Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time

by Jeff Sutherland, J.J. Sutherland Narrated by J.J. Sutherland

Overview

For those who believe that there must be a more agile and efficient way for people to get things done, here is a brilliantly discursive, thought-provoking book about the leadership and management process that is changing the way we live.
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In the future, historians may look back on human progress and draw a sharp line designating "before Scrum" and "after Scrum." Scrum is that ground-breaking. *It already drives most of the world's top technology companies. And now it's starting to spread to every domain where leaders wrestle with complex projects.
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If you've ever been startled by how fast the world is changing, Scrum is one of the reasons why. Productivity gains of as much as 1200% have been recorded, and there's no more lucid - or compelling - explainer of Scrum and its bright promise than Jeff Sutherland, the man who put together the first Scrum team more than twenty years ago.
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The thorny problem Jeff began tackling back then boils down to this: people are spectacularly bad at doing things with agility and efficiency. Best laid plans go up in smoke. Teams often work at cross purposes to each other. And when the pressure rises, unhappiness soars. Drawing on his experience as a West Point-educated fighter pilot, biometrics expert, early innovator of ATM technology, and V.P. of engineering or CTO at eleven different technology companies, Jeff began challenging those dysfunctional realities, looking *for solutions that would have global impact.
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In this book you'll journey to Scrum's front lines where Jeff's system of deep accountability, team interaction, and constant iterative improvement is, among other feats, bringing the FBI into the 21st century, perfecting the design of an affordable 140 mile per hour/100 mile per gallon car, helping NPR report fast-moving action in the Middle East, changing the way pharmacists interact with patients, reducing poverty in the Third World, and even helping people plan their weddings and accomplish weekend chores.*
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Woven with insights from martial arts, judicial decision making, advanced aerial combat, robotics, and many other disciplines, Scrum is consistently riveting. But the most important reason to read this book is that it may just help you achieve what others consider unachievable - whether it be inventing a trailblazing technology, devising a new system of education, pioneering a way to feed the hungry, or, closer to home, a building a foundation for your family to thrive and prosper.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

07/14/2014
Sutherland, CEO of Scrum Inc., offers a system for doing better work in less time, with fewer people, and at lower cost. Named after how players move the ball down the field in rugby, “Scrum” gives teams “the tools to self-organize and rapidly improve both speed and quality of work.” The system is based on the simple idea of regularly checking in with your team to see if the work being done and is headed in the right direction, and making sure that the goal is still the same. As Sutherland explains, this process requires “thought, introspection, honesty, and discipline.” Sutherland uses a case study of an FBI modernization project called Sentinel, among other examples, to show how current ways of working and organizing can be futile. Using the Scrum system of sequential goals (which must be completed in a fixed length of time), he details how teams should work together, get regular feedback, and refine their workflow. He suggests regular team debriefs so individuals can discuss how they accomplished their tasks, what slowed them down, and how they can improve. Sutherland makes a convincing case for this thoughtful way of working. (Sept.)

From the Publisher

Reading Scrum was one of those lightbulb moments . . . everything the book was talking about. Why can we work in a crisis, but we can’t work in normal business? How can I get more productivity and creativity out of everyone rather than just those few hardy souls who do the work for us all the time? It just really hit home.”—Gwyn Jenkins, CB OBE ADC, Vice Chief of the Defence staff, UK Ministry of Defence, Commandant General Royal Marines

“Full of engaging stories and real-world examples. The project management method known as Scrum may be the most widely deployed productivity tool among high-tech companies. On a mission to put this tool into the hands of the broader business world for the first time, Jeff Sutherland succeeds brilliantly.”—Eric Ries, New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Startup

“Engaging, persuasive and extremely practical . . . Scrum provides a simple framework for solving what seem like intractable and complicated work problems. It’s hard to make forward progress when you can’t see your impediments clearly. Sutherland offers a lens to remedy that. Amazingly, this book will not only make your life at work and home easier, but also, better and happier.”—Shawn Achor, New York Times bestselling author of Before Happiness and The Happiness Advantage

“This book contains immense practical value that could be transformative for your company. If you have a project that requires people to accomplish, your first act should be to read and be guided by Scrum.”—Stephen Lundin, New York Times bestselling author of Fish: A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Performance

“Scrum is mandatory reading for any leader, whether they’re leading troops on the battlefield or in the marketplace. The challenges of today’s world don’t permit the luxury of slow, inefficient work. Success requires tremendous speed, enormous productivity, and an unwavering commitment to achieving results.”—General Barry McCaffrey

“Jeff Sutherland has written the essence of Scrum for the masses. This book elevates Scrum from a fix-it tool to a way of life.”—Hirotaka Takeuchi, Professor of Management Practice, Harvard Business School

“Jeff Sutherland's book masterfully speaks truth to the political complexities that easily stand in the way of getting a lot of work done in the least amount of time. The busy professionals who’ll likely be drawn to this book will find not only an effective manual for getting things done but, also, a how-to guide for living a meaningful life.”—John Maeda, Design Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

“This extraordinary book shows a new way to simplify your life and work, increase your focus, and get more done in less time than you ever thought possible.”—Brian Tracy, bestselling author of Eat that Frog and Time Power

“Engaging . . . Sutherland tackles the problem of the perennially late, over-budget project—and actually shows how to solve it. His fascinating examples of rescued projects will change the way you think and act.”—Dorothy Leonard and Walter Swap, authors of Deep Smarts: How to Cultivate and Transfer Enduring Business Wisdom

DECEMBER 2014 - AudioFile

Narrator J.J. Sutherland, the author’s son, has an engaging and entertaining vocal style that makes this audiobook fun to hear. The author’s first-person anecdotes are stirring (for example, he was a fighter pilot), even if his obvious age and stature sound at odds with the narrator’s youthful tone. The book offers a simple, elegant way for work groups to break free of bureaucratic practices that bog down or misdirect action. Based on the way rugby teams adapt on the field, Scrum’s advice helps teams to be more nimble by demanding that they clarify goals, target their efforts, and regularly take stock of what they’ve accomplished. The narrator’s understated admiration for his father makes listening to this audio as heartwarming as it is instructive. T.W. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169350616
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	09/30/2014
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	425,818

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Scrum"
by .
Copyright © 2014 Jeff Sutherland.
Excerpted by permission of The Crown Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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