Dennis Mansell

I'm a Project Manager, how will we organize projects with Scrum? Scrum has no Project Managers. Projects are generally only focussed on developing something, whereas Scrum Teams design, create and sustain something. Managers are generally responsible for something or some people, whereas Scrum Teams are self-organizing. In Scrum - as long as a product exists, it has a Product Backlog of everything that will be done to it. That includes, but is not limited to what can be termed 'projects', however it is ordered so that working on it, produces the maximum amount of value, first. In project management, value is assumed to be a function of the 'iron triangle' - this budget, spent in this time, with this scope of solutions will make the project done. Quality is a cost to these variables: running out of time or money whilst still making the same scope will lead to reducing the quality. This is working ‘inside out’ - from what we can make, towards value for customers. S

 After a day's sailing, we've dropped anchor, cleaned the boat and poured ourselves a drink. “So - what is it you do again?” “I’m a Scrum Master.  It’s like the Master of Sail on tall ships.” “What - like the second-in-command?” “No, I don’t have a position in the hierarchy.  I just make sure the boat and crew are fit for purpose and help the sailors and staff understand what is going on.” “Why would an organisation need that?” “Many organisations approach products as if it were an industrial process like transport.  They load the cargo containers as full as they can get - calling it ‘scope’, then they plan very exactly how to drive from A to B to predict the costs and how long it will take to deliver. “For my clients, their product doesn’t actually match this industrial process very well.  I get them to think of it as if they were explorers trying to reach some distant shore. “They should pack very light and get great at teamwork so that they can travel