In Scrum, the Developers have the autonomy to manage their work and the Sprint Backlog. When an unexpected request comes in, even from someone as authoritative as the CEO, it should not be added directly to the Sprint Backlog without discussion. The correct approach is for the Developers to discuss the new item with the Product Owner and the rest of the Scrum Team to understand its impact on the current Sprint Goal and to collaboratively decide the best course of action 1 2 .
This is in line with the Scrum values of Courage , Focus , Commitment , Respect , and Openness . The team must have the courage to push back on changes that could disrupt their Sprint Goal, stay focused on their commitments, respect the agreed-upon process, and be open about the implications of introducing new work mid-Sprint 1 .
The Scrum Guide also states that once the Sprint begins, no one can force the Development Team to work on different requirements than those they forecasted for the Sprint 1 . If the CEO’s request is deemed important enough to warrant a change in the Sprint’s direction, it may lead to a negotiation of scope with the Product Owner or, in extreme cases, to the cancellation of the Sprint if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. However, these are decisions that should be made collaboratively by the entire Scrum Team, not unilaterally by any single member, regardless of their position in the company
