One of the most popular Agile frameworks, Scrum is being extensively used by various organizations throughout the world. The reason for this is that it inculcates a sense of responsibility in individuals, gives shape to complex problems, and enables the work to keep moving steadily. Moreover, Scrum is very flexible and can adapt to any kind of culture and situation. As every organization and enterprise has its own set of values, so does Scrum. 

Scrum has 5 values that guide every individual of the team and Stakeholder in making decisions. These are very important values and are crucial to the successful implementation of the Scrum framework in the organization. Just as organizational values drive organizational behavior, the Scrum values drive the behavior of the Scrum team members and help them realize their full potential. If you have managed or led a Scrum Team or are managing it, you would certainly know that it is only by fully understanding and applying these 5 Scrum values the organizations can reap the full benefits of the Scrum framework. These values are the foundation stones of the Scrum framework. It is important for the project to achieve its full potential that every team member commit to adhering to and following these values. The power of Scrum is further boosted by these values as they provide the direction for decision-making.

5 Scrum Values

The 5 Scrum values are described below:

1. Commitment

Commitment is the first Scrum value. This is a necessary value if an Agile culture is to be developed in the organization. It may look simple considering its literal meaning. To many, it may mean attending the work daily with a positive attitude, meeting the deadlines, and following the instructions to the hilt. But in the context of Scrum, commitment is about remaining dedicated to the goals set as a team. This commitment should be akin to the commitment of the members of a military unit, who have to go through several life and death situations and things can change in a jiffy, every member of the unit has to remain fully committed to the success of the mission and to the remembers of the unit. You may say that projects may not be life and death matters. It may be true to a large extent, but the same level of desperation must be shown for the completion and success of the project. Scrum teams must work like such units and collaborate closely so that the common goal can be achieved. 

This brings to the fore the matter of trust. Each member must trust the other members and their ability to deliver the best value. And this can be accomplished only when each member of the team is fully committed to the team, the project, and the organizational goals. Another important aspect of commitment is that the teams commit to completing only as much work as they can within the given time frame. An important role has to be played by the Scrum Masters and team leaders in encouraging commitment within the team. They can do this by enabling Sprint Planning in a proper way so that mid-Sprint disturbances are minimized and the team stays protected from any sudden changes in the project scope as also from avoidable pressure from other stakeholders. Scrum puts emphasis on continuous improvement and optimizing efforts. So, an important aspect of commitment is constantly reflecting on the common goals and ensuring the right prioritization of tasks so that maximum value can be delivered. A very good way of fostering commitment is through the right kind of communication of Scrum Masters and team leaders with other members of the team.

2. Focus

This second one of the 5 Scrum values states, "Everyone focuses on the work of the Sprint and the goal of the Scrum team." As the teams are dealing with projects that are complex and unpredictable, focusing on the job at hand becomes imperative if any worthwhile results are to be achieved. Focus is all about not deviating and staying on course and aiding the other members of the team in doing so. The Sprint is the main element of the Scrum framework which is a period of work that is time-bound and clearly defined for completing a series of tasks to accomplish a stated goal. So, to focus on these tasks, teams must remove distractions to the maximum and try to multitask because these distractions can add to the time required to complete the Sprint and the team may deviate from the results it is supposed to achieve. This may lead to working overtime which would defeat the very purpose of Agile working. The focus has to be on the tasks being done and the effect they will have on the stated Sprint Goal. 

The iterative incremental approach used in Scrum and delivering on time are the hallmarks of staying focused on the Sprint Goal. This inspires the team to produce more and deliver faster. Standup meetings play an important role in explaining the Sprint Goal to the team and planning what and how much would be done in the given timeframe. Scrum Masters should talk freely with the team members about how much workload an individual can carry so that they are given only achievable tasks which will help them in staying focused. Overloading individual members would only overwhelm them. So, limiting the Work in Progress (WIP) is a good way to promote focus. There are elements in Scrum that encourage focus. Some of them are described below:

• Till the end of a Sprint, the focus of the team should be on the "Done Increment."
• The immediate focus of the Scrum team is on the Sprint Goal which guides it toward what needs to be delivered.
• Every role in Scrum has specific accountability and responsibility which means every member of the team is clear about his or her priority and is able to focus on that. Ultimately, this contributes toward achieving the team goal.
• With Sprint events being time-boxed in Scrum, it gives a sense of urgency to the whole team and helps them focus on the objective of the Sprint event.
• When prioritization is done in the product backlog, the team knows what is the most important thing to be done and can focus on that.
• All these elements contribute to the team having better focus. Another important aspect of staying focused is that it helps in reducing wastage of both, resources and time. This enables timely delivery. 

3. Openness:

This is the third Scrum value. When we say openness, it means to keep an open mind and in Scrum, it implies that during communication between different roles or disciplines, everyone should be open-minded and welcome new ideas or suggestions which will aid better collaboration and result in a better forward movement of the entire team. The Scrum guide says this about openness, "The Scrum team and its stakeholders agree to be open about all the work and challenges with performing the work."  Openness can also be described as transparency, which is one of the three pillars of Scrum and a requirement of empiricism. So, everyone should be open about how the work is being done, the progress of the work, and the problems being faced. Moreover, the team should be open about collaborating with other disciplines and skills as well as with the other stakeholders and with whomsoever needed for achieving the team goal. Openness is also essential in sharing feedback and learning. 

