Bob Galen

Here are some snippets about the Scrum Master from the Scrum Guide:

The Scrum Master is a servant-leader for the Scrum Team.

The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner in several ways, including...

The Scrum Master serves the Development Team in several ways, including...

The Scrum Master serves the organization in several ways, including...

Clearly, service is a fundamental part of the role of the Scrum Master. But there is something missing from these service-oriented focal points. And I actually think it’s the most important one.

We talk about Agile leadership being an inside-out job. Leaders need to start inside ourselves and work on serving ourselves, examining our own strengths, needs, and goals, and then align ourselves with Agile principles and Scrum Values. Getting them deep into our DNA, our bones, if you will, puts us in the right mindset to be effective Agile leaders.

I think that the same concept applies to Scrum Masters. They can often become too focused on serving others and forget about themselves.

Here are some examples of what Scrum Masters serving themselves looks like.

They give themselves the opportunity and space for curiosity. For asking questions that lead to improved understanding. For exploring things. For casting a wide net to see what the possibilities might be. And, as they find things, they don’t immediately feel the need for action. That is, they can just revel a bit in what they’ve uncovered.

They give themselves space for renewal. Let’s face it: the role can be incredibly challenging for a variety of reasons. It could be that their team is truly struggling to find their way with Scrum. Or it could be that their organization has “assigned” four teams for them to shepherd. They allow themselves sufficient time for relaxation without guilt. They get enough sleep and take time off for themselves and their significant others.

They empower themselves to ask for help—unconditional help. For example, if someone on their team is really proving to be a challenge, they ask another Scrum Master or leader or coach for help and feel safety and encouragement in doing so. If they don’t know something, they have the courage (and safety) to say: “I don’t know.” And they find a role model and mentor to pair with who is there to help them learn and grow.

They serve themselves by fostering disengagement from their roles. They give themselves the ability to ignore a situation to see what happens. To not take immediate action on a problem to see if someone else might pick it up. To see what might emerge. To not always feel responsible for serving and acting, but instead for creating the opportunity for others to be Scrum Masters, to be masters of Scrum too.

They serve themselves by finding quiet space. For quietness. For getting away—for example, taking a walk in the middle of the day. Space to quietly read a book for an afternoon to find inspiration for new ideas and growth in their role. Or the space to envision a new level of effectiveness for their team.

I believe the key mental model for a Scrum Master is one of servant-leadership. But an essential part of that is serving themselves first. When Scrum Masters do this wholeheartedly, they become a more holistic and balanced member of their Scrum teams.