Are We Leading Teams into Scrum the Right Way?

Me: Why has the team that has been formed for five months and actively developing a product not yet adopted Scrum? 
Scrum Master: I am meeting the team where they are at. They are not ready for Scrum. They are still using a spreadsheet to manage their tasks. I am introducing Scrum slowly. Over time, Scrum will be in place and the team won’t even notice.

This response got me thinking: Where did this approach emerge from?

While meeting teams where they are is important, it’s also critical to lead teams with clear direction and purpose. Scrum isn’t just about practices you sneak in over time. It’s about delivering value, building transparency, and creating collective accountability from day one.

Here’s the challenge: If teams don’t experience the full framework of Scrum early on—its roles, events, and artifacts—how can they inspect and adapt? Delaying Scrum means delaying growth, feedback, and improvement.

Transformation requires more than gradual shifts. It requires commitment, transparency, and leadership. Teams need to understand the “why” behind Scrum, and we as leaders need to empower them to embrace the framework head-on and trust them to deliver.

What do you think? How do you approach introducing Scrum to teams that may not feel ready?

#Transformation #Scrum #Leadership #Agile #OrganizationalChange