{"id":2878,"date":"2016-03-02T12:32:30","date_gmt":"2016-03-02T20:32:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lookforwardconsulting.com\/?p=2878"},"modified":"2025-07-08T14:02:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T13:02:16","slug":"differences-between-impediments-and-blockers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thescrumacademy.com\/es\/2016\/03\/02\/differences-between-impediments-and-blockers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Rid of Scrum Team Blockers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quick quiz for all you Scrum experts out there.\u00a0 Which of these common scenarios for Scrum Team are blockers and which would be classified as impediments?<\/p>\n

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  1. The build is broken.<\/li>\n
  2. The process to interview and onboard a new Developer takes at least six weeks.<\/li>\n
  3. Developers do not have the proper permissions to make changes in the customer\u2019s staging environment.<\/li>\n
  4. Our teleconference bridge to India has latency resulting in conversations out of synch and people\u2019s voices cutting in-and-out.<\/li>\n
  5. It takes an entire day to migrate our software from dev to staging to production.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"Drag\"How Blockers Differ from Impediments<\/h2>\n

    An impediment<\/strong><\/em> is anything that slows down or diminishes the pace of the Scrum Team.\u00a0 When the Scrum Team is confronted with impediments (or obstacles), the Scrum Team could move forward but in advancing they may generate waste<\/a>.\u00a0 Or the whole process of making progress is more difficult than it should be; think about the little girl in the picture.<\/p>\n

    In contrast, a blocker<\/strong><\/em> is anything that stops the delivery of the product.\u00a0 Without the elimination of the blocker, the Scrum Team cannot advance at all.<\/p>\n

    Why Most Blockers Remain Unresolved<\/h2>\n

    Clearly, eliminating blockers is more important than resolving impediments, but what is the reality for most Scrum Teams when confronted with a blocker?\u00a0 Since most Developers are conscientious and want to make a full contribution each day, they often will switch to a new task in order to make progress on a new activity.\u00a0 They would rather start something new, i.e. multitask, than take time identify, escalate and eliminate the blocker.\u00a0 This is why you often hear Developers say in the Daily Scrum<\/a>, \u201cNo blockers.\u201d<\/p>\n

    So why do people say they have \u201cno blockers\u201d when they do have one (or more) blocker(s)?\u00a0 Well\u2026from their perspective they do not have a blocker anymore.\u00a0 By starting something new, they have demoted the blocker (in their mind) to an impediment since they are making progress on something. \u00a0IME, I have seen people in big organizations becomes so accustomed to blockers not being fixed around, they assume that multitasking is just the normal way of working. \u00a0They just do not see that the light is red anymore.<\/p>\n

    The second reason is related to the person\u2019s proficiency at asking for help.\u00a0 The person in question does not know how to ask for help<\/a> or they do not know who to ask.\u00a0 That is sad because on Scrum Teams, Developers have the right<\/a>\u00a0to ask for AND<\/strong> receive help from their peers, management and customers.<\/p>\n

    How to Reduce Multitasking in a Scrum Team<\/h2>\n

    If you have a blocker, bring it up at once.\u00a0 Do not wait until the next Daily Scrum to resolve it.\u00a0 Most blockers are really hard to eliminate on your own, so find another Developer, the Product Owner or the ScrumMaster to help you eliminate it.\u00a0 Chances are that you are not the only person experiencing the blocker, so people will have an interest in helping you stamp it out.\u00a0 If not, a serious blocker will become this irritating impediment that slows everyone down.<\/p>\n

    60-Second Summary: Impediments vs. Blockers<\/h2>\n