Are you feeling that your role as Scrum Master is not valued enough?

I have delivered multiple training program and facilitated coaching interventions with Agile teams. 

The most common discussion point is on the role of the Scrum Master. There is a lot of interpretations and hence confusion on this role. Let me try and provide some clarifications.  

I will provide clarifications to 3 typical questions:

1. Who do Scrum Masters Report to?

2. How do I prove my value as a Scrum Master?

3. How do Scrum Masters encourage their team and other Stakeholders to follow Agile practices?

1. Who Do Scrum Masters Report To?

Who should Scrum Masters report to is a tough question because so much depends on the Organization structure and the work being done by the Scrum team. Usually Scrum Masters will report into one of three places.

A first option, which is common in product development teams, is to have Scrum Masters report into the product management group. However, this can sometimes lead to dysfunctional reporting paths such as the Scrum Master reporting to the product owner or a product manager, which is not appropriate.

Second is for Scrum Masters to report into the engineering or practice teams. Scrum is seen as a practice and Scrum Masters have a platform to enhance their skill and are available to provide their expertise to teams within the Organization.

A third option, and maybe the best, is reporting into the project management office or in some cases a Project Manager. The role of the PMO or Project Manager is outside the purview of Scrum. Their primary responsibility is to ensure adherence to the contract, and they are not expected to get involved in the project operations.

How Do I Prove My Value as a Scrum Master?

A related question I get is: How can I prove my worth when the organization questions whether Scrum Masters are necessary?

A good Scrum Master helps a team become the best it can be. They know how to facilitate meetings. They know how to anticipate and prevent problems. They know when to encourage a team to stretch its current level of performance. And they know how to push back on outsiders who may want to push a team too hard or too often.

But some Scrum Masters limit themselves to a facilitator role or as mostly passive coaches. The Scrum Master who sticks to those activities will be very likely at some point be looked at as an unnecessary expense.

To avoid that happening to you, seek to broaden your impact. 
i. Learn to live the Scrum values and thereby become the role model that others can follow 
 ii. Help the Product Owner and stakeholders learn to communicate their needs. 
iii. Act as a mentor to team members rather than solely as facilitator or coach.
iv. Find innovative ways to facilitate Scrum events, especially Retrospective
v. Find opportunities to share best practices with other teams
Great Scrum Masters undoubtedly benefit their organizations. Unfortunately, too many Scrum Masters pigeonhole themselves as merely facilitators.

How Do Scrum Masters Introduce Agile Practices to Reluctant Teams?

Many practices may seem foreign to a team first adopting agile. Team members may disagree on the importance of some Scrum practices or about how they should be implemented. Teams often hesitate when first introduced to agile practices like overlapping work, committing to user stories, becoming multi-skilled etc. Teams may not comprehend the purpose of the Scrum values.

As a Scrum Master, you can help your team be more comfortable with new ideas by explaining the principles behind any new practice and then asking the team to just try it for a sprint or 2 before passing judgement. Support the team during this period by appreciating sincere efforts, accepting mistakes and resolving conflicts arising out of unfamiliarity.

As a team grows more mature in their use of Scrum, the Scrum Master can coach them through alternatives. A Sprint Retrospective is a great place to have these kinds of whole-team discussions. 

Just remember that at first a team might need to be told to try a practice, rather than given free rein to pick and choose what to do. Telling team members what to do is fine during the early sprints.

1. In a Daily Scrum, you invite the next speaker

2. In a Retrospective meeting, you give opinions and encourage people to respond
3. You suggest training sessions to team members

But ensure that the team is becoming mature in their adoption of Scrum practices during this time. You can then slowly move to selling ideas

1. In a Daily Scrum Scrum, encourage the first speaker to invite the next

2. In a Retrospective, stay silent and allow others to first share their views.

3. Have conversations with your team members 'How would you like to work on a particular skill?'


Being an effective Scrum Master is an art. You will gain the respect of your team members and Organization when you develop this art and start adding value to both. 


 

Coach Ram

https://www.coach-ram.in



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