“The emergent process and work must be visible to those performing the work as well as those receiving the work.” (Scrum Guide)
Cambridge defines perform (do) as “to do an action or piece of work.”
So in Scrum, “those performing the work” isn’t a fancy way to say “the team”. It’s a precision strike: the people actually doing the work right now must be able to see the real work and the real process, without a translator, a status meeting, or a heroic Scrum Master.
Because if the doers can’t see it, two things happen:
1/ they guess (quietly), and
2/ everyone else gets a prettier story than reality.
“Performing” means hands-on ownership: the Developers (anyone doing the work) keep the Sprint Backlog and progress decision-grade.
Visibility is not “the board exists.” It’s “two different people would choose the same next move from what they see.”
3 practical tests you can try tomorrow:
- 3-minute rule: can a teammate answer “what’s the next best move toward the Sprint Goal?” in <3 minutes by looking at the board?
- Done-or-it-didn’t-happen: if it doesn’t meet the Definition of Done, don’t let it cosplay as progress.
- Plan changed? Update it. If reality changed and the Sprint Backlog didn’t, you preserved a story, not transparency.
A common anti-pattern: those “receiving the work” (stakeholders) get polished demos while the doers drown in half-truths: “almost done,” “blocked-ish,” “waiting on Alex.” That’s how the Sprint turns into theatre.
If you want the short version: transparency isn’t for managers. It’s a survival tool for the people doing the work, and a reality check for everyone consuming it. This is exactly the failure mode I keep seeing in teams.
Question for you:
Where does your work become invisible to the people performing, and what’s the smallest change that would make the next?
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!
