‘Autonomy without accountability equals anarchy’ summarizes an essential design element of any agile organization. Without these checks and balances in place any aspiration to transform an organization is likely to fail. (Or at best level out at a mechanistic level.) Learn more about how Scrum deals with accountability.
From my perspective, Scrum places a significant emphasis on accountability to establish a system of checks & balances within the framework, thus enabling self-organization, empiricism, and a focus on quality. (Here, accountability acts as an enabler for Scrum first principles.)
In my experience, accountability also requires alignment at a team and an organizational level to flourish. Accountability is exercised collectively—as in the Development Team—or at an individual level. For example, it is the Product Owner’s prerogative to determine the content and the ordering of the Product Backlog.
Accountability needs to be pulled as it cannot be pushed upon teams or individuals. This requires a culture that does not punish failure but supports Scrum Values, thus providing the psychological safety for those who volunteer to be held accountable. (There is no blame game, finger-pointing, or butt-covering in a real Scrum environment.)
Finally, this approach rules out that Scrum can be imposed upon a team by an external authority, for example, the line management. It also provides an explanation of why the level of voluntarily assumed accountability seems to correlate directly with the engagement level of the involved individuals. (Do not expect the cogs in the machinery who are told what to when and how to be enthusiastic about their work.)
The Scrum Guide uses responsibility and accountability synonymously. Nevertheless, the uniform application of the idea of accountability across all three Scrum roles provides the basis for Scrum’s beforementioned system of checks and balances:
Source: Scrum Guide 2017.
Let’s delve into some thoughts on and practical aspects of Scrum accountability:
Accountability and autonomy/self-organization are the two sides of the same medal—you cannot have one without the other:
Scrum accountability heavily depends on the Team:
There are haptic moments that manifest accountability:
Scrum supports a separation of concerns at the Scrum role level, thus strengthening its internal checks and balance. For example, while the Product Owner is accountable to maximize the value of the Development Team’s work by defining the content and the ordering of the Product Backlog, the Product Owner does neither dictate the Sprint Goal, nor which Product Backlog items to pick. Ultimately, the Product Owner is accountable for the “why,” while the Development Team is accountable for the “how.”
The maturity or proficiency aspect of accountability is borrowed from the Farnam Street blog:
Providing an environment—or better: creating a culture—that nurtures accountability at a team and an individual level is a crucial factor in making Scrum work for your organization. Accountability cannot be forced upon people. It also cannot be “rolled-out” as a part of an initiative; it needs to be assumed voluntarily.
What is your experience with accountability as an enabling factor in your organization? Please share with us in the comments.
Scrum First Principles — How to Elon Musk the Scrum Guide.
Balancing Autonomy and Alignment with Accountability.
“Silly gestures” — Why physical Scrum boards and clothespins work.
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