“I use parts of Scrum,” people often tell me.
“We do Reviews and Retrospectives, but we skipped the Daily Scrum.”
Or: “We plan, but retros take too much time.”
Fair enough—it’s your right to adapt.
But then… can Scrum still bring the value you expect?
From the Scrum Guide:
“Scrum combines four formal events for inspection and adaptation within a containing event, the Sprint.”
Combines.
That word matters.
Cambridge Dictionary defines combine as: “To (cause to) exist together, or join together to make a single thing or group.”
The events exist together—not as separate meetings, but as parts of one cohesive system.
Together with the work toward the Sprint Goal, they form the Sprint.
In professional Scrum, nothing exists outside a Sprint.
Each event enables inspection and adaptation—but they gain their real power when connected:
- Sprint Planning sets direction—without it, we drift.
- Daily Scrum provides navigation—without it, we lose focus.
- Sprint Review brings feedback—without it, we fly blind.
- Sprint Retrospective drives improvement—without it, we stagnate.
Remove one, and your inspect-and-adapt cycle collapses like a missing gear in a clockwork.
It’s not that one event without the others is useless—but each missing piece reduces transparency, learning, and flow.
Scrum is designed as one integrated framework.
It combines events, artifacts, and accountabilities into a single rhythm for value delivery.
So by all means—adapt. But know what you’re removing.
Because when the combination breaks, don’t blame Scrum for not working.
Think about it this way:
You wouldn’t play chess with half the rules—or cook with half the ingredients.
Scrum works the same way. The magic isn’t in the parts—it’s in the way they combine.
Reflection questions:
- Which Scrum event in your team feels “optional”? Why?
- What happens to your inspect-and-adapt cycle when one is skipped?
- How might you re-combine them to restore transparency and learning?
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!
