Maslow’s Hammer is Striking on Scrum

The law of the instrument, more commonly known as Maslow’s Hammer is in full effect in the world of Scrum. The English expression “a Birmingham screwdriver”, meaning a hammer, refers to the practice of using the one tool for all purposes, and predates both Kaplan and Maslow by at least a century.

In 1868, a London periodical, “Once a Week”, contained this observation: “Give a boy a hammer and chisel; show him how to use them; at once he begins to hack the doorposts, to take off the corners of shutter and window frames, until you teach him a better use for them, and…