Scrum is one of the approaches in Agile Project Management that provides a framework for managing projects through short, iterative cycles, leading to the faster delivery of valuable products. It encourages collaboration and promotes greater adaptability in response to changes.
Even though Agile/Scrum Practices are adopted by many organizations today, but still suffer from “Scrum in Name Only” (SINO), where the framework’s mechanics are implemented without its agile soul. As per the state of agile report, 87% of teams practice Scrum; however, a majority are still experiencing “inconsistent practices” and “company culture” as top impediments.
In this article, we are going to explore how to deal with this “ ‘Scrum in Name Only’ in Your Organization effectively.
Scrum in Name Only (SINO): What it Means
“Scrum in Name Only” (SINO) refers to a situation where a team follows some of the rituals of Scrum without completely following the underlying Scrum values, principles, practices, and goals. This situation is one of the most common and frustrating challenges in modern software development. There is no single reason for this.
Here are some situations leading to Scrum in Name Only, also known as Scrumbut.
- Lack of genuine leadership support
- A “fake agile” agenda
- Command and control mindset
- Organizational resistance to change
- Running Scrum events without substance
- Treating Scrum as the only process, not as a mindset
- Inadequate training for team members
- Misinterpretation of the roles
- Ignoring feedback cycles
- Lack of team empowerment
- Hiding problems
- Using Scrum for the wrong problem
- Focusing only on a fixed scope.
How To Deal With It, Moving From Diagnosis to Action:
1. Diagnose the Problem Accurately:
If you can’t fix the problem correctly, that means you never find it properly. Figure out what’s going wrong. Let’s find out the following anti-patterns.
| Scrum Element | “In Name Only” Anti-Patterns |
| The Sprint | Sprints mean short cycle meetings for a complete set of work. Here, the goal deviates to just finishing the assigned work. Work carried over to the next sprint cycle without meaning less. |
| Product Backlog | Instead of a priority list, it becomes a long, fixed to-do list from a Product roadmap. Backlog items are large and unclear until sprint planning. |
| Daily Scrum | It turns a status report into a Scrum master or manager. Team members speak mechanically, without discussion. No one updates the board or uses the time to solve blockers. |
| Sprint Review | Conducting like a formal presentation, just to impress stakeholders. Feedbacks are ignored. It conducts like a “sign off” meeting instead of real cooperation. |
| Sprint Retrospective | It’s a complaint session with no actionable outcomes. The same issues are brought up every sprint but never addressed. Management is not present or supportive of the changes the team identifies. |
| Roles | Product Owner: Just takes orders instead of representing customer needs.
Scrum Master: Acts like a manager or task tracker instead of a coach. Developers: Work in silos; not cross-functional, leading to delays. |
As an Action, do an anonymous survey or a strictly honest retrospective to map your organization’s specific symptoms against the Scrum Guide.
2. Understand the Root Causes:
SINO is a serious symptom of deeper organizational issues. Just rushing to “do Scrum right” may lead to failure if you don’t address the root causes.
Command and Control Culture:
Management is not showing a willingness to empower team members with Agile. They only rely on control over autonomy.
Fixed Scope, Fixed Mindset:
The company sets a long list of features and a strict deadline before work begins. Sprints become just “execution” periods with no opportunity for learning or adapting.
Misunderstood Roles:
The misunderstanding of Scrum roles is also one of the reasons. Thinking Scrum master as the project manager and the product owner as the project coordinator. This causes a fundamental lack of accountability in these roles.
Absence of Trust:
Managers don’t believe teams can self-organize, and teams don’t believe management will back their choices. This blocks collaboration and innovation.
Performance Metrics:
People decide sole rely solely on numbers (like story points or lines of code) instead of real outcomes (delivering customer value or improving team performance).
Strategy and Tactics to Deal With ‘Scrum in Name Only’ in Your Organization:
You need a multi-prolonged approach. Don’t rush to fix everything at once.
Tactic 1: Lead with “Why” and Focus on Outcomes
Stop talking about “following Scrum rules.” Instead, connect practices to business outcomes.
For just saying “We need a real Sprint Goal.” Let’s say, “If we focus on a single, valuable outcome for this sprint, we can get feedback faster and ensure we are building the right thing. This reduces wasted effort and increases customer satisfaction.”
Tactic 2: Start with the Retrospective
This is your most powerful tool for change. Apply it safely and effectively.
As a Scrum Master or leader, guide the team to identify the problems they encounter. Through applying techniques like “Start, Stop, Continue” or “Sailboat Retrospective,” focus on one thing at a time. At the end of each retrospective, make the team vote on the single best solution they can make in the next sprint. Now you are close to a sense of achievement.
Tactic 3: Coach All Levels
The team can’t fix it alone. You must influence management and stakeholders, too.
- Educate stakeholders. Invite them to a brief session about conducting Scrum events.
- Protect the team. Let’s avoid or ignore unrealistic demands.
- Show results, don’t just talk. Use data. Show how much time is wasted on context switching.
Tactic 4: Create Opportunities with CSM certification
Use training as a tactical weapon. Find more opportunities with the CSM certification course, and leverage the skills and professional network it provides. Strategically applying your CSM knowledge to manage these SINO cases, bring your organization back into the true agile practices.
Conclusion:
Through various tactics and plans, dealing with “Scrum in Name Only” is a marathon. Not short-period races. It needs a lot of patience, diplomacy, and a relentless focus on the agility principles, such as transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Don’t fight the process; demonstrate the value. Start small, build momentum with small wins, and gradually shift the culture from the inside out.
