PSM II: Professional Scrum Master II

User documentation is part of your Definition of Done, which means that it is a requirement for delivering a potentially releasable product increment. Your Scrum Team cannot ignore or postpone this requirement, even if there are not enough technical writers for all teams. Your Scrum Team is responsible for creating and maintaining the user documentation, and the Developers are the ones who have the skills and authority to do so. The Scrum Master can help the Developers learn how to write effective user documentation, and the Product Owner can provide feedback on its quality and value.

Scrum Guide 2020, page 9: ''The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.''

Scrum Guide 2020, page 10: ''The Developers are the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint.''

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 12: ''The Definition of Done is a crucial aspect of transparency. If it is not clear when work is done, then stakeholders may make wrong assumptions about the state of the software.''

Adding a second team to work on the same product will introduce some challenges and overheads that can affect the velocity of the original team. For example, the teams will need to coordinate and communicate more frequently, integrate their work more often, resolve any dependencies or conflicts, and align their standards and practices. These activities will consume some time and effort that could otherwise be spent on delivering value. Therefore, the velocity of the original team is likely to decrease and be lower than 18, at least in the short term.

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 16: ''Adding more people to a complex product development effort does not necessarily increase productivity or reduce time to market. In fact, it often has the opposite effect.''

Nexus Guide 2020, page 5: ''When multiple Scrum Teams are working together on the same product, there are additional complexities that arise. These complexities can be reduced by having the teams adhere to a common definition of ''Done'' and a single Product Backlog.''

The complexity of the problem being solved and the complexity of the requirements are both sources of uncertainty and variability that can impact the Sprint Goal and the Sprint Backlog. The skills and working relationships of the people on the Scrum Team(s) are also crucial for delivering a valuable product increment in a Sprint. The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing an environment where the Scrum Team can be effective and improving the professionalism of the Scrum Team.

Scrum Guide 2020, page 6: ''The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization.''

Scrum Guide 2020, page 10: ''The Sprint Goal is an objective set for the Sprint that can be met through the implementation of Product Backlog items. This provides guidance to the Development Team on why it is building the Increment.''

Scrum Guide 2020, page 11: ''The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what), as well as an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how).''

Evidence-Based Management Guide, page 9: ''Uncertainty is inherent in complex work. The more complex work is, the more uncertainty there is. Uncertainty comes from two sources: variability and emergence.''

The possible explanations for why this Scrum Team is struggling to craft a Sprint Goal are B, D, and E.

B) The Sprints are too long. A four-week Sprint is the maximum duration allowed by the Scrum Guide, and it may not be suitable for complex and uncertain work that requires frequent feedback and adaptation. A shorter Sprint may help the Scrum Team to focus on a clear and coherent Sprint Goal that aligns with the Product Goal and delivers a valuable Increment.

D) The Product Owner is not communicating the Product Goal that they want to achieve in upcoming Sprints. The Product Goal is a long-term objective for the Scrum Team that provides direction and purpose for their work. The Product Owner is responsible for communicating the Product Goal to the Developers and collaborating with them to create Sprint Goals that move them closer to the Product Goal. Without a clear Product Goal, the Scrum Team may lack a shared vision and end up working on unrelated items.

E) The Scrum Team is too big. The Scrum Guide recommends that the Scrum Team consists of 10 or fewer people, including the Scrum Master and the Product Owner. A larger team may have difficulties in collaborating effectively, self-organizing, and creating a meaningful Sprint Goal that reflects the collective commitment of the Developers. A smaller team may improve the communication, coordination, and cohesion among the Developers and help them to create and achieve a Sprint Goal.

The Scrum Guide, section 2.3 (The Scrum Team), page 7

The Scrum Guide, section 3.1 (The Sprint), page 8

The Scrum Guide, section 3.3 (The Sprint Goal), page 9

The Scrum Guide, section 4.1 (The Product Backlog), page 11

The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 2 (The Scrum Framework), lesson 2 (The Sprint) and lesson 3 (The Sprint Goal)

The Scrum Guide states that ''the moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, an Increment is born'' and that ''the Increment is the sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and the value of the increments of all previous Sprints''. Therefore, to deliver a product Increment that is integrated and potentially releasable, all Scrum Teams must have a shared understanding of what ''Done'' means and ensure that their work meets that standard. This also enables transparency, inspection, and adaptation across the Scrum Teams.

The Scrum Guide, section 3.4 (The Increment), page 10

The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 5 (The Increment), lesson 1 (What is an Increment?) and lesson 2 (Definition of Done)

The Scrum Master is responsible for promoting and supporting Scrum, which includes helping the Scrum Team and the organization understand and enact Scrum values, principles, and practices. The Scrum Master should offer guidance that:

Addresses the root cause of the conflict, not just the symptoms or the consequences.

Empowers the Scrum Team to self-organize and collaborate effectively, without relying on external intervention or authority.

Fosters a culture of transparency, inspection, and adaptation, where feedback is welcomed and used to improve the product and the process.

Focuses on delivering value to the customer and meeting the Sprint Goal, not on following a fixed plan or satisfying individual preferences.

Therefore, the best option is to address why requirements change during the Sprint Retrospective , which is an event that allows the Scrum Team to inspect how they worked together and create a plan for improvements. The Scrum Master should ask the Developers and the Product Owner to talk about why the requirements are changing and consider the impact on value during this discussion. This will help them understand each other's perspectives, clarify their expectations, and align their goals.

The other options are not appropriate because they:

Take everyone to a 2-day off-site event to relax and re-align (A), which may be a nice gesture, but does not solve the underlying problem or help the Scrum Team improve their collaboration skills. It may also be seen as a distraction or a reward for poor performance.

Ask each person's functional manager to instruct their employees that they must collaborate better, or be removed from the team (B), which undermines the self-organization and autonomy of the Scrum Team and introduces a threat of punishment that may damage trust and motivation. It also violates the Scrum value of respect and the principle of servant leadership.

Ask for a project manager or other external resource to mediate and temporarily take over for the Product Owner (D), which creates a dependency on an outsider who may not have the necessary knowledge, authority, or vision to manage the product. It also violates the Scrum role of the Product Owner and the principle of single-wringable-neck.

A) Having one Product Owner will improve the clarity of accountability to the teams and to the product management department. This is a good suggestion, as it ensures that there is a single person who is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and managing the Product Backlog. Having one Product Owner also avoids confusion, duplication, or conflict among multiple Product Owners who may have different visions, priorities, or expectations for the product.

D) A single Product Backlog should be maintained holding all requirements for the new product. This is also a good suggestion, as it ensures that there is a single source of truth for the product requirements and that they are transparent and visible to all stakeholders. Having a single Product Backlog also enables the Product Owner to order the items based on their value, risk, dependency, and urgency, and to collaborate with the Scrum Teams to select and refine the items for each Sprint.

The Scrum Guide, section 2.3 (The Scrum Team), page 7

The Scrum Guide, section 4.1 (The Product Backlog), page 11

The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 2 (The Scrum Framework), lesson 4 (Sprint Planning) and lesson 5 (The Sprint Review)