Adaptation
The Scrum pillar of adjusting a process or product as soon as possible after inspection reveals deviations outside acceptable limits.
What it means
Adaptation closes the empirical loop: transparency enables inspection, and inspection triggers adaptation when something is off track. Without adaptation, inspection is merely observation.
Adaptation becomes harder when a team lacks self-management or empowerment; adjustments must be made as soon as possible to minimize further deviation, which requires teams to have the authority to change their own approach.
Common mistakes
Adaptation applies to both product (through the Product Backlog) and process (through changes to how the Scrum Team works together, often surfaced in the Sprint Retrospective).
Example
After the Sprint Review shows a feature confuses users, the Product Owner reorders the Product Backlog to prioritize a redesign next Sprint.