Scrum Values
A team can run every Scrum event exactly by the book and still fail — because events and artifacts are mechanics, and mechanics don't work without the 5 values behind them. Commitment, Focus, Openness, Courage, and Respect are what make Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation real.
Why values, not just rules
The 2020 Scrum Guide is explicit: successful use of Scrum depends on people becoming more proficient in living these 5 values. The Scrum Team commits to achieving its goals and to supporting each other. They focus primarily on the Sprint's work. They are open about the work and the challenges. They respect each other to be capable, independent people. And they have the courage to do the right thing and work on tough problems.
The 5 values, one by one
Commitment
Fuels Inspection & AdaptationCommitment is often misread as 'promising to deliver the entire scope.' It isn't. What the Scrum Team commits to is the Sprint Goal — and to showing maximum effort, transparency, and organizational discipline in pursuing it. That includes staying committed to technical debt, the Definition of Done, and to each other, not just to the backlog.
Focus
Protects the Sprint GoalFocus means the Sprint Goal — not the task list — is what everyone optimizes for. When multiple problems compete for attention, focus is what helps the team decide what to tackle first. It also means resisting the urge to over-refine work that's weeks or months away; unclear-but-distant items are fine to leave unclear.
Openness
Feeds directly into TransparencyOpenness is why Scrum's Transparency pillar actually works. Team members are open about the work and the challenges, and open to hearing feedback without becoming defensive. A Daily Scrum only functions if people are willing to say 'I'm stuck' out loud, in front of the team, without fear.
Courage
Gives Inspection teethCourage is what a team needs to do the right thing and tackle tough problems — not the comfortable thing. It shows up in saying 'no' to unrealistic asks, admitting a mistake before it compounds, and speaking up in a Retrospective even when the observation is uncomfortable for the room.
Respect
Lean's 'Respect for People'Respect is the only value about how teammates treat each other, not about how the work gets done. Scrum Team members respect each other to be capable, independent people, and are respected as such by the people they work with. No one's role, background, or personality style makes their contribution worth less.
Values, not just events, make Scrum work
It's possible to hold a Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Retrospective every single Sprint and still be dysfunctional — if no one is honest about blockers (missing Openness), no one challenges an unrealistic ask (missing Courage), or the team quietly resents each other's differences (missing Respect). The events give Scrum its shape; the values give it substance.
Frequently asked questions
Are the 5 Scrum values formally defined in the Scrum Guide?
Yes. The 2020 Scrum Guide names Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage as the values the Scrum Team embodies while working through the events and artifacts.
What happens when one value is missing?
The pillars stop working. Without Openness, Transparency breaks. Without Courage, Inspection is toothless. The values aren't decoration — they're what makes Scrum's mechanics function.
How is Respect different from the other 4 values?
Respect is the only value about how team members treat each other as people, not about how they work. It connects to Lean's 'Respect for People' pillar.