Agile scrum methodology has become increasingly popular in recent years as a way to manage software development projects. One of the key components of agile scrum is establishing working agreements with the team to ensure everyone is aligned on expectations and processes. In this article, we’ll explore sample agile scrum working agreements that can help your team stay focused and productive.
1. Respect working hours
One of the most important working agreements to establish is respect for working hours. This means that team members should arrive on time for meetings and prioritize their work during scheduled hours. Additionally, teams should agree on how to handle communication outside of working hours, such as whether it’s acceptable to send emails or messages after a certain time.
2. Attend all mandatory meetings
Another critical working agreement is attending all mandatory meetings. This includes daily stand-up meetings, sprint planning, sprint review, and retrospective meetings. When team members attend these meetings, it ensures that everyone is on the same page and has a clear understanding of project progress.
3. Communicate openly and honestly
Open and honest communication is crucial in agile scrum teams. That’s why it’s important to establish this working agreement from the outset. Team members should be encouraged to share their thoughts, concerns, and opinions without fear of retribution. When everyone communicates openly, it leads to better collaboration and more effective problem-solving.
4. Focus on one task at a time
Multitasking can be a tempting way to try to get more done, but it’s actually counterproductive. Agile scrum teams should agree to focus on one task at a time and avoid multitasking whenever possible. This helps team members stay focused and ensures that work is completed more efficiently.
5. Embrace change
Agile scrum is designed to be flexible and adaptive, so it’s essential to embrace change as a working agreement. Teams should be open to changing requirements and processes to accommodate new information as they work through the project. Embracing change ensures that the team remains aligned with the project’s goals.
6. Review and learn from mistakes
Mistakes happen, and they can lead to valuable learning opportunities. As a working agreement, agile scrum teams should commit to reviewing and learning from mistakes. This includes conducting a retrospective at the end of each sprint to identify areas for improvement and sharing lessons learned with the team.
In conclusion, establishing working agreements is a critical component of agile scrum methodology. The working agreements outlined above are just a few examples of the types of agreements that can help your team stay focused, productive, and aligned. By implementing these and other working agreements, your team can achieve greater success in its software development projects.