• Tag Archives values

  • Scrum Value #3 – Agree Or Disagree, Commit, And Act

    Posted on by Tim

    Part 3 in a 5-part series. This post covers Commitment. Agree or disagree, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is committing.

    The third value;

    People personally commit to achieving the goals of the Scrum Team

    Scrum.org

    One of my former IBM colleagues, says it something like this way.

    “We agree and commit, or we disagree and commit, we just need to commit to action.”

    Mo Shah

    At times, team members fail to personally commit to achieving a state goal. There are many reasons for this. It’s different for each person.

    More frequently, the team fails to set goals. That’s a bit of a “mic drop”.

    Agree or disagree just commit

    Problem-solving is never easy. It is a part of life that is unavoidable. As a result, it takes courage to tackle challenges.

    Gaining team alignment is challenging as well. Defining team goals is worth the effort to avoid friction.

    If there is disagreement about a goal, objective, or outcome then the difference can be worked out.

    A disagreement should not prevent team commitment.

    If Scrum is being properly applied, then changing goals in future Sprints is acceptable to address the disagreement. This goes to the heart of being transparent, inspecting the outcome, and adapting to get a better outcome.

    A wonderful, potential outcome is alignment as work is progressed. The act of moving forward can be a catalyst. As a result, commitment can help in getting past disagreement.

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


    📂This entry was posted in Scrum 📎and tagged

  • Scrum Value #2 – Focus On The Work Ahead

    Posted on by Tim

    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


    📂This entry was posted in Scrum 📎and tagged

  • Scrum Value #1 – Courage To Tackle Tough Challenges

    Posted on by Tim

    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


    📂This entry was posted in Scrum Teamwork 📎and tagged