How do you resist pressure to manipulate Scrum metrics?

I know it is common sense but metrics are only useful if they are real measurements, and not manipulated. The risk is coming up with fake numbers that just represent whatever is wanted, so no real value. All metrics should be fully evaluated to see if they are valuable and real. Don't take anyone's word for a metric being useful. Like a scientific formula, it needs to be proven. I use lead time, cycle time, throughput, WIP amongst some. But this only makes sense if they measure something of value. In my case it is whether the processes that the Scrum team (inc. Product Owner) use indicate efficiency of the delivery process and help with root cause analysis to identify improvements.

In order to understand what it is that you should measure you will need to derives your measures from your goals. Be careful of the so called "cobra effect". The Cobra Effect originates from an attempt to solve a problem, where the implemented solution unexpectedly worsens the situation due to unforeseen or unintended consequences. It's named after an incident in colonial India, where a bounty on cobras led to people breeding them for profit, ultimately increasing the cobra population instead of reducing it. It's inevitable that people will view a metric as a goal. Make sure it's aligned with the right goal. Evidence Based Management is a great framework to supplement Scrum with goals and measures.

Scrum thrives on open communication and trust. Manipulating metrics undermines this foundation, leading to a culture of suspicion and secrecy. When team members can't trust the data or feel pressured to skew it, it damages the collaborative spirit essential for Agile's success.

Face à la pression éventuelle de manipuler les métriques Scrum, je maintiens une intégrité professionnelle inébranlable en me focalisant sur les principes fondamentaux de transparence, d'inspection et d'adaptation propres à la méthodologie Scrum. Je favorise une communication ouverte au sein de l'équipe et avec les parties prenantes, mettant en avant les défis réels et les progrès authentiques du projet. Plutôt que de céder à des influences externes, je sensibilise sur l'importance d'utiliser les métriques comme des outils d'amélioration continue plutôt que comme des instruments de manipulation.

Manipulating Scrum metrics can have severe negative impacts. It leads to inaccurate tracking of team progress, unreliable predictions for future performance, and ineffective process improvements. Quality may suffer as defects go undetected, and stakeholders receive misleading information, eroding their trust. Ultimately, this damages the team's reputation and credibility, making it harder to achieve long-term success and effective collaboration.

Beyond external sources of pressure, sometimes internal factors, like team competition or fear of failure, can lead to metric manipulation. it's crucial to create a culture where teams understand that metrics are not about individual performance but are tools for the team's self-improvement.

Addressing the core problem of manipulation is essential, especially when a team is confused about their intentions or when they become overly fixated on achieving velocity at the expense of true value delivery, often competing against other Scrum teams. Clear goals and a focus on delivering value are vital to mitigate such issues and maintain the integrity of the Agile process. To implement Scrum effectively within your organization, start with a careful assessment to determine which teams and projects are the best fit. Avoid blindly applying an Agile framework to all teams.

Manipulating Scrum metrics can lead to a false sense of progress and achievement, masking underlying issues that need attention. This can result in poor decision-making, as stakeholders rely on inaccurate data. Over time, it erodes trust within the team and with external stakeholders, damaging the team’s credibility. Furthermore, it undermines the principles of Agile and Scrum, which prioritize transparency, inspection, and adaptation.

Most of the time the pressure to manipulate the matrix comes internally itself, when the accurate data causes an impact on the reports, to the customer satisfaction index or to the timelines of the deliverables. It could be any stakeholders who impose pressure to manipulate the data due to fear of failing in commitment or due to the situations arose where the unforeseen risks casing an impact.

Pressure to manipulate Scrum metrics often comes from a desire to meet unrealistic expectations set by management or stakeholders. There may be a fear of negative consequences, such as job security or reputation, if the team’s performance appears subpar. Additionally, competitive environments or a focus on short-term results over long-term sustainability can drive individuals to alter metrics to create a more favorable impression.

The understanding should be set with the team that, it is highly important to maintain integrity and accountability while being agile or while following the scrum values. Setting up the standard bench marks such as DoD, DoR, acceptance criteria etc are quite useful in maintaining the quality of process and hence the matrics. Sessions such as regular back log reviews, DSMs, feature health checks, reviews and retrospective will help the team to review, identify and raise the concerns before it become a show stopper and cause an impact. Ideally if the team is able to maintain the quality of Product and process via standardized way of working and with right way of communication, very less chances occur that impose to manipulate the Matrics.

Being transparent with the team and overall organization creates trust. If there is a need to manipulate metrics, then the relationship between you and the organization/team becomes non-existent. "Individuals and interactions over processes and tools." There would be no need to manipulate metrics if we, as scrum masters, continue to provide an environment where everyone is transparent and understands if/when they fall short.

By maintaining honest Scrum metrics, teams can accurately identify and address areas for improvement, leading to genuine progress and enhanced performance over time. This builds trust with stakeholders, who can rely on the data to make informed decisions. Additionally, it strengthens the team’s commitment to Agile principles, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration. Ultimately, resisting manipulation leads to sustainable success and a healthier work environment.

On a highlevel we can say that resisting pressure on manipulating scrum matrics can help us in establishing scrum as mentioned in the scrum guide. It is essential to record the right data to reflect the perfomance to all stake holders and to analyse the progress and plan the future action items. Any inaccurate data in velocity/ release burndown / sprint burn down / predictability / cycle time charts can give a very wrong impression to the stake holders and cause a serious impact on business relationships.

Consider a scenario where a team is behind on their sprint goals due to unforeseen challenges. Instead of inflating completed story points to appear on track, the Scrum Master facilitates a retrospective to discuss the obstacles faced and collaboratively develop solutions. Another example is when a Product Owner resists the urge to pressure the team into marking incomplete tasks as done, instead communicating the reality to stakeholders and adjusting the roadmap accordingly. These actions demonstrate a commitment to integrity and continuous improvement.

Facing pressure to show rapid progress, a PO wanted to inflate the team's velocity metric, masking the actual progress of a challenging new feature. I advised against this, highlighting potential long-term harm to the team and product. Instead, I proposed meeting stakeholders to discuss current challenges and realistic expectations transparently. Collaboratively with the PO, we explored other solutions, like re-prioritising the backlog and adjusting scope, ensuring metrics remained accurate and transparent.

Educate Stakeholders: Ensure that stakeholders, including management, understand the purpose of Scrum metrics and how they contribute to the team's performance and improvement. Educate them about the potential negative consequences of manipulating metrics, such as inaccurate performance assessments and hindrance to continuous improvement.

It’s important to remember that metrics are just one aspect of assessing team performance. Qualitative insights from team members, customer feedback, and the overall quality of the delivered product are equally important. Regularly revisiting and refining how metrics are used can help ensure they remain a useful tool rather than a source of undue pressure. Encouraging a balanced view of success that includes both quantitative and qualitative measures can foster a healthier, more productive team environment.

Technical metrics don't resonate well with our customers. We rely heavily on customer feedback captured through regular demos with the scrum team and stakeholders. To create a shared vision of the product, we tie the sprint goals to wireframes that progress from low-fidelity to high-fidelity versions of the screens as the project develops. Soliciting customer feedback on these illustrations allows for rapid course correction before the final product is delivered. Ultimately, if you can't visualize where you want to be, how will you know when you get there?