Scrum By Heart: The Chiara String QuartetScrum Experience

Jan G Beaver, PhD CST

Meet the Chiaras

Gregory Beaver Cello

Hyeyung Yoon Violin

Jonah Sirota Viola

Rebecca Fischer Violin

The Problem

“About two years ago [end of 2014], my string quartet realized we were in a dire situation.” - Rebecca Fischer

The Problem

“In December of 2014, the Chiara Quartet was in trouble…. we reached a breaking point…all agreed that we needed to make some drastic changes.” - Gregory Beaver

Another ProblemMusic by Heart…

Adding to the interest was the fact that Chiara delivered the lengthy program from memory or, as they put it, by heart. The payoff of such an endeavor is usually substantial in that players are freed from the printed score and allowed to dig deeper into the music’s meaning and expression.

-The Virginia Gazette, February 7, 2018

Two Major Issues

• Team dynamics/dysfunction • Work management

Scrum? Really?

Shameless book plug

“The Chiara Quartet was storming. We were getting less done, and having less fun doing it.”

-Gregory Beaver

Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is ‘‘a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up…. It describes a team climate characterized by interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves.’’

- Professor Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School

PrerequisitesforpsychologicalsafetyintheChiaraStringQuartet• Thegroupmusthaveaclear,sharedsenseofpurposeandgoals

• Thegroupmustbeabletodependuponeveryonetoexertequalcommitmentandefforttowardsthosegoals

Strong vs Weak TeamsConversationalEquality:Aslongaseveryonegotachancetotalk,theteamdidwell.Butifonlyonepersonorasmallgroupspokeallthetime,thecollectiveintelligencedeclined.

EmotionalIQ:Strongteamshavehigh‘‘averagesocialsensitivity’’—afancywayofsayingtheywereskilledatintuitinghowothersfeltbasedontheirtoneofvoice,theirexpressionsandothernonverbalcues.Ineffectiveteams,incontrast….asagroup,havelesssensitivitytowardtheircolleagues.-CharlesDuhigg,“WhatGoogleLearnedFromItsQuesttoBuildthePerfectTeam”NewYorkTimesMagazine,Feb252016

The Solution

“In short, Scrum saved the Chiara Quartet. We have had 3 very happy years since then, and our career has taken a giant leap forward as a direct result.” - Gregory Beaver

Chiara ScrumFittingScrumRolestoastringquartetScrumMasterrotatesaroundthequartetevery4thSprint• TheScrumMastermonitorsrehearsaltiming,direction,andtheenergyoftheotherplayers,usingopen-endedquestionstofacilitateagreementonchanges,breaks,etc.

• TheScrumMastermakesnodirectmusicalsuggestions!Nohijackingofrehearsals

• ScrumMasteristhemostvitalandalsothemostdifficultrole

We’realltheProductOwner!

Chiara Scrum

Breakingdown,ordering,andmanagingwork• UserStoriesdescribewhatandwhy-andalsoexplicitlywhatthestorydoesnotinclude

• Tasksarethehow

• Defining“Done”foreachStoryiscriticaltosuccess

Stories and Tasks

Make a great recording of the Bartok 4th String Quartet

S:8

4.1 measures 37-39

+ 1

4.2 3

4.3

4.4 measures 184-187 2

2

Chiara Scrum

Keys to Successful Rehearsals

1. Clear,honestcommitmentspelledoutforeachmember2. Sharedunderstandingoflarge-scalegoals3. Sharedunderstandingofhowmuchworkeverygoalmighttake4. Sharedunderstandingofwhenrehearsalswillhappenandhow

longtheywilllast5. Sharedunderstandingofwhatthepurposeofeverymomentin

rehearsalisabout(arewedoingintonationwork?runningthemovement?musicalwork?etc.)

Chiara Scrum

Chiara ScrumScrumEventsinastringquartetcontext• Sprintisa“Cycle”ofrehearsalsdirectedtowardaspecific,sharedgoal(performance,recordingsession,learninganewpiece,etc.)

