In the context of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe 6.0), the four Core Values—Alignment, Transparency, Respect for People, and Relentless Improvement—serve as the compass for Lean-Agile Leaders and SAFe Agilists to drive cultural transformation and business agility.
**Alignment** is critical in la…In the context of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe 6.0), the four Core Values—Alignment, Transparency, Respect for People, and Relentless Improvement—serve as the compass for Lean-Agile Leaders and SAFe Agilists to drive cultural transformation and business agility.
**Alignment** is critical in large enterprises to prevent chaos among distributed teams. Unlike traditional command-and-control, SAFe alignment relies on clear communication of the Vision, Roadmap, and Strategy. Leaders ensure that everyone understands the mission, enabling decentralized decision-making where teams act autonomously but in a unified direction.
**Transparency** builds the trust necessary for high performance. For Lean-Agile Leaders, this means visualizing all work (using backlogs and Kanbans), being open about failures, and relying on objective data rather than assumptions. By making facts friendly, leaders create an environment where hidden problems are revealed early, allowing for faster resolution and predictability.
**Respect for People** shifts the focus from viewing employees as resources to valuing them as the primary source of innovation. Leaders must evolve into 'servant leaders' who empower teams, listen to those closest to the work, and foster diversity of thought. This value ensures that the culture supports the creativity and morale required for complex problem-solving.
Finally, **Relentless Improvement** prevents stagnation. Leaders must model a learning mindset, ensuring the organization constantly reflects on how to optimize flow and reduce waste. Through events like 'Inspect and Adapt,' leaders encourage a culture where risks are taken, and failures are treated as opportunities for growth rather than blame.
By embodying these values, SAFe Agilists guide the organization beyond mechanical Agile adoption toward a sustainable, adaptive Lean-Agile culture.
Study Guide: SAFe Core Values
Introduction to SAFe Core Values The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is built upon a foundation of four Core Values. These values define the organizational culture and mindset required to successfully scale Lean and Agile practices across an Enterprise. For the SAFe Agilist and Lean-Agile Leaders, understanding these values is critical not just for the exam, but for fostering Business Agility.
What are the Four Core Values? In the current version of SAFe (6.0), the Core Values are: 1. Alignment 2. Transparency 3. Respect for People 4. Relentless Improvement
Detailed Breakdown
1. Alignment Global alignment is necessary to keep the organization focused on a common goal, especially when teams are geographically distributed. Alignment does not imply top-down command and control; rather, it occurs when everyone understands the strategy and how their work contributes to the mission. How it works: It is synchronized through cadence (PI Planning) and communicated through Strategic Themes and the Portfolio Vision.
2. Transparency Complex solution development involves risk and uncertainty. Transparency ensures that facts are always visible, enabling trust and decentralized decision-making. You cannot manage a secret. How it works: Work is visualized (Kanban boards), backlogs are open, and measurements are based on objective evidence of working solutions, not theoretical documents.
3. Respect for People This value emphasizes that people do all the work and are the customer for all our improvement efforts. It requires creating an environment of psychological safety where diverse opinions are valued and 'blaming' is replaced with problem-solving. How it works: Leaders exhibit empathy, empower teams to make decisions, and build long-term partnerships with suppliers and customers.
4. Relentless Improvement The pursuit of perfection is never finished. Organizations must constantly reflect on how to become more effective, optimizing the whole system rather than local silos. How it works: Through the Inspect and Adapt (I&A) event, Problem Solving Workshops, and a constant focus on flow and removing waste.
Why are they Important? Scaling Agile fails without these values. If a company adopts the 'mechanics' of SAFe (events and artifacts) but ignores the Core Values, they will not achieve business agility. These values guide behavior when the organization faces pressure or ambiguity.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on SAFe Core Values Exam questions regarding core values often present a scenario and ask you to identify which value is being demonstrated or violated. Use the following cheat sheet to map keywords to values:
1. Keywords for Alignment: Look for mentions of Strategic Themes, Portfolio Vision, PI Planning, or situations where teams are working hard but moving in different directions (lack of alignment).
2. Keywords for Transparency: Look for mentions of Visualizing work, Trust, Secrets, Hidden Work, or Objective Metrics. If a scenario describes a team hiding a failure until the roadmap deadline, it is a Transparency issue.
3. Keywords for Respect for People: Look for mentions of Culture, Diversity, Psychological Safety, Blame, or listening to the teams. If management forces a decision without consulting the team, it violates Respect for People.
4. Keywords for Relentless Improvement: Look for mentions of Optimize the whole, Inspect & Adapt, Reflection, or Incremental change. If a scenario describes a process that is broken but never fixed, it is a failure of Relentless Improvement.
Note: Be aware that 'Built-in Quality' and 'Program Execution' were Core Values in previous versions of SAFe. If you see these as options alongside the four listed above, ensure you select the current SAFe 6.0 values unless the context implies an older version.