Scrum Values and personal principles

In both professional life and personal growth, values serve as guiding stars, illuminating our paths and shaping our decisions. In this post, I’ll try to connect the values of Scrum—Commitment, Courage, Focus, Openness, and Respect—and the deeply ingrained principles that define who we are and how we navigate life.

Values are personal beliefs that when they are activated, they become infused with feelings. When people that value respect don’t feel respected by someone, they see it as a conflict and become unsettled; they feel like they don’t matter to the other person. When they do feel respected, they fill with joy and feel more driven to do something that they need to do, or want to. I know I am like that.

One of my personal values is respect - and when i look at my friends and relatives, the ones I get along with the most are the ones that value respect too, know to show it and also to demand it, when it is called for.

Commitment: Setting the Course for Authentic Living

Commitment is more than a mere promise; it's a compass that steers us toward authenticity and purpose. When we commit to understanding our desires and motivations, decision-making becomes clear and intentional. Just as in relationships, where commitment liberates us from the noise of indecision, so too does it grant us the freedom to focus on what truly matters.

Quote from Mark Manson's "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck": "Commitment gives you freedom because you’re no longer distracted by the unimportant and frivolous. It hones your attention and focus, directing them toward what is most efficient at making you healthy and happy."*

In other words, for me personally it feels infinitely easier to say “I will not eat between 19:00 and 12:00 the next day because i am fasting” instead of “I need to eat less. Maybe I will stop eating at night”. But this is highly dependent, in my personal experience, of whether you are truly interested in the said topic or not.

Here’s also a blog post that is talking about commitment: 100% is better than 99% or in Jack Canfield’s book.

Courage: Embracing Integrity in Action

Courage, not as a virtue but as a value, is the bedrock of integrity. It's the willingness to confront our truths and stand firmly in our convictions, even in the face of uncertainty or discomfort. Just as Scrum demands courage to inspect and adapt, so too does life call upon us to navigate with integrity, guided by our inner moral compass.

What is like living with integrity, you say?

You’re a 25 years old that smokes. Your parents don’t know that you smoke since you were 19. The thing is, they always kind of knew. You smell of cigarettes from time to time, you take a long walk or feel the need to go to the shop with no reason in the middle of the day, sometimes. On the other side, one of your personal values would be to always tell the truth. How does this feel for you, that you’re hiding the truth from your parents at this point in time? For me it felt wrong. It felt wrong that i had to do it and I didn’t have the courage to tell them: “Yes, I DO smoke. It’s my choice - not the best one, i give you that, but mine.”. When I had the courage to tell them and to “come out” as a smoker, it felt like a relief on one side, and like a courageous thing I always had to actively do each time I’d light up a cigarette in front of them.

Living up to your values is not always easy. But in my opinion, the inner alignment you feel once you do, is worth it.

Focus: Reclaiming Lost Direction

In a world teeming with distractions, focus becomes a rare and precious commodity. Just as a Scrum team rallies around a shared goal, so too must we hone our focus to achieve clarity and purpose in our pursuits. By reclaiming our lost focus, we channel our energies toward what truly matters, amplifying our impact and fulfillment.

Reading a book by Johann Hari - Stolen Focus, gave me a better understanding on how focus is important and what happened with it in the last years, with all the distractions around us for which we’re not built to cope with.

Even more than that, all the new contraptions from social media to every bit of notification that’s buzzing your phone in your pocket are chipping at your very useful focus fuel tank that you dispose of each day. I cannot recommend the book more, if you have trouble focusing, regaining your deep work focus that you need sometimes.

Openness: Embracing Vulnerability and Growth

Openness is the gateway to vulnerability and growth, inviting us to embrace life's uncertainties with curiosity and resilience. As Scrum thrives on transparency and collaboration, so too does personal growth flourish in an environment of openness and acceptance of oneself and others.

For example, if a new opportunity for learning or growth arises, such as a workshop or mentorship, be open to pursuing it, even if it wasn't part of your original plan. Or…when you receive a call to move to another country when you’d just lost your job and you found out you''re going to be a father, try to keep your eyes wide open, not squinted in scare. You never know where you’ll end up.

Respect: Nurturing Harmony and Connection

Respect, the cornerstone of healthy relationships, fosters harmony and connection in both professional and personal realms. Just as Scrum values mutual respect among team members, so too does our adherence to respect shape the quality of our interactions and the depth of our connections.

In our lives, the threads of Scrum values intertwine seamlessly with our personal principles, guiding us toward a more meaningful and purposeful existence. By aligning our actions with these shared values, we unlock the potential for growth, fulfillment, and authentic living.

In the future I’ll go deeper into the practical application of Scrum values in everyday life, exploring how they inform our decision-making, shape our relationships, and guide our personal evolution. Stay tuned for an enriching journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

Conclusion

Just as Scrum provides a framework for delivering exceptional work, these values offer a good roadmap on how to become a better self. Whether it’s the clarity that commitment brings, the integrity of courage, the purpose found in focus, the growth sparked in openness or the connection and the healthy relationships nurtured through respect - these values can be used with success to guide you through the complexity of life.

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