Chickens and Pigs

There is a concept from Scrum, a methodology useful in software development, with wider implications.

Here’s Ken Schwaber’s The Chicken and Pig story.

While both are necessary, there is a difference between being involved in a project and being committed to a project.

Involvement is great. You can inspire the team doing the work, you can shuffle resources to benefit the project, and you can look on with amazement as progress is being made.

Commitment is crucial. There can be no project without the individuals who actually do the work! Whether it’s designing the software, writing code, testing the application, or fixing bugs, the team doing the work are the true heroes.

This implies the following.

Managers should respect the way in which a team is best able to deliver results. How the work is done should mostly be up to the team members. Managers should help motivate the team members and remove any issues blocking the team’s progress. The team members should have plenty of time to focus only on the work.

Switching contexts, it’s easier to be a critic than an artist. There’s nothing wrong with commenting on works of art; this may lead to more exposure. However, I tend to respect the people making art more than those just talking about it.

It turns out that “The chicken and pig lore of Scrum is no longer a part of the Scrum Guide.” — Scrum.org This also makes sense. Apparently, there’s no need to erect any additional barriers between the team members and management.

Onward and upward!