Choosing the Optimal Size for Your Scrum Team: A Comprehensive Guide
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Understanding the Importance of Scrum Team Size
Reflecting on a rather unproductive meeting with a public sector client, I vividly recall the chaos of 26 participants from diverse departments. After half an hour, I found myself only engaging with a handful while the rest were engrossed in their side discussions. This scenario mirrors the challenges faced by Scrum Teams when their size and structure are improperly configured, leading to diminished productivity and increased waste.
According to the Scrum Guide, an optimal Scrum Team typically comprises no more than 10 individuals:
"The fundamental unit of Scrum is a small team of people, a Scrum Team. The Scrum Team is small enough to remain nimble and large enough to complete significant work within a Sprint, typically 10 or fewer people." — Scrum Guide 2020
Nonetheless, there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. It's essential to find a configuration that suits your specific team dynamics, allowing for experimentation, inspection, and adaptation.
Experimentation and Flexibility
While it's possible to try out various meeting formats, adjusting the composition of a Scrum Team isn't as straightforward. How many Sprints would it take to test every possible configuration, and what impact would these changes have on the team? Consider the stages of team development: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. The crux of the matter is that learning from a single Sprint experiment may not yield comprehensive insights.
Many inquiries regarding dependencies persist, and rather than starting from scratch, it would be wise to leverage the experiences of others, trial their approaches, and refine your strategy accordingly.
Before crafting this article, I conducted three LinkedIn surveys, consulted with eight seasoned Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, and a Product Owner, and interviewed over 20 individuals on LinkedIn.
The Smallest Viable Scrum Team
In Scrum, a team is defined by its designated roles: Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developers.
"The fundamental unit of Scrum is a small team of people, a Scrum Team. The Scrum Team consists of one Scrum Master, one Product Owner, and Developers." — Scrum Guide 2020
Some contend that the differing interests associated with these roles could lead to conflict. However, I argue that a unified goal is essential for success. Each role, while focused on different aspects, collaborates towards a common objective.
The One-Person Scrum Team: The Hero Developer
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a team comprises two or more individuals working collaboratively. The Scrum Guide emphasizes teamwork and collective effort. If one finds themselves working alone due to organizational decisions, they may fall into the "hero developer" trap, juggling all roles without adequate time for focus and productivity.
While some assert they use Scrum to achieve personal goals, the absence of collaboration and interaction indicates a lack of teamwork and leadership. In a scenario with a single stakeholder, holding separate Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective events may not be practical.
Two or Three Members in a Scrum Team
Given the three accountabilities in Scrum, a team of two would require at least some overlap. This isn't an issue, as accountabilities can be fulfilled by the same individual. The Scrum Guide does not prohibit the same person from being both Scrum Master and Product Owner or fulfilling Developer responsibilities.
With three team members, the dynamics shift. It's unlikely that the Scrum Master and Product Owner would only engage at the start and end of the Sprint while the Developer works in isolation. In smaller teams, blending roles often occurs for efficiency.
The Developer Working Independently
It's crucial to consider cross-functionality, which minimizes external dependencies:
"Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint." — Scrum Guide 2020
Furthermore, "The Scrum Team is (…) large enough to complete significant work within a Sprint." — Scrum Guide 2020. In certain fields, larger teams may be necessary to achieve substantial work within a Sprint.
The Largest Possible Scrum Team
While there is no fixed upper limit on Scrum Team size, the Scrum Guide highlights the benefits of smaller teams:
"In general, we have found that smaller teams communicate better and are more productive." — Scrum Guide 2020
The rationale is simple: adding members increases the number of communication lines, leading to potential complications. Excessive team size can hinder Scrum's goal of managing complexity effectively.
If your team grows too large, consider restructuring into multiple cohesive Scrum Teams:
"If Scrum Teams become too large, they should consider reorganizing into multiple cohesive Scrum Teams, each focused on the same product." — Scrum Guide 2020
The Best Size and Composition of a Scrum Team
Returning to historical insights, the Scrum Guide 2017 recommended a Development Team size of 3 to 9 members. The updated Scrum Guide 2020 suggests "typically 10 people or less" as a more flexible guideline, accommodating various domains beyond software development.
While the previous guide highlighted that teams smaller than three may experience diminished productivity, it is worth noting that this recommendation still holds value today.
Insights from Surveys on Scrum Team Composition
To gather more data on Scrum Team size, I conducted several surveys on LinkedIn. The results indicated that combining the roles of Product Owner and Scrum Master is often challenging, achieving success in less than 26% of cases.
The overarching theme from discussions with practitioners indicated that while it’s feasible to combine roles, it often places undue strain on individuals.
Summary of Key Insights
In conclusion, here are the main takeaways:
- A typical Scrum Team consists of 5 to 10 members.
- Teams with fewer than 5 members should be cautious, particularly with only 1 or 2 Developers.
- In the majority of cases, Scrum Masters and Product Owners are not Developers.
- Combining roles can present significant challenges, with less than 26% success in surveys.
When determining the right size and composition for a Scrum Team, consider:
- Cross-functionality: Do team members possess the necessary skills to deliver value each Sprint?
- The capacity to complete significant work within a Sprint.
- The complexity of the problems at hand, with smaller, adaptable teams often being preferable.
- The potential impact of team member absences during Sprints.
Lastly, the concept of "collective intelligence"—the enhanced problem-solving capabilities that arise from collaboration—should be taken into account.
Final Thoughts
None of the points made in this article are set in stone. If you find your situation diverging from established norms, don't hesitate to innovate and experiment. Success isn't defined by strict adherence to Scrum, but rather by the value delivered to stakeholders.
Whatever approach you decide on, remember to continuously inspect and adapt your practices over time.
Special thanks to:
A vibrant LinkedIn community for their insights in shaping this article, and to Paweł Płuciennik, Paweł Pietruszka, Jakub Bażela, Michał Kaczmarek, Jakub Milewski, Kamil Zych, Ola Rakocińska-Szczęsna, and Hubert Gałczyński for their brainstorming contributions. Additional thanks to Maarten Dalmijn, Roy Klein, and Sander Dur for their constructive feedback.
Discover strategies on identifying the ideal team size for your Scrum setup in this insightful video: "What Is the Just-Right Agile Team Size?"
Explore the implications of larger teams and strategies for effective team structuring in the video: "10+ Person Team? - Should You Split up Large Teams? [REAL AGILE or BS?]"