbrella, is designed with this challenge in mind.

A term borrowed from rugby, a scrum is about creating a dynamic team that delivers high value, with a shared sense of commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect.

“Scrums are about taking agile principles and bringing them to life,” says Kyle.

A scrum framework has many components, a few of which include:

• a scrum team, also known as the development team, which is responsible for completing a product or project in increments and delivering value
• a product owner, who is responsible for managing the product backlog (a list of improvements) and addressing the challenges encountered by the scrum team
• a scrum master or facilitator, who is responsible for ensuring that the team follows the agile principles and scrum framework to which they agreed
• a sprint, referring to a time period in which an increment is to be completed, usually a span of two-to-four weeks
• scrum ceremonies, which are various types of team meetings to ensure that everyone is on the same page about the goal and tasks

One of the most important guidelines to keep in mind is that facilitating a scrum is not about controlling the team, says Kyle. “The goal is to keep the team organized, and to get out of the way!”

Tips for facilitating a scrum

Create a safe space for the team

If you’re thinking of using the scrum framework for your next project, Kyle recommends communicating this with your team, so individuals are involved in the decision and know what to expect.

He then recommends creating an environment in which the team is open to sharing their thoughts and ideas during scrums.

A technique he uses, especially when ideas are to be discussed, is to assign a light-hearted role to the person in the room who has the highest position of authority in the organization.

This person is then asked to start the scrum by sharing the most outrageous idea that comes to mind. Laughs aside, Kyle and his fellow scrum masters consistently use this technique as it helps to create a comfortable atmosphere in which people are more willing to share their ideas, knowing it won’t be nearly as extreme as what may just have been suggested by, for example, the CEO.

This technique also helps to establish a non-hierarchal environment, which is part of the scrum philosophy and lends itself to better understanding of complex problems.

Have an open mindset to ask better questions

Doing so allows for divergent thinking, which refers to looking at the many aspects of a problem before converging on the cause. To support this type of thinking in scrums, Kyle often uses three frameworks, including What? So What? Now What? to critically reflect on assumptions; the Five Whys to conduct a root cause analysis; and the Five Ws and H to gain deeper insights.

What agile and scrums can mean for CPAs

Since CPAs must demonstrate a high degree of integrity in their work, the idea of intentionally engaging in an experiment that may be discarded (and celebrating the discarding!) may feel counter to their training.