Should You Use a Gantt Chart in Scrum?
Short Answer: No. Here’s Why It’s Doing More Harm Than Good.
An example Gantt chart
I. The Misfit Between Gantt Charts and Modern Work
It’s a familiar story: the project dashboard is green, the Gantt chart is tidy, but the product isn’t delivering results. In complex, high-uncertainty environments—especially where Scrum is applied—traditional planning tools like Gantt charts often mask more than they reveal. The problem isn’t the team. It’s the illusion of control these charts project.
II. Planning vs. Empiricism
Scrum is based on empiricism—transparency, inspection, and adaptation. It treats planning as a living activity that evolves through experience and data. A Gantt chart, by contrast, assumes the future can be mapped precisely in advance. That assumption collapses under the weight of changing customer needs, technical discoveries, and organisational shifts.
III. The Illusion of Predictability
Gantt charts offer a false sense of certainty. They appeal to stakeholders who crave control and clarity—but the clarity is often cosmetic. In reality, work unfolds in complex, non-linear ways. Locked-in timelines can delay necessary course corrections, prioritise optics over truth, and trap teams in delivery theatre.
IV. Impact on Team Autonomy
Scrum teams are self-managing. They decide how to achieve sprint goals, adjusting as they learn. When a Gantt chart dictates tasks and dates from above, it erodes that autonomy. Responsibility shifts from the team to the plan—and with it, accountability and engagement suffer. Teams perform better when trusted to navigate, not just follow.
V. Outputs vs. Outcomes
Gantt charts focus on completing tasks, not creating value. But ticking off activities doesn’t guarantee business results. Frameworks like Evidence-Based Management shift attention from output to outcome: Did the work make a difference? Scrum emphasises incremental delivery precisely to test impact early and often—not to colour in a timeline.
VI. Rigidity in a World That Changes Weekly
Plans are necessary. Fixed plans are dangerous. In Scrum, the Product Backlog evolves as new information surfaces. Sprint Planning, Reviews, and Retrospectives provide built-in points for adjustment. Gantt charts resist change, making adaptation feel like failure instead of strategy. That’s misaligned with today’s pace of change.
VII. Recommendation: Rethink the Planning Narrative
Scrum doesn’t reject planning—it redefines it. Planning becomes continuous, collaborative, and evidence-driven. Tools like user story mapping, roadmaps with articulated assumptions, and probabilistic forecasting offer greater agility without losing alignment. Leadership must shift from demanding certainty to fostering adaptability. Otherwise, the Gantt chart may look impressive—right up until it doesn’t.