Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I)Scrum Theory & PrinciplesMedium

During a Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team identifies that their Definition of Done is too lax, leading to frequent re-work in subsequent Sprints. They decide to update the Definition of Done to include a more rigorous testing phase. This action is a direct application of which pillar of Empiricism?

  1. ATransparency
  2. BPrediction
  3. CInspection
  4. DAdaptation
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D. Adaptation

The team has inspected their process (Retrospective) and identified a deviation (lax DoD leading to rework). Their decision to update the Definition of Done is a direct adjustment to the process based on that inspection, which is the definition of adaptation.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. While the issue might become transparent in the Retrospective, the act of changing the DoD is the adaptation.
  • B. Prediction is not a pillar of Empiricism; Scrum embraces empiricism over prediction.
  • C. Identifying the lax DoD and rework is inspection; the subsequent change is adaptation.

Empiricism: Adaptation

Adjusting the process or the product being built as soon as possible to minimize further deviation. This is done based on insights gained from Inspection.

  • Requires the ability to change current practices.
  • Essential for continuous improvement.
  • Minimizes deviations from desired outcomes.

Memory trick: Inspect the past to adapt for the future.

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