“These events work because they implement the empirical Scrum pillars of transparency, inspection, and adaptation.”
Let’s zoom in on the first pillar: transparency.
Cambridge Dictionary defines transparency as: “a situation in which business and financial activities are done in an open way without secrets, so that people can trust that they are fair and honest.”
Scrum doesn’t limit that to finance. In Scrum, transparency means: no hidden work, no hidden risks, no hidden “yeah-but” definitions of done—so the next decision is based on reality, not optimism.
The Scrum Guide is blunt about why this matters: important decisions are based on the perceived state of the three artifacts, and low transparency leads to decisions that diminish value and increase risk.
Now here’s the uncomfortable part:
Transparency isn’t “everything is visible.”
It’s everything is understood the same way.
A board full of tickets can still be non-transparent if:
- “Done” means “dev done” for some people and “ready for users” for others.
- “Priority” means “top of the list” for the team and “contractual promise” for stakeholders.
- “We’re on track” means “we’re busy” (classic corporate metric).
So ask yourself (and your team) the questions that actually hurt a little:
- What are the secrets right now? Hidden incidents, unspoken dependencies, silent rework, political constraints?
- What does “fair and honest” mean in our context? Are we working within policies and standards… or working around them and praying?
- If I pull a random stakeholder into the room: can they explain the Product Goal, current Sprint Goal, and what “Done” means—without a translator?
Quick upgrades (no re-org required)
- Put the Definition of Done where it can’t hide (and treat it like a contract with your future self).
- Make risks/unknowns explicit on the Sprint Backlog, not in someone’s head.
- In Sprint Review, talk about the Increment, not the slideshow.
- Reduce “in progress” like it’s on fire. WIP is the enemy of transparency.
If transparency is shared understanding… where is yours leaking right now?
One sentence. No jargon. Drop it in the comments.
Scrum on!
I hope you find value in these short articles and if you are looking for more clarifications, feel free to make contact.
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Wishing you an inspiring read and a wonderful journey.
Scrum on!
