Part 1 in a 5-part series. This post covers Courage. Problem solving is never easy. It is a part of life that is unavoidable. As a result, it takes courage to tackle challenges.

The first value;

Scrum Team members have courage to do the right thing and work on tough problems

Scrum.org

Courage takes different forms in varied contexts. When I was in the military, it was doing work I was afraid to do. I chose to sail onboard submarines. As well, I chose to deploy to Afghanistan.

In business, our context is different. Courage is overcoming the fear of speaking up when an observation could be unpopular. It is telling the team to stop work to fix a defect that leads to unsafe conditions.

The examples above cover doing the right thing.

Working on tough problems is less clear.

I’ve heard teammates tell me, “It impossible to solve.”

My response, “You’re probably right. If it weren’t impossible, what might the solution be?”

That response take courage as I’m committing myself to exploring options and asking for ideas. It is painful to get past resistance and reaction.

How To Find Courage To Tackle Challenges

In my observation, finding courage is a series of small steps. I resolve myself to stink at what I’m seeking to find. I commit to doing small acts that require courage then build from one action to the next action.

For example, Toastmasters meeting have a section called “Table Topics”. For two minutes a speaker talks about a random topic base on a card picked by another club member. It is a way for new members or visitors to act courageously and face public speaking fear.

As well, Toastmaster clubs promote psychological safety for new public speakers. The clubs are gears to overcome fear through positive feedback. It is an amazing way to, step-by-step, exercise courage.

Consider example above the next time the team is faced with a challenge. Use it as a starting point for developing courage to tackle challenges.

Value 1, Value 2, Value 3, Value 4, Value 5