Thinking Scrum? Let’s Play RUGBY!

Agile is becoming popular day-by-day. Agile, as a CULTURE, is becoming the lifestyle rapidly. It is exciting to know that agile is being used in all sort of industries like Software, Automobiles & Event management (e.g. - Weddings etc. See my blog - Getting Married? ‘AGILE’ Is Here to Help You!). To achieve Agility, there are number of frameworks available and Scrum is the most famous one. It is more exciting to know & understand Scrum in a RUGBY Way.       

Rugby is a game which follows the same sort of spirit as Scrum does. In Rugby, every member of the team has the responsibility to take the ball & touch the goal post. All the members unite together, play as team & work towards the same goal. Scrum teams, in the same way, unite & work together to deliver the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) after each iteration a.k.a. sprint. MVP can be considered like a Rugby ball.

Both Scrum & Rugby show the same thing:  One Team – One Ball - One Goal!

Except for the subject matter, Agile & Rugby have same characteristics as:

1-    Team Spirit – We, not ME!

Every member of the team shows the extensive amount of team spirit & ultimately these team-spirits & support results in the success. They all are dedicated & accountable to the goal & team. These team-members shows the unconditional support, trust & respect to each other.

2-    Adaptable Team

Both Agile & Rugby teams are highly adaptable. They are not bound to predefined strategies. Whether it is related to change the strategy at the playground or embracing the change as per customer’s requirement, they are accepting these & preparing themselves for these changes rapidly.

3-    T-shaped Skilled Team

These teams are cross-functional. Every member of the team is able to perform any required action & at the same time has expertise in some area.

What AGILE adopted from Rugby?

AGILE is an umbrella under which a number of frameworks fall like Scrum, Kanban, XP & Lean etc. Industries have adopted methodologies out of this list as per their requirements. E.g. – Toyota took Lean & Kanban; ThoughtWorks took XP. As you see in my previous blog, few Wedding planners adopted Scrum. 

Scrum is one of the most famous frameworks. Do you know the roots of SCRUM?

Yes, Rugby has given the concept of SCRUM. Scrum is the style in which players pack closely, play for the same goal & restart (after an interruption/iteration). In the same way, SCRUM is used to achieve goals in iteration by closely packed teams.

AGILE / RUGBY: Roles & Conflict Resolution?

The teams are the group of human & every human is unique. This uniqueness brings the differences among the human and so team-members. So, having conflict is obvious & that is why resolving them becomes undeniable.  

AGILE Teams have 3 roles which have the direct correlation with Rugby teams:

1-    Product Owner: The one who has the vision of product, strategy & what needs to be done on the playground (or workstation)

2-    Scrum Team: Cross-functional team working to achieve the same goal

3-    Scrum Master (or Referee): Performing roles like Facilitator, Information Manager, Conflict Resolver & Distraction Remover that too without having an authority within the team. 

The most important thing in Agile Teams is they are self-organizing teams. No manager kind of role is required because these teams are able to identify their action-items rather than being directed by Manager.

As we have seen the characteristics, roles & the performing techniques both in AGILE & RUGBY teams, it is not wrong to say that both have too much as common & inspired by the same spirit.

Think, Both Agile & Rugby are not like:  One Team – One Ball - One Goal – Similar Role!

But finally, it is not a strategy or planning or management which works alone for AGILE/RUGBY team. What really matters are the Team Spirit, Respect, Dedication, Self-organization, Cross-functionality & Work Towards the Same Goal and are these not creating A CULTURE when combined?