Developing People and Teams · Topic 1 of 1
Self-Managing Teams and the Product Owner
Self-managing Scrum Teams for PSPO I: who decides who, what, when and how, no sub-teams or hierarchies, and how a Product Owner supports the team.
- 4 min
- Self-managing: the team decides who does what, when and how.
- Cross-functional: all skills needed to create value each Sprint.
- No sub-teams and no hierarchies.
What it is
A Scrum Team is self-managing: the team internally decides who does what, when and how. It is also cross-functional: its members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint. The Scrum Guide notes that adaptation becomes more difficult when the people involved are not empowered or self-managing, so self-management is part of what makes empiricism work.
Self-management does not mean the Product Owner has no influence. The Product Owner sets direction through the Product Goal and the order of the Product Backlog. The Developers decide how to turn that direction into a Done Increment.
How it works
Who decides what
| Decision | Decided by | Not decided by |
|---|---|---|
| What is most valuable to do next | Product Owner, through the order of the Product Backlog | Managers or stakeholders directly |
| How much work to take into the Sprint | Developers, through discussion with the Product Owner | The Product Owner alone |
| Who works on which item | Developers | A team lead, manager, Scrum Master or Product Owner |
| How to build the Increment | Developers | Anyone outside the Developers |
| Sizing of Product Backlog items | Developers who will do the work | The Product Owner, who may only influence by explaining trade-offs |
| The Sprint Goal | Whole Scrum Team | One person alone |
Self-management works within the Scrum framework. The Product Owner still orders the Product Backlog, the organization may set a Definition of Done as a minimum standard, and the events and timeboxes still apply.
No sub-teams or hierarchies
Within a Scrum Team there are no sub-teams (such as a separate testing or design team) and no hierarchies (such as a lead Developer who assigns work). The Scrum Team is a cohesive unit of professionals focused on one objective at a time, the Product Goal.
The entire Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint. Developers hold each other accountable as professionals.
How a Product Owner supports a self-managing team
- Keep the Product Goal clear and explicitly communicated.
- Keep the Product Backlog ordered, transparent and understood.
- Be available to clarify items and renegotiate scope as the Developers learn.
- Explain value and trade-offs during refinement and Sprint Planning, then let the Developers decide.
- Bring feedback from stakeholders and customers into the Product Backlog.
What works against self-management:
- Assigning tasks to individual Developers.
- Telling Developers how to build an item or how long it should take.
- Adding work to the Sprint Backlog without the Developers.
- Treating the Daily Scrum as a status report to the Product Owner.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Best response |
|---|---|
| Developers ask the Product Owner who should take a task | The Developers decide among themselves |
| The Product Owner thinks an estimate is too high | Explain the value and trade-offs; the Developers own the sizing |
| A manager wants to appoint a team lead to assign work | This conflicts with self-management; Scrum Teams have no hierarchies |
| Developers realize they cannot finish all selected items | They renegotiate scope with the Product Owner without affecting the Sprint Goal |
If an answer has the Product Owner deciding how, who or how much, it is usually wrong. If it has the Product Owner explaining why and what, it is usually right.
How the exam asks about this
- "Who decides who works on which Sprint Backlog item?" The Developers.
- "What does self-managing mean?" The team internally decides who does what, when and how.
- "Can a Scrum Team have sub-teams for testing and analysis?" No.
What to remember for the exam
- Self-managing: the team decides who does what, when and how.
- Cross-functional: all skills needed to create value each Sprint.
- No sub-teams and no hierarchies.
- The Product Owner orders the Product Backlog; the Developers plan and do the work.
- Developers size items; the Product Owner may influence by helping them understand trade-offs.
- Self-management happens within the Scrum framework.
A Product Owner who acts as the team's manager can make the team dependent and slow learning. Clear goals and transparent priorities help a team manage itself.
Common mistakes
The Product Owner assigning work. The Developers decide who does what.
Creating a separate QA sub-team. Scrum Teams have no sub-teams.
The Product Owner setting estimates. The Developers who will do the work size it.
Check yourself
Who sizes Product Backlog items?
The Developers who will be doing the work; the Product Owner may influence them by explaining trade-offs.
Can a Scrum Team have a lead Developer who assigns work?
No. There are no sub-teams or hierarchies in a Scrum Team.
How does the Product Owner set direction for a self-managing team?
Through the Product Goal and the order of the Product Backlog.
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