Scrum Values

November 3, 2013

All of you should be aware of the Agile Manifesto and the Agile Principles.

To me, they are not perfect, but they are an excellent expression of many key ideas behind Agile.  And we should be thinking about them every day.  They require thought and common sense to consider how they should be applied on a day-to-day basis.  As well as explanation.  For example, a SM should re-explain them frequently to the Team.

Yes, I meant every day.  In part because humans easily forget, and in part because the opposing ideas are quite deeply embedded in us.

Now something that I have not been discussing nearly as much,  Scrum Values.  They are here.  Rather than ideas about how Scrum or Agile works, they are guiding ethical ‘laws’.  A bit more like the 10 commandments of Moses.

I guess in theory Ken Schwaber, their author, wants you to follow these while you are doing Scrum.  As you read, if you believe them, you should be doing them ‘all the time.’

Let’s list the key words: Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage.

To me they seem like great things to strive toward.  And things about which I will always be making mistakes.  If I am honest.

I encourage you, at least while you are doing Scrum, to consider them, and to try to follow them to the best of your ability.  Help your colleagues follow them.

To err is divine, to forgive human. So, encourage your colleagues.  Don’t forget to forgive yourself for your own (small) failures.

***

Ken Schwaber, in a recent blog post here, compares the Scrum Values to the values (and also principles) articulated by Kent Beck, in his book Extreme Programming Explained.  I definitely recommend Kent Beck’s book, and its chapters on Values and Principles.

 

« « ALN RDU: Joe’s Agile Release Planning || Lean-Agile Resources » »

Posted in: Better Agile, Scrum
Tagged: Tags: , , , ,

One thought on “Scrum Values”

Leave a Reply