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In Scrum, one of the core values is Courage – strength in the face of adversity. In my consulting work, I often find that a lack of courage is what holds many organizations back from adopting Scrum and delivering phenomenal outcomes. So what does fear look like in the workplace? Generally, it is self-censorship and silence. Think about the last time you decided not to share your true opinion with a colleague at work? Or held back discussing a significant disagreement with your boss? In either situation, if you took the path of least resistance or just agreed to whatever foolishness that was presented to you because it was easier than challenging it, than perhaps your decision was motivated by some fear type of fear. So I ask, what are you so afraid of at work?
Last week some participants in my Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) class in Madrid were remarking that while they understood the concepts of Scrum, they would not be able to use Scrum on their projects because they could not change anything about the project or their environment. While many participants felt Scrum would help their current work, they felt the client would never agree to change their way of working. Or gerencia (“management” in Spanish) would not support Scrum the changes necessary to implement Scrum well. So rather than bring up the topic of how we can better serve the client or make a greater contribution at work in the office, most participants only felt safe enough to identify the concern in an off-site classroom away from the clients and out of earshot of the bosses. How very sad and how very common!
It has been a long time since I worked in a formal office setting, but here are some common reasons why I remember being afraid at work.
“… maybe you’ve been fine all along and just hanging with the wrong crowd.” Kent Beck & Cynthia Andres
“You’re not as good as you think, but you’re not as bad as you fear.” Ron Jeffries
“Authenticity is simply being honest with ourselves and being direct and honest with others.” Peter Block