https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/myth-2-sprint-backlog-cant-change-during-sprint https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/why-you-need-only-one-product-owner https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/scrum-trenches-sprint-goal https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/empathy-driven-development-rescuing-value-bermuda-triangle

Say your team, management, and stakeholders have rallied behind a common objective. The team uses Agile tactics — practices, processes, roles, and meetings. You’re on track to deliver great business outcomes … right?

However, are the daily standups (Scrums) really just boring status updates? Is the backlog essentially a project plan divided into two-week deadlines? Is the Scrum Master a task-master and process administrator? And what does the product owner really own?

You may check all the boxes on tactical, visible Agile, yet experience little agility. The team may even seem less productive because of all those meetings. And everybody gets frustrated because this Agile thing is supposed to make things better!

The reason this happens (everywhere!) is that it’s not enough to align to objectives and tactics. Everyone involved needs to approach work with the same mind-set.

Specifically, the team, management, and stakeholders must operate by a common set of values and agree with the same fundamental beliefs. Values and beliefs are the fundamental drivers of people’s choices and decisions as they engage each other in work. For example: Focusing on making a difference (vs. maximizing the team’s workload) Keeping options open as late as possible Preferring collaboration over delegating to experts Testing and learning, with the humility that not all ideas are great See how these abstract choices are not immediately apparent from popular tactics, such as sprints, velocity, and backlogs?

Everyone has different ideas, preferences, and experiences when it comes to doing work. Where one person seeks and applies feedback, another moves ahead without questions. Where one believes in discovery, another worries about surprises. If they work on the same team, there will be conflict and frustration because everyone thinks their approach is better for accomplishing the mission.

What to do? Get everyone, all the way up to the sponsors, into a meeting early on. In that meeting, help folks to articulate their beliefs about the work, to agree on a shared narrative, and to identify the few values most likely to achieve the objectives given the beliefs. And finally, despite personal concern or discomfort, to mutually commit to abide by those choices.

This simple process drives intentional, shared alignment to an explicit mind-set. For the investment of only a few hours, you’ll maximize the team’s chance of succeeding together.

https://www.3pvantage.com/resources/3PVantage-GilBroza-IntentionalMindset-Poster.pdf