David thought he already knew Scrum

TL;DR; Even experienced teams often fall into old habits and misunderstand Scrum, leading to ineffective practices that only look agile on the surface. Regularly revisiting the fundamentals and purpose of Scrum helps prevent complacency and ensures real improvement. Consider challenging your team’s understanding of Scrum to maintain true agility and drive meaningful change.

Published on 26 May 2025

Written by Martin Hinshelwood

1 minute read

https://nkdagility.com/resources/qpdjJhtaABE

David thought he already knew Scrum. Four hours into the class, he realised he didn’t.

This happens all the time. Eight years of doing “Scrum,” but it’s actually a Frankenstein of old habits—command and control disguised in agile language.

The Applying Professional Scrum class is a reset. It’s not just about the mechanics of Scrum, but the why behind each element. The bounded environment. The transparency. The events that force inspection and adaptation.

Without that clarity, Scrum becomes cargo cult theatre. We hold the events, tick the boxes, but nothing actually changes.

Experienced practitioners need resets too. Because familiarity breeds complacency. And complacency kills agility.

When was the last time you challenged your understanding of Scrum?

Also published on: LinkedIn

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