Scrum Team vs Group: What’s the Difference?

Jan Beaver

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An image depicting six stressed and frustrated office workers sitting around a wooden table with laptops and papers. They are overwhelmed as one person stands at a whiteboard in the background explaining something. The setting is a modern meeting room with exposed brick walls.

“Ask! Dan in a Can”

Scrum Team vs Group? This question often occurs to me during training or coaching assignments. The provocation is usually a statement like:

“We have a Development Team of 250 highly skilled engineers.”
“Our QA Team just can’t seem to keep up with development.”
“The Business Analysis Team writes all of our requirements.”
“Our Middleware Team serves multiple simultaneous projects.”

Team vs Group: What’s the Difference in Scrum?

It is common to refer to any collection of individuals as a “Team” in the workplace, regardless of how those individuals work. However, in Scrum, a Team is defined by how it works, not just by what it works on. Teams are distinguished by their collaboration, shared goals, and commitment to teamwork.

Characteristics of Teamwork in Scrum

Teamwork is essential in Scrum and involves:

Sharing and balancing the workload dynamically, often adjusting daily
Offering and requesting help in a trusting environment
Prioritizing the Team’s goals over individual recognition
Collaborating to achieve a Sprint Goal

Without this collaboration, a collection of people may only be a Group, not a true Team.

Common Misunderstandings About Scrum Teams

A diverse Scrum team collaborating around a wooden table in a modern meeting room, reviewing documents and charts in a productive and inclusive environment.

Many organizations label groups of workers as “Teams,” even when they don’t exhibit the necessary collaboration. A Group may consist of highly skilled individuals, but without teamwork, it lacks the essential qualities of a Scrum Team.

For instance, a Group of developers may work independently, focusing on their own tasks without sharing the load. While they may have a common goal, their efforts remain disjointed, often leading to inefficiencies and failures typical of traditional project approaches.

Is Your Group Really a Scrum Team?

A Scrum Team is self-organizing and empowered to set its own goals, determining how best to meet them. Importantly, Scrum Teams are small, typically between 3 to 9 members. The next time someone refers to their “Team,” consider whether it’s truly a Scrum Team or just a Group of individuals working separately.

How to Build a Scrum Team

Looking to help your group function more like a real Scrum team? Here are a few resources:

Scrum Training to help build teamwork and collaboration
White Papers to improve your Team-based agility and Scrum practices

References

“What Makes Scrum Teams Effective” – Agile Mastery
This article highlights the importance of team collaboration, autonomy, and continuous improvement for Scrum teams to succeed. It discusses how empowered teams, with strong stakeholder collaboration and regular releases, enhance their effectiveness.
Link: Agile Mastery – What Makes Scrum Teams Effective

“A Theory of Scrum Team Effectiveness” – arXiv.org
This study presents a scientific investigation of what makes Scrum teams effective, based on case studies. It explores key factors like team autonomy, management support, and the importance of frequent releases and stakeholder engagement.
Link: arXiv – Scrum Team Effectiveness