Swarming vs Multitasking in Scrum
Why swarming on a single task delivers better results than multitasking across many
In Scrum, we’re constantly looking for ways to deliver more value, better and quicker. One of the biggest mindset shifts my team made was moving from multitasking to swarming.
What is Multitasking in Scrum?
Multitasking happens when team members work on multiple items at the same time.
It often looks like this:
- Each developer starting 2–3 different stories
- Product owner tries to solve multiple problems at the same time
- QA team waits until the end of the sprint to get their hands on new features
In Scrum teams, this often leads to:
- Work staying “almost done” for too long
- More merge conflicts and communication gaps
- Reduced ownership of outcomes
- Increased stress and lower predictability
Multitasking multiplies interruptions across the whole team. Every task switch forces the brain to reload context, recall previous decisions, and rebuild concentration.
While multitasking can feel productive because many things are started, it usually slows down actual delivery.
What is Swarming?
Swarming is when the whole team focuses on completing one item together before moving to the next.
It means:
- Everyone collaborates on the same task
- The team works through the backlog top-to-bottom, in strict priority order
- Skills are shared and problems are solved faster
- Work is completed, not just started
Swarming does not mean everyone is doing identical work. A backend developer, frontend developer, QA engineer and product owner may all contribute differently, but toward delivering the same task.
The whole team optimizes for completed value, not individual performance.
Teams practicing swarming often notice that blockers disappear faster because multiple people are actively engaged in solving problems together.
Why Swarming Works Better
Scrum is built around delivering small increments of completed value.
Swarming aligns naturally with this principle because it reduces work in progress and helps teams deliver valuable assets sooner.
Lower Context Switching
When people stay focused on one shared objective, they spend less energy constantly changing mental context.
Faster Feedback
Because more people collaborate on the same item, issues are discovered earlier.
A solo developer often:
- overthinks edge cases,
- second-guesses architecture,
- delays committing,
- postpones implementation.
This is called analysis paralysis: uncertainty causes excessive thinking instead of progress.
When another person validates assumptions:
- the brain stops simulating alternatives,
- fewer mental branches remain active,
- execution becomes lighter.
Better Team Collaboration
Swarming encourages teams to solve problems together instead of throwing work over the wall.
Over time this builds:
- Shared ownership
- Cross-functional skills
- Trust inside the team
- Better communication habits
Higher Delivery Predictability
Finishing work consistently is more valuable than starting many things at once.
Swarming makes sprint outcomes easier to predict, and produces smoother burndown charts.
Common Misconceptions
“Swarming means fewer things get started.”
That’s true and intentional.
The goal is not to maximize how many tasks are opened. The goal is to maximize how many tasks are completed.
“People will sit idle.”
In healthy Scrum teams, there is almost always something valuable that can help move the shared objective forward:
- Testing
- Pair programming
- Reviewing
- Refining
- Automating
- Documenting
- Investigating blockers
Swarming encourages flexibility instead of rigid role boundaries.
“It only works for small teams.”
While easier in smaller groups, larger teams can still swarm by forming temporary focus groups around high-priority items.
Practical Tips for Introducing Swarming
If your team is heavily multitasking today, switching overnight may feel uncomfortable.
A few ways to start:
- Plan software architecture that supports parallel collaboration on one task without blocking each other and constant merge conflicts
- Limit work in progress (WIP)
- Prioritize finishing over starting (Regular checking of burndown may help)
- Encourage pairing and collaboration (Create space where people can meet. Or give them right tools in case of remote teams)
- Make blockers visible immediately (post in a group channel, not a direct message)
Even small improvements in team focus can dramatically improve delivery speed.
Final Thoughts
Multitasking often creates the illusion of progress.
The strongest Scrum teams are usually not the teams with the busiest people - they are the teams that collaborate effectively and focus together on delivering value.
Instead of asking:
“How many things can we do?”
Ask:
“How quickly can we finish something valuable together?”
That mindset shift changes everything.
I owe much of this thinking to Jacqueline Van Aken - a great Scrum Master who introduced me to this way of working.