How do you engage people to work together—not just to do tasks, but to care, contribute, and grow?
From the #Scrum Guide: “Scrum engages groups of people...”
Cambridge Dictionary defines *engage* as: “to interest someone in something and keep them thinking about it.”
That’s a far cry from just assigning tickets.
Scrum creates engagement by design:
- Purpose through Product & Sprint Goals.
- Mastery through continuous inspection, adaptation, and skill growth.
- Autonomy by empowering self-managing teams to decide how to work.
When these three are present, people don’t just show up—they bring energy, ideas, and ownership.
But without them? Teams disengage. Goals become checklists. Reviews become formalities. People start asking: “Why are we even doing this?”
I’ve felt both sides. What today is almost a minimum for organisations - to digitally exchange invoices and have them straight from the sellers in the buyers system - was a big challenge in the earlier days of my career. I believed in it. We learned fast, solved tough problems, and had the freedom to shape the product. That mix of purpose, mastery, and autonomy made me engaged.
Scrum at its best engages people the same way.
So, reflection time:
- When were you most engaged in your work?
- Do your teams have that same chance today?
- And if not—what’s blocking it?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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!
