The Power of Singular Focus in Scrum

1. The One-Goal Discipline
   Scrum Teams commit to a fundamental rule:
   • Complete or formally abandon the current Product Goal.
   • Before taking on any new Product Goal.
   • This creates an uncompromised strategic focus.
2. Why This Matters
   This approach prevents:
   • Divided attention across multiple objectives.
   • Resource fragmentation.
   • Strategic ambiguity.
   • "Zombie goals" that linger without progress.
3. The Focus Advantage
   Single-goal commitment enables:
   • Clearer prioritization decisions (clarity of purpose).
   • More accurate progress tracking.
   • Stronger team alignment.
   • Greater momentum toward meaningful outcomes.
4. Practical Implementation
   Product Owners must rigorously evaluate when to:
   • Persist with the current goal.
   • Officially abandon it (with stakeholder agreement).
   • Transition to a new goal.

Research Insight: Cognitive science confirms that single-tasking yields 50% faster completion times and 50% fewer errors compared to multitasking - this Scrum rule operationalizes that truth for product development.

Refined Guidance on Scrum Event Participation

1. Core Rule:
   • Scrum Team members (Developers, Product Owner, Scrum Master) are the only required participants in all events.
2. Flexible Invitations (When Helpful, determined by Scrum Team)
   • Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) may join partially (e.g., clarify technical details during Backlog Refinement).
   • Stakeholders/Users may contribute to:
     • Sprint Reviews (feedback on the increment)
     • Backlog Refinement (clarify requirements)

Key Boundaries:

• Invite selectively – Only include those who add immediate value to the discussion.
• Timebox external input – Avoid letting guests dominate the event.
• Scrum Master’s Role – Ensures outsiders don’t disrupt the team’s self-management.