Scrum Values

Scrum Values Retrospective Format

Courage

How do we tackle tough problems?

Courage in Scrum means facing difficult situations and challenges head-on. Encourage participants to share instances where they've shown courage or where they feel the team needs more courage. Look for examples of speaking up, admitting mistakes, or taking calculated risks.

Focus

How can we improve focus on our goals?

Focus refers to the team's ability to concentrate on current sprint work and project goals. Guide the discussion toward identifying distractions and ways to maintain better focus. Consider both individual and team-level focus challenges.

Openness

How do we stay open to new things?

Openness involves transparency about work, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. Encourage discussion about information sharing, willingness to try new approaches, and receptiveness to feedback. Look for ways to create a more open environment.

Respect

How do we respect each other?

Respect means acknowledging each team member's contributions and treating everyone as capable, independent people. Guide the discussion to explore how respect is shown (or could be improved) in daily interactions, decision-making, and collaboration.

Commitment

How can we make our commitments a reality?

Commitment in Scrum means dedicating yourself to team goals and continuous improvement. Focus the discussion on how well the team follows through on sprint commitments, process improvements, and personal development goals.

When to use this retrospective

• When the team is new to Scrum and needs to understand the values better
• During times when team dynamics or performance issues suggest a disconnect from core values
• As part of quarterly team health checks to ensure alignment with Scrum principles
• When preparing for significant changes or challenges that will test the team's foundation

Suggested icebreaker questions

• Which Scrum value do you find easiest to practice and why?
• Share a recent moment when you saw a teammate exemplify one of these values

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

• Encourage specific examples rather than general statements to make the discussion more actionable
• Use the Values Radar technique to visualize the team's current state for each value
• Create a safe space for honest discussion by acknowledging that living these values is a journey
• Consider discussing one value per day leading up to the retrospective to allow deeper reflection
• Document concrete actions for improvement for each value to track progress
• Use real scenarios from recent sprints to illustrate how values are being lived (or not)