If the Scrum team strives to achieve maximum forward movement in the minimum time, each individual in the team has to be open and rigorously honest about their own individual progress. Further, the members of the team have to be open about the problems they are facing during the daily Scrum meeting as the meeting is meant to identify the problems and find their solutions. If the members are not open about their problems, the very purpose of the meeting would get defeated. Openness with fellow team members is also essential and no member should view the other as a competitor. Instead, they should be seen as people making an invaluable contribution toward the success of the project. Scrum Masters can take a lead in promoting openness in the team by being transparent about everything. There are a few elements in Scrum that promote openness. Let us have a look at them also.

• Although the team has a fixed Sprint Goal that is a guide to progress, the plan to achieve this goal is flexible and the team is open to changing the plan on the basis of any new learning. 
• If the Sprint is limited to 30 days or less, it encourages openness about changing the direction when any new information is received. 
• Transparency in the product backlog shows openness with stakeholders and they would know what work has been planned and what follows next.
• Since Sprint Retrospective is focused on continuous improvement, it promotes openness in receiving feedback, reflecting on it, and changing the way of working.

4. Respect

This is the fourth one but certainly not the least one of the Scrum values. Respecting people means treating them as equals irrespective of their age, education, or background. In Scrum, it means that the contribution of one member is no less valuable than any other member of the team. What is important is how all the members function as a team toward achieving the team goal. Respect should also be given to the customers and other stakeholders. Every member of the team must appreciate the skills and capabilities of the other members of the team. Mutual respect within the team should encourage respecting others' views and opinions even if people are in disagreement with them. The Scrum guide says for respect, "The Scrum team members respect each other to be capable, independent people." So, in essence, it emphasizes trusting other team members once the roles have been assigned. Since the Scrum teams are self-organizing, respect for each other is indispensable. 

This will nurture an environment of productivity, engagement, and nice human behavior. There are many elements in the Scrum framework that promote respect. They are described below.

• When the whole team attends the Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective meetings, it fosters a culture of respect for every role, responsibility, and different viewpoint. 
• As the Development team owns the product backlog and does the work, they get to decide how much work they are going to do in a Sprint and the method of doing it. This shows their respect for their capabilities, knowledge, and skills.
• Being a cross-functional team, a Development team has people with different skills and experiences. This promotes respect for diverse skills and ideas.
• When the team reviews only the "Done" product in Sprint Review, it demonstrates respect for the stakeholders as it brings the actual progress in front of them with transparency. Besides, when the Product Owner sets realistic goals, it again shows respect for the stakeholders' expectations.
• Scrum focuses on delivering the highest possible value. This shows respect toward the organization and its resources (including money) by not spending on things that are not necessary or won't add any value.

Apart from the above, respect means that no member or leader of the team should micromanage what other is doing. Nor should they erode anyone else's skills or abilities by trying to take over their tasks. When members have mutual respect, it encourages better communication which is a key factor in the success of any project.

5. Courage

Courage is essential for achieving anything. Courage is displayed when people push themselves beyond their comfort limits for achieving success. The Scrum guide says of courage, "The Scrum team members have the courage to do the right thing and work on tough problems." By doing the right things and keeping your focus on the goal rather than yourself, you can accomplish great things, solve the most difficult problems, and produce amazing results. Also, the other values of Scrum like being open committed, and respecting others need courage. The Scrum teams must have the courage to be open about the progress they have made and the roadblocks they are facing. Asking for help also needs courage. So, they should not be afraid of seeking help whenever required. They should not be afraid of trying out new methods and should be ready to face the unknown. They should be willing to ask difficult questions if they are unable to understand something or encounter a problem.

Perhaps the greatest courage required is for accepting the fact that nobody is perfect. So, each team member should be ready to accept others' imperfections and cooperate with each other for the overall benefit of the team and the stakeholders. The team needs to have the courage to take calculated risks. Here again, Scrum Masters have an important role to play. They can lead by example by demonstrating courage. The ability to adapt to change quickly is the foundation of the Scrum framework. And accepting the change requires courage. So, Scrum Masters can play a vital role in nurturing courage in the team members. The ability to question the status quo when it hinders progress needs courage. Scrum Masters can demonstrate this by standing up to stakeholders for any undue or unwarranted changes.

We can say that the Scrum values are the guidelines for working as a team. So every member of the team should try to wholeheartedly adopt them. They foster teamwork. They also help the team to go through the most difficult situations and handle the most complex tasks. When all of these values are combined, they significantly improve a team's performance. These values help in creating standards that determine how a team functions. When teams adopt these 5 Scrum values, they follow the basic tenets of Scrum. The team works in harmony and produces optimum results.

Simpliaxis is one of the leading professional certification training providers in the world offering multiple courses related to Agile methodologies. We offer numerous Agile related courses such as Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)® Certification Training, Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)® Certification Training, Certified Scrum Developer (CSD) Certification Training, Agile and Scrum Training, PMI-ACP® Certification Training, Professional Scrum with Kanban™ (PSK) Training, Certified Scrum Professional® - Product Owner (CSP®-PO) Certification Training, Agile Sales Management Training, Behaviour Driven Development (BDD) Training and much more. Simpliaxis delivers training to both individuals and corporate groups through instructor-led classroom and online virtual sessions.