The Basics of Scrum: Scrum Values
Agile is a modern project management approach emphasising flexibility, collaboration, and value delivery. While the Agile Manifesto, published in 2001, is often considered the official inception of Agile as a project management approach, its roots can be traced back to the 1950s with Incremental and Iterative Development and the 1986 Harvard Business Review article by Takeuchi & Nonaka. There is much more history in between, but for now, we will not delve deeper.
Agile is designed to address the challenges of rapidly changing business environments, enabling organisations to respond effectively to customer needs. It emphasises continuous improvement, adaptability, and delivering high-quality products.
This series will focus on the fundamental principles of Agile, and more specifically, Scrum.
Scrum is a popular Agile framework that provides a structured yet flexible approach to managing projects. It has expanded beyond its IT origins, and many other disciplines have adopted Scrum. Scrum facilitates teamwork, accountability, and iterative progress towards well-defined goals.
Scrum is built on a set of values or guiding principles designed to foster collaboration and promote teamwork, accountability, and iterative goal achievement. These values or guiding principles are crucial for teams to work effectively and collaboratively. Ensuring everyone on the team adopts these values is essential for fostering a healthy team dynamic.
The five Scrum values are:
• Respect — Scrum Team members respect one another as capable, independent individuals.
• Focus — Everyone concentrates on the work of the sprint and the objectives of the Scrum Team.
• Commitment — Team members personally commit to achieving the Scrum Team’s goals.
• Courage — Scrum Team members have the courage to do the right thing and tackle tough problems.
• Openness — The Scrum Team and its stakeholders agree to be transparent about all work and the challenges associated with performing the work.
“Successful use of Scrum depends on people becoming more proficient in living these five values…” Scrum Guide
These Scrum values, combined with the Agile values and principles, create a strong foundation for effective teamwork, communication, and collaboration within the Scrum framework. By embracing these values, Scrum teams can continuously improve their performance, adapt to change, and deliver high-quality products that meet customer needs.
In my next Scrum Basics post, I will explore the Value of Openness/Transparency.
What is your favourite Scrum Value?
Why does this value resonate with you?
About the Author:
Joanita Radivoev is a Scrum Master here at Version 1.
References:
Agile Essentials | Agile Alliance
5 Metaphors to Explore the Value of Scrum Values | Scrum.org
