The authors of the Scrum framework emphasis of the need to have a clear goal.
No matter if it’s a Product Goal or Spring Goal, the mandatory thing is to have one.
And this simple idea explains life beautifully. Having a goal brings us closer to the desired outcome.
It energizes us and gives us the strength to continue when all seems lost. Supporting us like a north star to say no to the things that don’t contribute to that value and enable us to say yes to everything else.
If this is true, why few people have a clear goal in their business or personal life?
Goals are scary. If we have them, we need to commit to them. Commitment leads to frustration that we didn’t achieve them, and frustration leads to anger and anger leads to disappointment, and so on.
It’s far better to make the goal vague, to twist it in our mind and whatever the outcome is to say that we won.
The idea that we always win is laughable. Nobody who becomes master in their craft or life ever won all the time.
Sportist fail a lot, they got traumas and need to recover; they miss important competition because of that. But, they don’t give up.
Goals mean fear, the fear of missing out on something better, the fear of saying no to everything else and having a single focus.
No wonder that courage is Scrum value.
There is something that we can all take away, no matter if we develop software or not.
There will be always fear and uncertainty, especially after the pandemic, and we all must practice courage daily and focus on achieving our goals.
What is your take away from this article? Do you use Scrum in your development and you have clear Sprint goals?
Aleks Vladimirov
Solution Engineering Manager at Thales | Senior IT Professional | Startup Mentor and Product Manager
