The Scrum Police
What is it?
The Scrum Master focuses excessively rigidly on the literal adherence to Scrum rules and mechanics, often losing sight of agile principles and the goal of delivering value.
Common symptoms (how does it manifest?)
- SM constantly corrects the team for minor deviations from the "book".
- Focuses on tools and processes over individuals and interactions.
- Team feels Scrum is a bureaucratic burden.
- Little adaptation of the framework to the team's specific context.
Impact and consequences (why is it a problem?)
- Team loses motivation and ownership of the process.
- Self-organization and continuous improvement are inhibited.
- Scrum is perceived as an obstacle rather than a help.
- Low adaptability to change.
Frequent root causes (why does it happen?)
- Literal and rigid interpretation of the Scrum Guide.
- Lack of practical experience or understanding of the underlying agile principles.
- Fear of losing control or the team "cheating".
- Organizational pressure to "do Scrum correctly".