97 Things Every Scrum Practitioner Should Know

Chapter 80. The Sixth Scrum Value

Derek Davidson

In October 2019, I was in the beautiful city of Vienna facing an interview panel consisting of Certified Scrum Trainers and Scrum Alliance staff. The scene for my interview was set with one of their opening questions: “If you could add one more Scrum Value, what would it be?”

That’s a cracker, isn’t it? I’d never considered the question before, and interviews aren’t really environments where you can slowly and reflectively mull things over. So, my answer, after just a moment’s consideration, was: humility.

It occurred to me, even at the time but certainly afterward, that any answer I gave was likely to be a reflection of my own experiences and beliefs rather than a reasoned, considered, intellectual response. It did trigger the process of thinking about why I choose humility.

I believe education is a wonderful thing. It elevates us as a species, and intelligence equips us to deal with our world more capably. However, it has a potential dark side. For a minority, education can lead to aloofness and arrogance. It becomes a way to evidence superiority. With the growing number of Scrum trainings and certification badges to be earned, the tribalistic competition between organizations might lead some to that position of superior thinking and considering themselves an “expert” who knows better than others.

In my experience, Agile coaching ...