Adopting scrum is hard. When organizations decide to take on an agile transformation, the scrum team needs coaching and encouragement.

[featured-image single_newwindow=”false” alt=”Steve Rideout | Group Hug | Flickr” title=”Steve Rideout | Group Hug | Flickr”]Steve Rideout | Group Hug | Flickr[/featured-image]

In the midst of an agile transformation, a project manager asked to join me for lunch. We sat down and I immediately sensed that she had some questions about scrum. I was the only Scrum Master at the company and she needed help.

She asked about hybrid models and if scrum and waterfall can co-exist. Rather than use these questions as an opportunity to understand her worries and fears about the move to scrum, I went on a rant against waterfall. Why would anyone want to keep waterfall practices, they’re what lead to failure, right?

My colleague smiled, finished her lunch and politely left the room. I blew it. Later I realized that she wasn’t defending waterfall. The idea of moving to scrum terrified her. She was very successful as a traditional PM and was uneasy about the upcoming change.

I did nothing to help her.

I wasn’t kind.

I talked to this project manager a few days later and we ended up having a great discussion about agile. But my initial mistake stayed with me. I think there is more here than just a mishandled discussion.

I realized that agile transformations scare people…a lot.

Scrum Adoption Personas

When a scrum team talks about story cards, they sometimes use personas. A persona is an example of the type of person or role that would use an application. Personas are also at play when an organization decides to adopt scrum.

Depending on your team size, there are many more of these personas in your organization. And they are acting against your agile transformation.

Once we know the personas at play, we – as agile coaches – must be encouraging. What does that look like? Let’s go back to the story that I opened with.

Instead of trying to correct my co-worker, I should have been more encouraging. Listening to her concerns should have been my priority. This is a far better approach than lecturing someone.

I also should have helped her see how her PM skills and knowledge of the organization could translate to a Scrum Master role with a change in mindset and practices. That is encouragement. It’s a boost to a person who is afraid of what’s coming.

To me this approach encapsulates the agile value of individuals and interactions over process and tools.

[reminder]Which persona do you run in to the most when adopting scrum? How have you approached that type of person?[/reminder]