When Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland added the five values of Scrum to the Scrum Guide in the 2016 iteration, it created a new, rich dimension to the framework.
- Commitment
- Courage
- Focus
- Openness
- Respect
Much like the Agile Manifesto, having a set of values as well as more detailed principles gives the reader a sense of direction. In conditions so complex that the principles might be challenged, a set of broader values acts like the sun on your back, pointing you in the right direction when the path isn’t clear.
But there’s a problem
I could never remember the values. Commitment? Err Focus?
I really struggled.
Until I came up with a stupid mnemonic to memorise them, and now I always remember them, albeit in a different order to the guide.
FORK
That’s the mnemonic! Or rather… FORCC rather than FORK. Focus. Openness. Respect. Courage. And Commitment.
Sorry if it’s stupid, but I’ve never forgotten the values since I started using it. It’s not in alphabetic order anymore, but it works for me.
Sometimes we all struggle with memory.
People with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be especially susceptible.
So if you can find a tool or technique that helps you memorise something important or otherwise hack your own grey matter, use it, and please share it in the comments below!
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