Scrum Values in Action

What is Scrum Values in Action?

Scrum Values in Action is a fun and easy icebreaker that can help your team get to know each other better and help them start to think about how the Scrum values apply to them.

The five Scrum Values are essential for creating an effective and productive team. It will help them work together better to achieve their goals. The values are:

• Openness
• Commitment
• Courage
• Focus
• Respect

Why use Scrum Values in Action?

Scrum Values in Action can help deliver all of the benefits of an icebreaker with a focus on Scrum. It encourages participation, helps to build relationships, and creates a positive atmosphere for the meeting. It can help to reduce any tension that may be in the room as well as increase engagement and energy levels.

This icebreaker is an excellent way of revisiting the Scrum Values and can act as a gentle reminder of the values themselves.

Importantly, discussing the Scrum Values is a helpful way to build a solid and cohesive team culture.

This helps a team stay focused on project goals and encourages continuous improvement.

Who should use Scrum Values in Action?

Scrum Values in Action is a great tool to kick off an agile retrospective. They are useful for Scrum Masters and their agile software development teams.

It can also be used by any group looking to start a conversation around team culture and values.

Tips for effective Scrum Values in Action

• Maintain a mood that’s lighthearted and friendly.
• Give examples for each value to illustrate.
• If you are delivering a remote session, make sure everyone can access the collaboration tools.​
• Give adequate time for people to respond.
• If no one is responding, use a transparent process to decide who goes next. e.g. alphabetical order, or order of people on screen.
• Positively reinforce responses. Thank people for contributing.

Scrum Values in Action template

How to run Scrum Values in Action

Start with a positive mindset. Welcome input and thank people for their response. Remind people that there are no wrong answers and that they should be able to share freely and without fear.
Explain what each of the values means. Then invite the group to think about behaviors that could reflect those values.

Using an online Icebreakers tool means that people can collaborate, see ideas in real-time, and can add comments.

Explain the reason for running the Scrum Values Icebreaker and explain each of the values.

Then, ask them to pick a value and think of actions or behaviors that they think best represent the value. This can be something that they have seen in the past, or would like to see in the future. E.g. Courage can be seen in being able to raise issues that could impact customer experience. Alternatively, you could ask them to think of behaviors that their team currently practice and to assign it to a value.

E.g. We tend to always start our meetings on time and ask that people are ready and prepared as a sign of respect.

Once participants have finished brainstorming, have them take turns to offer more detail.
Facilitators can go first to model the behavior they wish to see.

Use open ended prompts such as –
“Can you tell us more?”
“How did you come to be there/discover that?”
“What inspired this?”
“For those who don’t know, can you explain what that is?”

Related templates

• Icebreakers and Warm-ups
• ESVP Check in 
• Agile Retrospective

References

• How to run an icebreaker
• Scrum.org 
• Scrum Alliance
• TeamRetro Scrum Values Health Check

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