The 5 Scrum Values – Rachel Hanley

In scrum, there are 5 values that underpin the framework. These act as a compass, guiding how we work together as a team and interact with our organisation.

When these values are embodied true agility becomes possible, and the empirical process comes to life. Trust is built and there is a sense of clarity and a shared alignment.

So as a recap, when teams embody the scrum values that we have talked through today, they optimise agility and self-organisation. The 5 Scrum Values together foster trust and psychological safety within the team and across our organization. They form the solid foundation supporting the three pillars of empiricism, cultivating the mindset needed to perform at our highest potential.

Through commitment, the team know what they need to do and can focus and collaborate together on achieving their goals with openness and respect.

Courage is the glue. It takes courage to protect and uphold all of these values.

Remember, values drive behaviour, and behaviour reflects values.

Putting the Scrum Values into Practice

Let’s consider a team, like a competitive rowing team, and explore the impact of not embracing the Scrum values.

If commitment is lacking, some members might not contribute fully, resulting in slower progress towards the finish line.

Without focus, the team might veer off course, wasting effort and energy.

Courage becomes crucial when facing challenges like rough conditions or storms; without it, the team could fail to overcome obstacles and capsize.

Openness is tied to courage; being receptive to feedback and intuition is essential to avoid potential disasters.

Finally, respect is fundamental for any team; imagining scenarios with disrespectful members on a boat highlights the importance of mutual respect in all aspects of life.


Commitment	As a Scrum team, we commit to an empirical approach. Commitment is not solely about achieving specific results or completing tasks (x, y, z) within a sprint. Instead, we commit to making progress towards the sprint goal every day. It’s a mindset of doing our best, bringing our full potential to the team, and being present when working together.In Scrum and our VUCA world, we might not have all the answers, but we’re committed to finding them together.It’s not committing to blindly follow a path that isn’t going to work in the long run, we may need to adapt – we may need to commit to thinking of different ways to approach the work, or we might need to commit to fail-fast and learn from any setbacks to improve future outcomes.Whatever the situation demands, we commit to giving our best effort to deliver value. Conversely, we might also commit to fail-fast and learn from any setbacks to improve future outcomes.

Focus	Commitment leads to Focus. When we know what we have committed to, we can focus on how to get to where we need to be.As a Scrum team, we always focus on driving value. Our sprint goal provides the necessary focus for each sprint. Additionally, having a product goal gives us a long-term vision to strive for.We concentrate on removing impediments and breaking large requirements into manageable pieces for rapid release and feedback gathering. Our aim is to deliver a minimal but sufficient increment every sprint.And in scrum, the time-box nature of the sprints also creates focus. We might need to say no to some things to achieve our goal.

Openness	Transparency requires openness. As a Scrum team, we should be open about our work, progress, challenges, learnings, skills, and impediments. We must remain receptive to changes in priorities, market conditions, customer insights, and any discoveries during validation.Being open to diverse opinions and recommendations fuels our quest for constant improvement and fosters collaboration while avoiding unnecessary conflicts.

Respect	Respect means that we can voice our true opinions and be authentic while accepting and honoring different perspectives, even in disagreements. After thorough discussions, once a team decision is made, we should respect and support the chosen direction.We should also respect our sponsors and customers, aiming to deliver high-quality and valuable product increments while avoiding wasteful efforts.Respecting our definition of done ensures that we maintain the standards of quality and completeness for our work.

Courage	Courage is sometimes challenging, but it’s essential in a Scrum team. It takes courage to do the right thing, to be vulnerable, and to embrace change.We should have the courage to seek feedback and question assumptions. This ensures that the work is well understood and that we pursue the best possible approach. Even during refinement, if requirements are unclear, it takes courage to speak up and seek clarity.Sometimes, we need to be willing to change direction if evidence or new approaches suggest that it will drive value better than our original plan. In the face of conflicts, we must stand firm but positive, ensuring that our intentions are clear and that we maintain harmony within the team.