Imagine learning a martial art.
At first, you'd mimic every move, following the instructor's guidelines and instructions exactly as instructed.
Over time, you'd become more fluid, occasionally improvising and safely breaking the rules.
And, after years of practice, you'd find your unique style, effortlessly weaving through techniques.
This journey from strict adherence to mastery is beautifully encapsulated in a Japanese concept used in martial arts-Shuhari.
In English, Shuhari roughly translates to "first learn, then detach, and, finally, transcend."
In even more simplistic terms...
Shu: obey the rules
Ha: break the rules
Ri: make the rules.
Shu Ha Ri
The concept Shu Ha Ri is often applied to Agile teams and acts as a guide to understand where teams are in their progression from novice teams to mastery-level self-organizing teams.
In the initial Shu phase, individuals or teams are new to the agile mindset and agile methodologies. They are still learning basic terminology, processes, and rhythms. They rely heavily on processes without much deviation. These teams are considered novices and need heavy coaching and guidance.
In this phase, teams should rigidly adhere to the prescribed framework that they are using. For example, if using Scrum, teams should utilize Scrum exactly as stated in the Scrum Guide.
In the next phase, Ha, teams have a solid understanding of agile practices. Individuals or teams begin to experiment. This phase is marked by a willingness to bend or, in some circumstances, break the rules if it can be done safely and lead to better outcomes.
Teams in the Ha phase require some coaching, but, for the most part, they can successfully execute and adjust as they need to complete their work. Teams may remain in this stage, or perhaps even return to this stage, as new team members join the team who aren't ready for the final stage.
In the final stage of Shuhari, teams or individuals fully understand agile practices and have adopted the agile mindset. They are no longer "doing" agile but "being" agile. Teams are comfortable creating new rules and processes to best adapt to their unique situations and projects, and they don't usually need coaching regularly.
