Are you an executive thinking of implementing Scrum top-down? If so, read these tips. And then read my friend Venkatesh's article about the benefits of goin' top-down.

1. Gain buy-in through involvement. Set up a Scrum Core Team charged with researching and exploring new ways of doing things. Make sure they reach out to teams and individuals.
2. Invest in leadership courses - Scrum is all about leadership and facilitation, and not everyone is born with those skills.
3. Get ready to experiment. Even though there are thousands of Scrum implementations around the world, there is no cookbook or one single way of doing it. Plan to experiment and learn.
4. Create an environment where it's safe to learn. This could be a huge shift in culture for your organization.
5. Create values and a mission statement for your department or organization. Ask teams to do the same.
6. Maintain and make visible a Scrum Core Team adoption (or impediments) backlog. This is a backlog of items that the management team must implement along the adoption path. Make progress visible in demos to the teams!
7. Sometimes it feels safe to go back to what we know. Always keep the Agile Manifesto in mind; refer to it for clarity when you feel like you're walking in mud.
8. ALWAYS hold retrospectives. These meetings are a hefty investment, yet they hold the keys to adoption success.
9. Be prepared to revisit metrics and how reviews are conducted. While individual contributions are important, Scrum is all about team.
10. Not everyone is cut out of the Scrum cloth. Be prepared to work with these folks to find a project that suits their style.
11. Listen.
12. Empower your teams to make decisions.
13. Be prepared to educate others. Brown bag sessions are great for this. Product demos are the most compelling way to get attention!
14. When in doubt, ask for help. There are many experts out there who can help you along the way.