If you haven’t already, before reading about the values, I recommend reading the article on Scrum pillars.
The five Scrum values are commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage. According to the Scrum Guide, “The successful application of Scrum depends on people living these five values.”
If you are new to Scrum and Agile principles, these values may seem abstract. What does courage or openness mean in a professional context? In this reading, you may understand the concept, but how does it play out in a real situation? Today, I will provide brief descriptions and examples of situations that exemplify these values in a well-defined context to help you relate to them. Feel free to provide feedback so that we can make these concepts accessible to as many people as possible! I hope this helps! #continuousimprovement
These examples are based on my personal experience and have been modified for this article.
The Context
We are a fairly typical team working in an Agile context using the Scrum framework. Our team consists of multiple developers, a Scrum Master, and a Product Owner. We are developing a dating application called “GeekLuv,” which is similar to Meetic but targets a fanbase of pop culture enthusiasts. The application showcases user profiles and allows users to “match” based on shared interests and a rating system. It even offers the possibility of bringing together two fans with a 10/10 rating for Keanu Reeves.
It is January 2020 (two months before the first lockdown), and the app is performing very well. We are delivering new features rapidly and believe we can become the number one application on various smartphone app stores.
Courage
Scrum team members must have the courage to speak up, express their opinions and ideas, take risks, face challenges, and question issues to move closer to a goal.
Examples:
- The Product Owner makes a tough decision: A global pandemic erupts, changing the way the world operates. The Product Owner decides to set aside a feature that is currently in development: the ability to plan a meetup at a partner bar through the application. This feature no longer aligns with the company’s current priorities. It may be more appropriate to shift towards remote meetings.
- A Scrum Master advocates for the importance of the daily Scrum: Developers have been providing simple status updates each morning, but now that remote work is mandatory, they do not want to continue the daily meetings. The Scrum Master emphasizes the significance of the event and reiterates the “why” behind it. They challenge the developers and enable them to take ownership of the event.
- Loïc, a developer, questions the product direction: “Why are we abandoning the meetup feature? The bars will reopen quickly anyway. It’s regrettable to discard our work, especially considering our progress. I believe this choice is counterproductive!” Jill, the Product Owner, responds, “Based on our data, we are anticipating closures for several months. We are not deleting the code we have developed; we are setting it aside to resume when the timing is appropriate… The current sanitary rules jeopardize our business, and we must adapt, or the situation will become critical.” (Courage and Transparency demonstrated here)
Focus
The Scrum team must concentrate on the most important tasks by prioritizing and ordering them. They must work together to achieve the objectives and minimize unnecessary interruptions to better fulfill commitments and deliver more value.
Examples:
- To implement a feature for remote meetings (video conferences), the developers want to complete the back-end part (non-user-facing application logic) before tackling the front-end part (interactive and user-facing). They make a deliberate division of work, with the first sprint focusing on “Developing the back-end logic for displaying client meetings” and the second sprint focusing on “Enabling the client to view and access their meetings.” The entire team is dedicated to successfully completing the back-end part, and every decision aligns with this goal.
- The Product Owner ensures that the product vision is respected: Although they are a member of the Scrum team and share a lot to achieve the same goals, they have insights into the desired features from stakeholders. Their priority is to stay true to this vision. In this case, the objectives should serve the implementation of the new feature.
Respect
Respect helps maintain trust and collaboration among Scrum team members. Each member is treated fairly, honestly, and with mutual respect. A culture of support and assistance must be fostered, respecting roles, responsibilities, competencies, and experiences.
Example:
- A developer has no front-end experience and believes that the division of work will render them useless. They communicate this information to the team and refrain from committing to tasks they cannot handle. The team respects this information and collectively seeks a solution.
- The team is supportive and embraces different opinions and skills from its members. They encourage speaking up and skill development.
Openness
Openness fosters transparency, allowing Scrum team members to ask for help without fear of judgment. It encourages listening to ideas and opinions from other team members. Mistakes are allowed, and accepting them fuels continuous improvement. It encourages continuous learning.
Example:
- During the Sprint Review, one of the stakeholders raises concerns about an inappropriate behavior in a web browser that the entire team dislikes. However, this browser represents 9% of users. The team goes beyond personal judgment and requests a demonstration of the “bug.”
- A developer suggests abandoning “EzIdentitty” and creating a new tool. This would require modifications, but they believe it will save time in the long run. Despite concerns, the team receives the information and challenges the idea to verify its viability.
- During the planning session, developers provide feedback on user stories, and the Product Owner welcomes their input.
Commitment
The Scrum team is involved and motivated to achieve sprint and project goals. Members are present at various Scrum events (meetings). The team also commits to quality standards and ensures they continue to be upheld. Commitment encourages collaboration, transparency, and fuels continuous improvement.
Examples:
- Developers encounter difficulties in delivering a feature within the given timeframe. The Product Owner works with the team to identify issues, reprioritize the backlog, and collaborates to propose a more realistic upcoming sprint.
- During the retrospective, tensions arise after a challenging sprint. The Scrum Master encourages the team to reflect, providing context to generate ideas for continuous improvement.
- The sprint doesn’t go as planned, but the developers prioritize delivering a high-quality feature over meeting multiple deadlines without respecting the team’s standards (Definition of Done). The team stands together and remains committed to their philosophy.
Source:
Personal experience.