Is Scrum Right for Us?

Most teams I meet are working hard. Really hard.

But if you ask them how much meaningful work they finish each week, the answer gets blurry.

Tasks drift. Priorities shift. Meetings multiply. Somehow the real work gets squeezed.

That’s where Scrum comes in.

In this workshop plan, I’ll help your team try Scrum in a practical way.

No theory, no buzzwords. You’ll get hands-on experience of how short, focused sprints, fast feedback and clear teamwork can help you deliver what matters, faster.

Why does this matter? Because too many teams get stuck in cycles of busyness without real progress.

They multitask, plan endlessly or chase shifting priorities. But they rarely pause to ask: is this actually helping us deliver value?

Scrum offers one answer but it’s not always the right one.

And I’ll be honest: most teams try to adopt Scrum like a checklist.

They copy the rituals without changing how they think about work.

Daily stand-ups feel pointless. Boards gather dust. People get frustrated and give up.

But here’s the thing I’ve seen again and again: if you try Scrum the right way by testing it, adjusting it and making it fit your team, it can change how you work together in a big way.

That’s what this workshop is about. Giving you the chance to test it for real, not just read about it.

What will you get from it?

• You’ll experience key Scrum practices, not just hear about them.
• You’ll find out how working in sprints changes your focus and pace.
• You’ll see how fast feedback and changing priorities impact your work.
• You’ll reflect honestly on whether Scrum fits your team’s work and culture.
• You’ll leave with a decision about whether to test Scrum further—or not.

Maybe Scrum is what your team needs. Maybe it’s not.

Either way, you’ll walk away clearer about what’s next.

That clarity is worth two hours of your time.

Let’s get into it…

“Is Scrum Right for Us? A Practical Try-Out”

Duration: 2 hours

Who it's for

• Teams curious about Scrum but unsure if it fits them
• Cross-functional teams (ideally 5–9 people)
• Any industry, not limited to tech

Workshop Objectives

1. Help the team experience Scrum ways of working in a hands-on way
2. Give them space to reflect honestly on whether Scrum would help their work

Materials Needed

• Sticky notes or virtual board
• Timer
• Whiteboard or flipchart

Workshop Plan

Welcome and purpose (10 min)

• Explain:

  • "Today we’re testing if Scrum feels useful, not committing to it forever."
  • "We’ll try some key Scrum practices and reflect at the end."

• Ask:

  • "What questions or concerns do you have about Scrum?"
  • Capture on the board to revisit later.

Part 1: Work in small bursts (25 min)

Activity: Fast-build challenge

1. Split into teams of 3–4.
2. Give a simple creative task (e.g. build a paper tower, sketch a product, design a one-minute presentation).
3. Work in two 5-minute sprints with a 2-minute review between.
4. Give changing requirements after Sprint 1 (simulate changing business needs).

Debrief:

• How did working in short bursts help (or not)?
• How did feedback change what you built?
• Does this approach feel helpful in your real work?

Part 2: Make work visible (20 min)

Activity: Visualise your actual work

1. List your current work as sticky notes or virtual cards.
2. Sort them into: To Do, Doing, Done.
3. Look at the "Doing" column:
   1. What’s stuck?
   2. Who is doing what?
4. Mini-lesson: Explain how Scrum uses simple boards to focus on finishing, not just starting.
5. Ask: Would making your work visible every day help or distract you?

Part 3: Try a mini stand-up (15 min)

Activity: Run a quick stand-up

1. Everyone answers:
   1. What did I do?
   2. What will I do next?
   3. What’s blocking me?
2. Keep it to 30 seconds per person.
3. Time it.

Debrief:

• Did that feel useful or like a checkbox exercise?
• What helped the team understand the big picture?

Part 4: Reflect honestly (30 min)

Activity: Group discussion

1. Ask these questions and discuss openly:
   1. What parts of Scrum felt useful today?
   2. What parts felt forced or unnecessary?
   3. Where could Scrum help us deliver faster or collaborate better?
   4. Where might it slow us down or add confusion?
2. Capture reflections on a board:
   1. Helpful
   2. Not helpful
   3. Unsure / Questions

Part 5: Decide next steps (15 min)

Activity: Team decision time

1. Ask:
   1. Do we want to run a short Scrum trial in our real work for 1–2 sprints?
   2. Or do we want to explore other ways of working?

If yes: agree how to start (e.g. what’s Sprint 1).

If no: agree on what you’ll try instead to improve how you work.

Facilitation Tips

• Keep the tone light and curious, not “selling” Scrum
• Let the team debate the pros and cons
• Share real-world examples from teams who loved Scrum—and those who didn’t
• Give people permission to say, "This isn’t for us"

Conclusion

So, is Scrum the answer for your team?

Maybe. Maybe not.

That’s not the point of this workshop. The real goal is to help you find out for yourselves by trying it, reflecting on it, and deciding what fits your way of working.

You could keep reading books and debating frameworks.

Or you could gather your team, run a few sprints, and see what actually helps you deliver.

This workshop gives you a clear next step. No big commitment. No long training course. Just two hours of focused learning and honest reflection.

If you’ve ever felt your team is working hard but going nowhere, this is worth your time.

The first step to working better is to stop guessing and start experimenting.

Are you ready to try?

See you next week.