Necessity and urgency for the scrum master.

Last week, I discussed prioritization and why it matters.  I received plenty of feedback and want to devote extra time to the topic.

My experience has been that the further one advances in the company, the more people need help with prioritization.  I blame this on individuals who have never had constraints on time, money, or energy placed in positions of authority.  I also suspect sales and marketing professionals advance into the executive ranks faster.  These individuals are trained early in their careers that “no” is just one obstacle in the way of an eventual yes.  When they become responsible for operations or essential projects, “no,” has a very different meaning.  Unable to deal with people, money, or time shortages, they lash out or resort to deception to get things done.  It is an ugly state of affairs, and it will destroy the morale of a project team.

When I faced this situation, I remembered the 1999 movie, “Three Kings.”  The film features Ice Cube and George Clooney as Gulf War soldiers who decide to steal a shipment of Saddam Hussein’s gold during confusion surrounding the end of the First Gulf War.  The film has one moment that sticks out for me: a monologue by Clooney’s character.  He asks his fellow soldiers what is essential.  After listening to several wrong answers, he says, “Necessity is the most important.  We need to know what is going to get us to the next moment and do that.”  When a ship is leaking, fix the leak.  When a house is on fire, put out the fire.  Other issues can wait until the immediate crisis is over.  I have used this approach for five years and seen its effect.  If you are in a staff meeting, ask, “Is it necessary?” if the answer is yes, then inquire why.  Eventually, people in the organization will start asking the same questions.

Some organizations have a culture of firefighting.  Jimmy Leppert observed that these organizations are so focused on short-term results they do not have time to focus on growth or excellence.  To get anything done, you must become an arsonist to create a sense of urgency.  To reduce the “fire risk,” flammable material from the organization, such as technical debt and outdated software, must be removed.  Next, take responsibility away from the “firebugs” in the organization, people who create a crisis to get things done.  Finally, encourage fire safety with good engineering practices, automated testing, and code reviews among the team. 

People use urgency and necessity interchangeably. Do not use these words to upset the process of prioritization in an organization. It is arson, burning down the business.

Until next time.