• EachCycleis2-3weeksbutalwaysthesamenumberofworkdays-grouptraveldoesnotcounttowardworkdays

• Workdaysvaryinlength,long-shortrehearsalpattern,tobuildinsustainablepace

• TheEventsofeachCyclearestandardScrumEvents• EmphasisonBacklogRefinementandreachingagreementonthework

• StorysizingisrelativeusingAffinityGroupingtechnique

Chiara ScrumScrumEventsinastringquartetcontext• SprintPlanning:Onehourtimebox

• DailyScrum:15minuteswithfollow-ondiscussionifneeded• BacklogRefinement:Twohours,onceeachSprint• SprintReview:Performance,recordingsession,informalpresentationofaccomplishments-whicheverisappropriatefortheSprint

• SprintRetrospective:Onehour,standardRetrospectiveformat

Chiara Scrum

Chiara ScrumFocusonfinishing• Neveroptimizeforhours,alwaysoptimizeattheCycle(Sprint)levelusingVelocityastheguide

• EstablishingaconsistentVelocitywasanunexpected-andpowerful-outcome

• Eachperformance,concert,orrecordingsessionisanon-repeatablechunkofwork;evenarepeatperformanceofthesameprogramisacompletelynewStory

• Exposedtheexhaustinganddepressingfallacythat“musicisneverdone”

Chiara Scrum

Chiara Scrum

Outcomes

Improved everything! • Dramaticimprovementingroupdynamicfocusedaroundpsychologicalsafety

• ClearunderstandingofthescopeofeachStoryandequallyclearAcceptanceCriteria,combinedwithaclearDefinitionofDone

• Breakingrehearsalworkintodoablechunkswithcleargoalsendpoints

Outcomes

Improved everything! • Increasedrehearsaloutcomesdramatically• Initiallyreducedperformancerehearsaltimeby25%,

• Businessmeetingsbecameenjoyableforthefirsttimeever• Ultimatelyreducedrecordingrehearsaltimeby2/3ANDdramaticallyimprovedthequalityoftheresultingrecordings

Key Lessons Learned• NomatterhowlongyourteamhasbeentogetheryoucandropintoStorming

• Withoutaconsciousstructurethatsupportspsychologicalsafetyeventhebestteamcandriftintodysfunction

• Communicationandempathyarethekeystopsychsafety

• Individual“employeeperformanceoptimization”suboptimizesteamsbyfocusingonindividuals

• Greatteamsaresmarterthansmartindividualssooptimizeteams!

Key Lessons Learned• Creativeconflictishealthyandnecessary;confrontationdestroyspsychologicalsafetyandgeneratesseveregroupdysfunction

• UseaParkingLottocapturedisruptiveideasthatwouldotherwiseleadtodistractionorconfrontation

• “TheScrumMasterneedstobeemotionallyagile.”

• TheScrumMasterhastobeintenselyalerttoanythingthatcouldevenpossiblyescalateintoconfrontationandusewhatevertechniquesarenecessarytodefusethesituation,e.g.,takeabreak,parkinglot,issomeonejusthavingabaddayandneedsgroupsupport,etc.

Epilogue

Andnowanend…

Inaspiritoftremendousgratitudeandlove,theChiaraStringQuartethasmadethedecisiontoendfull-timeworktogetherinSeptemberof2018,followingarichanddiverse18-yearperformancecareer.

Outcomes

ReferencesGregoryBeaver,“ChamberMusicRehearsalEfficiencyThroughScrum”https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UB6EdULjtndX5o3khvOer4F2DdmhovGoaIp-44uQsWg/edit#heading=h.zgbpq2amdbyx

GregoryBeaver,“Becomingrockstars:howtobringyourchambermusicgroup’srehearsalstolife”https://gregorybeaver.com/becoming-rock-stars-how-to-bring-your-chamber-music-groups-rehearsals-to-life-8a81ce22248d

GregoryBeaver,“Turningyourprofessionalchambermusicgroupintorockstars:HowtofullyimplementScrumandthelessonsoftheChiaraStringQuartetforyourgroup”https://gregorybeaver.com/turning-your-professional-chamber-music-group-into-rock-stars-d20b72c7564d

CharlesDuhigg,“WhatGoogleLearnedFromItsQuesttoBuildthePerfectTeam”NewYorkTimesMagazine,Feb252016 https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html

AmyEdmondson,“PsychologicalSafetyandLearningBehaviorinWorkTeams”AdministrativeScienceQuarterlyVol.44,No.2(Jun.,1999),pp.350-383

RebeccaFischer,“HowScrumSavedMyStringQuartet”StringsMagazine,March17,2017 http://stringsmagazine.com/how-scrum-saved-my-string-quartet/

JohnShulson,“Astrong,emotionalfarewellforChiaraStringQuartet”TheVirginiaGazette,Feb72018 http://www.vagazette.com/entertainment/va-vg-soundings-0210-story.html