Have you ever thought of the Scrum Team as a Superhero Group? Such a local group from Marvel Universum. Where did this association come from?
Courage is a trait of heroes. And the Scrum Team must have the courage to make decisions and solve the problems they encounter on their way. Often these are decisions made in crisis situations, burdened with a lot of stress. In an ideal world, there are no burning environments, no endangered releases, and no changing requirements. In the world of superheroes, such situations are commonplace. In every Sprint they set off tirelessly to fight for the best possible Product.
In planning and in everyday life, they need the courage to speak out. Express their opinion. Make a decision. And also admit that they may have been wrong. An open discussion about the causes of failure also requires a lot of courage. Admitting to yourself and to the team that something went wrong. And sometimes, what can be more difficult, encouraging someone to admit their mistake. Courage to tell the truth in difficult situations and the courage to listen to the truth.
For a team to be courageous, its individual members must be sure that they have the right to be wrong. In a difficult situation, it is more important to make a decision at risk of failure than not to make it at all. This attitude requires a lot of work in the team itself, in the organization and with the client. An atmosphere of mutual respect and trust that the team does everything in its power to deliver the best solutions is the basis of this relationship.
Allowing to make mistakes is also crucial. This may seem difficult. After all, we want the process to run as smoothly as possible. And this intuitively could exclude errors. However, Agile at its core gives people the right to make mistakes. It even assumes that they are inscribed in the product’s life! It also gives tools to fix them quickly. Short production cycle and frequent feedback give the possibility of quick but painless failure. Retrospection allows you to draw conclusions and propose improvements. After each Sprint Revision, during which the Team’s work is evaluated, they receive feedback on what they have prepared.
Sometimes it happens that despite the best will and commitment of the Team, the Customer is not satisfied. It may cause various emotions. People need the courage to continue working tirelessly. Accepting the fact that no one is perfect, they open up to change. They give the Customer the freedom to express their opinion about the Product and accept their comments with full openness, so as to make the Product even better. They also understand that there are no ideal requirements. That shaping them is a process in which the vision can evolve. They are not afraid of change. They are not afraid of challenges. They bravely look into the future because they know that they are a strong group, they know their goal and their value.
THE CYCLE: SCRUM VALUES
