In contrast to a traditional project manager who employs the top-down hierarchical Waterfall method of project management, the role of a scrum master on an agile team is very different. The Scrum Master is more of a facilitator who is on the same level as the other team members than a traditional leader. In this article, we’ll see how and what scrum masters should do to enhance their skills and gain the confidence of a stakeholder. Also, we will see how Agile and Scrum certification providers help in this process and why you should also consider taking scrum master certification.
Never Agree to Anything With the Team Without First Consulting Them.
No matter how minor, you cannot accept change requests on behalf of the team as the Scrum Master. Say, “I need to run this by the team before we can say yes,” even if you are 100 percent certain the team can fulfill the request.
Don’t make any commitments to the team regarding deadlines, deliverables, or anything else without first consulting the team. You might not need to speak to the entire team; many teams will allow some or all members to agree to something without calling a meeting of the entire team. However, it is still their choice and not yours. Here you will actually experience the real-time challenges faced by scrum masters.
Keep in mind that your goal is to make the team look good.
Making yourself look good is not the point of being a scrum master. When the team performs well, you look good. Additionally, when they perform well, they look good and this is the ultimate goal of a scrum master.
When people outside the team begin to question whether you were necessary, you are doing your job effectively. Yes, it can be frightening if your boss questions your necessity. But a good boss will be aware that despite appearing unnecessary, you are indispensable because of your skill and knowledge.
Count on your manager to know the difference between appearing unneeded and being one.
Avoid hammering the team with an agile rule book.
There is no manual for Scrum or Agile (though some have attempted to create one).
Consider writing user stories if your product has customers. But to be agile, stories are not necessary. Give an estimate if someone needs to know when you’ll deliver. If not, you might not. Do one-at-a-time reviews as each feature is developed if you believe an end-of-sprint review is too late to get feedback.
Being agile means upholding the values and principles that foster it. Despite what some people may tell you, if you stick to those, you won’t stray too far.
Nothing is permanent, so try out new methods.
Experimenting with your process is a necessary part of upholding agile principles. Encourage the group to take risks.
Do you and your team believe that two-week sprints are ideal? Great. Now request that they try a one- or three-week sprint and evaluate the outcomes. Even though they may not always be popular, experiments are the only surefire way to keep finding new, more effective ways to work.
Make sure that stakeholders and team members regard one another as peers.
Each team member and business-side stakeholder contributes a crucial viewpoint to a product development project. As a result, they must all be given the same value.
The organization as a whole suffers when either side regards the other as something to be tolerated. Development teams must comprehend the distinctive viewpoint that stakeholders bring. Additionally, stakeholders must show respect for the development team by paying attention when they say a deadline is unrealistic.
Protect the team in more ways than you might imagine.
The most common piece of the agile advice is probably that a Scrum Master needs to shield the team from overbearing stakeholders or product owners. And that’s wise counsel. Product owners occasionally simply make excessively aggressive and frequent requests. Teams are compelled by this to take shortcuts—typically quality shortcuts—that end up ruining the project.
Therefore, a competent Scrum Master guards the team against this.
A good Scrum Master should also guard the team against becoming complacent, which is something you don’t hear mentioned as frequently. Good agile teams are always looking to get better.
Other teams, perhaps unconsciously, begin to believe they have made sufficient progress. And they are probably much faster and better than they were before they learned about agile. However, even the best teams can frequently improve even further, this skill is a must which you will learn from Agile and Scrum certification providers like universal agile.
Remove the Word “Failure” from Your Vocabulary.
I occasionally visit a team that describes a sprint as a “failed sprint,” usually indicating that the team didn’t deliver everything they had anticipated. I don’t think that’s a failure, especially if the team accomplished the majority of what was planned or handled an emergency skillfully.
A field goal is what we refer to when a basketball player shoots the ball and scores. A field goal attempt occurs when the player misses. Not a defeat. an endeavor.
Good Scrum Masters guide teams in changing their perspective so they see sprints and features that don’t live up to expectations as attempts rather than failures.
Agile Meetings are not properly conducted
Many people believe that meetings are a waste of time, especially when they are not actively participating. However, to get the entire team on board with the Agile values of transparency and inspection, regular meetings are required. The team can collaborate, overcome obstacles, and get ready for the tasks ahead during the brief core Agile meetings, which are of great value.
Scrum Masters should make sure that every meeting is on schedule, add value to each participant, and raise the level of quality and output on the team.
Insufficient communication between Agile Teams and Stakeholders
While agile teams may have the knowledge and tools necessary to implement Agile exactly as planned, those who are observing—such as stakeholders, suppliers, and so on—might not fully understand what being Agile entails. They must comprehend the iterative process and be accustomed to providing feedback regularly to get them on board with your new working methods. For them to understand what is expected of them as well, you could invite them to a few planning meetings.
Aversion to Transparency
Many workers who have experienced the Waterfall mode of operation are hesitant to embrace transparent working practices. Senior management is accustomed to holding influential positions, which frequently works against agile methods because there is no top-down hierarchy. The Scrum Master should identify any areas where senior management needs to be transparent. Leaders who have access to these areas can take well-informed decisions that will boost both team productivity and organizational development.
Conclusion
In an intricate and difficult Scrum team, Scrum Masters play a crucial role. To overcome all obstacles and accomplish the objectives set, they require the ideal blend of knowledge, soft skills, and capabilities. Experience and the appropriate training and certifications go a long way toward instilling the necessary capabilities, but overcoming all these obstacles requires experience.
