Scrum Values: From Theory to Practice

Rules and values are the glue that holds our world together. They give guidelines and a framework for everyday life, whether at home or in the office. In addition, they help us to formulate expectations and make decisions. The same holds true for Scrum values.

Scrum values mark the boundaries and capabilities of the agile project management method. This approach relies heavily on teamwork and performance. But what are its values and what kind of impact do they have? In this article, we looked at the five Scrum values and will let you know how teams can use them in practice.

Scrum finds solutions to complex problems and creates high-value products in the most efficient manner possible. The agile collaboration framework was conceptualized by Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber, two experienced software developers.

The pair published the first Scrum Guide in 2010. It's intended to give businesses a clearer understanding of Scrum and help them become proficient in it. For project teams that use Scrum, this guide has become something like a sacred text. It includes all information, guidelines, and explanations that are needed for Scrum, as well as its values. The Scrum Guide should help teams adopt agile mindsets and fully utilize the project management approach.

Scrum's creators list five values that users must become proficient in for the approach to be successful. For businesses, internalization of these will foster an environment in which teams can productively collaborate:

Below, we'll discuss each of these values in greater detail.

In the world of Scrum, commitment means that all team members are on the same page about the sprint's goals. Said differently: Every team member does their utmost to ensure that shared goals are achieved and contributes as much as possible towards their realization. Team members also commit themselves to help and support one another, and grow together.

This can also be interpreted as a sort of responsibility: Team members take on a specific task, and see it through to completion. Tasks should be completed to a high standard and according to schedule.

All team members are aware of the project's priorities and concentrate on its most important aspects. This helps the team allocate its energy and resources towards the achievement of goals in the most efficient way possible and ensures the highest chances of success.

For this to happen, clear goals must be set and team members allowed to concentrate their efforts on them. Sprint tasks should have the highest priority. At the same time, focus also means that the customer's needs and the quality of the "Increment" are kept in mind.

Openness is a cornerstone of Scrum. When communication is clear and transparent, all participants can easily understand the challenges, progress, or ideas around them.

Opinions should be voiced freely, feedback given and taken, and all participants engage in an open exchange of ideas. This doesn't just apply to how teams communicate internally, but also between participants and stakeholders.

Here, it can help to remember that Scrum is all about continuous development and change. Teams should be open to new ideas and adjustments and willing to implement them at any time. This requires some mental flexibility and a willingness to quickly adapt.

When a team embraces this value, problems and challenges are easy to identify. This makes it possible to find effective solutions so that the sprint goal won't be jeopardized or endangered.

Openness is particularly important during the "Sprint Retrospective", one of the most important Scrum events. You can read more about it and all of the other four Scrum events in our article here:

What is the foundation for every successful relationship? Respect! It isn't surprising that this is one of the five Scrum values. All team members should treat each other respectfully and appreciate one another's efforts, regardless of their opinion or status.

Trust, the other key to successful relationships, goes hand-in-hand with respect: Team members should take each other seriously, support one another in difficult situations, and have healthy discussions.

The importance and value of each individual are recognized and the team works together on a professional level. This makes it possible for different approaches to exist in tandem, and for team members to value what each of their colleagues brings to the table.

The final Scrum value is courage. In an agile work environment where change is a constant, courage is an absolute must. Courage goes hand-in-hand with a certain willingness to experiment and try things that have never been considered or attempted before. At the very least, teams will have to occasionally leave their comfort zones.

Team members also need to be ready and willing to take risks and make difficult decisions. During these, team members should stand by their ideas, as well as accept and learn from mistakes and failures.

The five basic Scrum values help teams develop an agile mindset. This brings significant advantages in terms of efficiency and productivity, as well as a few other aspects:

To benefit from Scrum, you'll need to put its values into practice. Every team member must live and be proficient in them.

When a team decides to utilize Scrum, it should start with an internalization of the system's values. But what happens when these are introduced and not accepted or put into practice? Most of the time, team members develop their own understanding and interpretation of each - Needless to say, misunderstandings and chaos can quickly ensue.

This doesn't help anyone, since the entire purpose of Scrum is to promote teamwork and get all participants on the same figurative page. For that reason, if you'd like to implement Scrum in your organization or business, its values need to be intensively discussed, so that a common understanding of them can be reached. This step is, in and of itself, a commitment.

Equally important to this discussion are practical examples of how the values are reflected or evidenced in daily work. This makes them easier to comprehend and reference. Questions that might arise during such a discussion include:

A visual representation of Scrum values, such as a poster or graphic, might be helpful here. This can serve as a constant reminder of specific values and provide a frame of reference. If your organization adopts this approach, make sure that it's visible and placed in a high-traffic area. Alternatively, a digital version can be pinned prominently to your team's web dashboard or interface.

When a team is proficient in a particular value, it's time to put it into practice. It's not enough to just talk about the values once and then be done with them. Instead, they should be visible and used on a daily basis. This, in turn, will indicate whether the team has internalized the Scrum mindset and actively embraces its values.

But how can you tell if a team actually does this? Below, we've prepared an overview to help:

There are several things you can do to encourage an agile mindset in your organization or business. These include:

Scrum's five values, commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage help teams adopt an agile mindset and work approach. Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, Scrum's creators, chose these five values not because they look good on paper, but so that teams can use them in practice.

The development of a common understanding is just the first step: Scrum's values can only thrive in a transparent work environment where they're used and referenced on a daily basis. With the right approach and our tips, you can support your team and help to establish and implement Scrum's values in practice. Once achieved, you should see teamwork within your organization or business reach the next level.