Introduction
In the ever-evolving landscape of project management, adopting Agile methodologies, particularly Scrum, has become a strategic imperative for organizations seeking enhanced delivery efficiency. Point 2 Point (P2P) embraced the transformation, with the initial success seen within the first sprint phase of the Big Foot project. There were, however, challenges in the subsequent sprints, a revelation of cracks in the implementation of Scrum (Hidalgo, 2019). The analysis explores Kendra Hua, a software engineer intimately involved in the project, as she navigates through the triumphs and tribulations of Agile adoption at P2P.
How Well Scrum Is Working
Agile Project Management was being adopted internally at Point 2 Point (P2P), and as part of this, Scrum for the project management module opted to improve on delivery timelines. Kendra Hua is a software engineer by profession and has also been part of the team assigned to the Big Foot project (Pamulapati, 2022). Effective planning, daily Scrum meetings, and success in the review showed positive results through the first sprint. The team’s mistakes also accepted self-organization and identified more in the retrospective for future improvement. The second sprint, however, was faced with challenges when Scrum master Prem Gupta became assertive, thereby disrupting the team’s dynamics. Unplanned changes from the product owner, Isaac, mid-sprint raised concerns leading to compromised user-friendly features. Although the sprint review meeting brought in some new functionalities, it was somehow a clear revelation of unhappiness (Pamulapati, 2022). Despite the first sprint showing aspects of potential, issues like changed priorities and communication failure seen in the second sprint indicate that P2P is likely to need help with the full implementation of Scrum.
The Issues Confronting the Big Foot Project
Firstly, the historical issue of project delays at Point 2 Point (P2P) prompted the shift from traditional waterfall to Agile Project Management, specifically Scrum. Even though the first sprint showed hope of success, the second one faced challenges due to the changes the product owner, Isaac, brought about. The changes created a contradiction in the Agile principles, translating to tension in the team and leading to compromise in the completion of tasks. Further, the Scrum Master Prem empowered the self-organizing team but later engaged in a more directive role, thus affecting the dynamics of the team. Upon review, the sprint revealed usability issues with completed features, translating to user dissatisfaction (Pamulapati, 2022). The upcoming sprint has challenges since the team must address communication problems and user expectations for improved project outcomes.
What I Would Want to Say at The Retrospective If I Were Kendra
If I were Kendra in the retrospective meeting, I would confidently express my concern about the sudden changes that Isaac introduced in the middle of the second sprint. I would emphasize the value of following agile principles and attaining stability in the sprint to have a perfect workflow. In this regard, I would diplomatically air out the challenges affecting the team due to the unexpected alterations, thus affecting the user-friendliness of completed features. I would also create clear communication channels between the stakeholders and the development team to prevent such disruptions in the future (Longhurst & Choi, 2023). These initiatives are all aimed at a better team’s performance.
The Improvements That Need to Be Made
The primary changes needed are clear communication, consistent involvement, and adherence to sprint principles. In effectively addressing the issue that faced the second sprint, establishing clear communication is the perfect strategy as it can promote stakeholders’ involvement. The increased intervention by the prem Gupta disrupted the autonomy of the team. Clear communication will align with the team’s dynamics, allowing members to be self-organized and collaborate. Maintaining the integrity of the sprint principles is a perfect strategy for the project’s success. Isac’s action to alter the priorities violated the fundamental agile principle of not changing course during a sprint (Longhurst & Choi, 2023). In preventing disruptions, reinforcement of adherence to established sprint plans is the perfect strategy as it allows the teams to focus and complement projects.
References
Hidalgo, E. S. (2019). Adapting the scrum framework for agile project management in science: a case study of a distributed research initiative. Heliyon, 5(3), e01447. ScienceDirect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01447
Longhurst, R., & Choi, W. (2023, November 6). What the Next Generation of Project Management Will Look Like. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/11/what-the-next-generation-of-project-management-will-look-like
Pamulapati, K. (2022, September 28). What is Agile and Why Does Your Organization Need It? A&I Solutions. https://www.anisolutions.com/2022/09/28/agile-methodology/
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