Scrum Values — Why Are They Important and How to Instill Them

The Scrum Alliance defines Scrum as “an agile framework within which people can address complex adaptive problems while productively and creatively delivering products of the highest possible value.” Scrum consists of sets of values and principles, and that’s what we’re looking at today.

These values have been proven to boost the power of Scrum by revealing an effective roadmap for decision-making and team dynamics, which also creates a great workplace environment.

So what are they, and why do we need them? Let’s explore with MLTech Soft

1. Agile — from a mindset to practices

The most widely used Agile implementation framework is Scrum, which is a subset of Agile. The model is used to manage complex software and product development projects and is based on iterative software development. The development team is able to ship software on a regular schedule thanks to sprints, which are time-fixed iterations. At the conclusion of each sprint, stakeholders and teams create new plans and steps to improve performance.

Because it adheres to a clearly defined set of rules outlining roles and responsibilities that remain constant throughout the project lifecycle, Scrum is regarded as a rigid, plan-oriented process within the adaptable Agile stable. Each sprint has four steps: daily scrum, sprint planning, sprint review, and sprint retrospective (with refinement activities included).

In order for the team to be aware of everyone's role and to be able to provide feedback on each aspect of the project in which they are involved, members of the team will elaborate on what they have done, what they are doing, and what they plan to do during these meetings.

2. Scrum values

The 5 Scrum values are commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect. Each team member must learn these values as they work together, as each person has their own role that impacts the entire development process.

The following are in-depth explanations of the five scrum values:

Commitment

This requires each team member to personally commit to achieving the scrum team's objectives. Each member of the scrum team is responsible for self-managing to achieve their own goals and responsibilities within the sprint goals that the scrum team as a whole establishes. As a result, each team member pledges to fulfill this promise. They also say that they will work together as a team to make the best product possible and offer assistance whenever it is needed.

Courage

Members of scrum teams must possess the courage to work on challenging issues, according to Schwaber and Sutherland. It sometimes takes a lot of courage to be open and honest in your profession, especially when inspectors frequently point out errors or misunderstandings. It's acceptable to make a single error and have the guts to own up to it.

Your team will always appreciate it since it demonstrates that you are being open and honest about the entire process, in which many people have invested. It makes the team dynamic stronger and makes it easier for other members to help out when they can when you find it easier to admit you made a mistake.

Focus

If any endeavor, big or small, is to succeed, then applying strong focus to each element of work is paramount. Scrum allows teams to focus on important elements in smaller portions, meaning more focus can be given to each item in the process. When each team member is diligently focused on the work required for the sprint and the goals of the entire scrum team, the delivery of outcomes becomes fine-tuned and of high quality. Team members must remember that each item of work delivery they commit to is valuable to the overall team commitments.

Openness

Because Scrum Teams and stakeholders have adopted complete transparency regarding the project and its difficulties, everyone is essentially on the same page and can move forward as a single, coherent entity. Openness and honesty are necessary for transparency, especially when team members are dealing with difficult tasks.

Each team member must be honest about any problems they encounter in order for the group to examine and attempt to resolve the issue. Any scrum team's ability to solicit assistance in these circumstances is essential to their success.

Respect

Look, if we have to tell you about the importance of respect as a concept, then you have bigger issues on your hands. But within a Scrum framework, the concept of respect becomes crucial to ensuring the overall success of the project. Team members need to be able to trust and respect each other to be capable, independent people.

Of course, like in any team environment, there are likely to be disagreements and conflicts, but instilling a culture of respect for each team member ensures a better team dynamic, which directly translates into a better product.

Respect means that teams are able to provide constructive feedback and criticism, which aims to improve the work process and overall project. Scrum teams learn a lot from each other, and when a level of respect is instilled in the working process, each team member can grow their capabilities first-hand in a pleasant working environment.

3. How do you instill Scrum values in a team?

Scrum is a paradigm that advocates for an iterative and incremental approach and relies on empiricism. The establishment of rules and guidelines for adopting a self-management way of working is crucial for teams functioning within a framework that entails a number of specified processes and procedures.

The Scrum Team's ability to collaborate effectively as a team and hold one another accountable for delivering on their commitments is essential to the Scrum framework's overall structure. The entire development process could be completely derailed if one team member makes a mistake and keeps it a secret from the rest of the group.

4. Proposal — Scrum Values-based retrospective

The Scrum Values-based Retrospective encompasses the key values of Scrum, which help guide the way the team thinks and works together. This retro format is a deep dive into the behaviors and actions each person takes in their daily life and work practices that reflect these values.

There are two proposals for a scrum values-based retrospective:

Prepare an easy retro board

There are many tools to help you build your retrospective any way you want. With one of the most configurable boards out there, you make it easy for your team to get down to business. From combining similar cards to sorting by most likes, we try our best to make sure this is the easiest tool for you to use.

Find a ready template for Scrum Values

To create scrum values, simply follow the built-in template. There are many templates available online that you can use to adhere to the five essential scrum values.

Conclusion

The Scrum values are a set of virtues that everyone on the team should try to live by. They will not only assist you in completing the most difficult tasks, but they will also cultivate extraordinary cooperation and clarity in all of your choices. A Scrum team's operating norms are shaped by these values.

At first, there may be a conflict between the new Scrum values and existing norms. Being aware of the key differences between these two sets of values and assisting team members in adjusting their mindsets accordingly is the best way to facilitate a positive transition. Scrum teams can build on this foundation in the future.