Scrum 1-2-3: The Three Pillars

What are the core elements of Scrum? What are the foundation of Scrum? What are its main tenants?

Scrum is focused on delivering high-quality software products in chunks within short iterations while being modified by feedback from users of the products. Behind the purpose of Scrum are three pillars that build a solid foundation.

Pillar 1: Transparency
One of the key advantages of using Scrum is that the progress of the work and the team is visible to all. This means that if the team is doing well, those connected to their work (stakeholders) can see this and praise their efforts. On the other hand, if the team is struggling, those same stakeholders can lend support and remove obstacles to achieve victory. This transparency is powerful because it frees the team and the organization from many political games.

Pillar 2: Inspection
Another benefit of using Scrum is frequent opportunities to review the current state of the work and how the team is using Scrum. This gives insight into current challenges, progress made so far, and creativity the by the team to solve complex problems. Without the frequent opportunities to inspect the work, the team would most likely do a “post-mortem” (which means after death) when the project is complete – which rarely changes the way a project is carried out.

Pillar 3: Adaptation
To follow inspection, it is critical to make changes and adapt to the new ideas, information, and current environment of the work. There are also plenty of opportunities to make changes to the work being done, either to the features that are worked on and/or the where that they are being developed.

With all three pillars of transparency, inspection and adaption, Scrum is supported on a firm foundations where the principles, roles, and practices can be established and become effective instruments.