Waste is a crime. Multitasking makes you stupid. Half-done is not done. Working too hard only makes more work. These “takeaways” are but a few examples of the guiding principles of Scrum, a team-focused project management system originally co-created 21 years ago by Jeff Sutherland. Scrum includes rules such as prioritization (creating a master wish list of goals called a backlog), sprints (the team pulls from the top of the wish list and decides how to implement those pieces and establishes a time frame for completion), and review rituals (detailed reassessment and adjustment).
Although originally conceived for the software industry, Sutherland proves that the system works for any enterprise, business or organization that wants to improve its productivity and profitability. The beauty of Scrum is that its principles and strategies can be applied in whole or in part to organize, plan and carry out any project, from implementing a new software program to planning an event or scaling up a young enterprise.
Sutherland concludes each chapter of Scrum with generally applicable tactics and ideas. The takeaways are especially intriguing and helpful.
by Jeff Sutherland
September
Crown Business; $27
