Luis Gonçalves

A Scrum Master is like a lighthouse in a Scrum Team that consists of (besides the Scrum Master) a Product Owner and a Development Team. The Scrum Master provides guidance to the team based on the tenets of the Scrum framework.

A Scrum Master is responsible for supporting three groups of people: the Product Owner, the Development Team, and the organization.

In doing so, the Scrum Master role encompasses three high-level concepts.

1. Scrum Master as Change Agent

Scrum Master is an important role in any organization. A Scrum Master has a deep understanding of how teams progress on a day-to-day basis.

Scrum Masters are facilitators of Sprint Retrospectives as an opportunity to surface trends and recurring problems.

Although knowing the problem is just one step in assembling change, Scrum Masters know what has to be changed in an organization to help a team improve. Scrum Masters are usually in the position to suggest essential changes in the organization using various problem-solving tools, like an impediment board.

2. Scrum Master as Servant-Leader

The Scrum Guide identifies Scrum Masters as servant-leaders. Being a servant-leader involves having others’ involvement in decision making, having strong ethical and caring behavior, and helping to enhance the growth of the team while improving the organization.

3. Scrum Master as Mirror

It’s important that the Scrum Master acts as a “mirror” for the team. With the help of the Scrum Master, the team checks if what they’re doing reflects the values of Scrum and Agile.

With the reflection of the team in a mirror, team members can receive open questions from the Scrum Master that will lead to the general improvement of the team.

Some small considerations can be helpful for Scrum Masters to increase their effectiveness. There are several first action items you can perform within your first weeks as a Scrum Master in a company, although it is also helpful to consider doing these again regularly:

• Schedule one-on-one conversations with team members to gather insights into their biggest concerns about the team and the company.

• Organize a workshop to help clarify everyone’s role, obligations, and expectations.

• Set up a coaching alliance to reflect your work with the team.

• Do a stakeholder mapping exercise to get to know the people who work in the organization who have a strong connection to the team’s work.

• Install team policies to keep the basic working etiquette.

• Organize a one-day team-building workshop to establish teamwork, principles, values, and product vision in the team.

• Create an achievements wall for the team to celebrate their wins and motivate them to strive for more of them.

• Create a kudos wall to help team members show their mutual appreciation.

• Set an impediment board to visualize the impediments you are addressing in the organization, possibly inviting the team to help you.

• Establish communities of practice as an instrumental framework to reinforce a cross-team learning atmosphere in your company.