Part 2 in a 5-part series. This post covers Focus. Distractions and busyness slow progress. Being busy is not being productive. Creative teams must focus on the work ahead.

The second value;

Everyone focuses on the work of the Sprint and the goals of the Scrum Team

Scrum.org

Given the fact that Scrum is an additive framework, processes outside Scrum can be used to help focus the team.

This means making changes to how teams work. It means creating and maintaining working agreements.

Restoring focus on the work

Discovering what improves team focus is important. Unfortunately, the focus is not generally considered a priority action or behavior.

Here is an example of how refocusing might happen.

Some companies start applying Scrum with teams that are spread across several projects.

If transparency is supported, then context switching is revealed. As a result, a choice is on the table for leadership.

In some cases, that choice leads to having dedicated teams.

Additionally, fear can cause teams to refocus. It’s not preferred, but it is effective.

Alternately, making work visible enables focus. Because having the work physically or virtually in front of the team helps improve focus.

Finally, look for opportunities to help teams focus. As a result, you will be surprised at what you find when you look!

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