Who Controls the Scrum Process?

This question is referring to who has the authority to modify the Agile process for the team. Our response: The team itself controls the scrum process. These are the core tasks teams need to perform: plan, produce, test, release, and improve. These concepts are handled in Agile events like sprint planning, demos, releases, and retrospectives.

Our answer makes organizations a bit uncomfortable. There is concern that teams would skip events like sprint planning and retrospectives. Our advice is to form a basic framework of events for each sprint but not to dictate the step-by-step tasks to conduct those events. A balance is created by giving teams self-direction while ensuring the completion of core Agile events.

The object of any team is to work effectively with a high velocity. Teams are comprised of individuals who have unique working styles. Individuals can approach Agile events differently, which causes the team to work together in unique ways. The self-managed team is an essential pillar of Agile that creates more productive teams. Retrospectives help the team to improve and change to work together more effectively.