Rules of Scrum Ceremonies — Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that everyone related to a project, whether chickens or pigs, follows the rules of Scrum.

These rules hold the Scrum process together so that everyone knows how to play. If the rules aren’t enforced, people waste time figuring out what to do. If the rules are disputed, time is lost while everyone waits for a resolution. These rules have worked in literally thousands of successful projects.

If someone wants to change the rules, use the Sprint retrospective meeting as a forum for discussion. Rule changes should originate from the Team, not management. Rule changes should be entertained if and only if the Scrum Master is convinced that the Team and everyone involved understands how Scrum works in enough depth that they will be skillful and mindful in changing the rules.

No rules can be changed until the Scrum Master has determined that this state has been reached.

The business fable of The Chicken and the Pig explains breakfast pigs and chickens in the Scrum process. It’s a way to differentiate between roles in the Scrum/Agile world. Roles are key in Agile. They are constant and form the basis of every decision and define the very basic human relationships in Scrum.

Pig and Chicken Fable

The fable of the Chicken and the Pig is used to illustrate the differing levels of project stakeholders involved in a project. The basic fable runs:

A Pig and a Chicken are walking down the road.

The Chicken says: “Hey Pig, I was thinking we should open a restaurant!”

Pig replies: “Hm, maybe, what would we call it?”

The Chicken responds: “How about ‘ham-n-eggs’?”

The Pig thinks for a moment and says: “No thanks. I’d be committed, but you’d only be involved.”

Sometimes, the story is presented as a riddle;

Question: In a bacon-and-egg breakfast, what’s the difference between the Chicken and the Pig?

Answer: The Chicken is involved, but the Pig is committed!