If a project is a road full of debris, the Scrum Master is the person with a shovel who clears the path for the team to travel efficiently.
One of the biggest obstacles for teams adopting Scrum as an agile method or hybrid framework is getting used to the role of Scrum Master. This is especially true for those coming from waterfall paradigms, who tend to think of Scrum Masters as less directive project managers. And while there is a tiny grain of truth in this comparison, it does the Scrum Master a huge disservice.
Being a great project manager is not a guarantee that the person has the necessary skills to be a good Scrum Master and vice versa. A project manager is first and foremost a leader – great for understanding the big picture and organizing their team based on each member's strengths.
The Scrum Master, on the other hand, is a facilitator for the team and the product owner. Think of it this way: if a project is a road full of rubble, the Scrum Master is the person with a shovel who clears the way so that the road can be traveled as quickly and efficiently as possible. So, what skills should a person develop to be a great Scrum Master and accomplish this task?
Servant leadership
“I lead because I serve and I serve because I lead”
Although it may seem paradoxical, the notion of leadership has historically been linked to servitude. Plato thought of the philosopher-king as a servant of the city, the medieval concept of noble obligation implies the notion that the nobility has a responsibility to serve, including protecting its followers, and even in a democracy we call those who hold positions public servants .
If a leader is someone who aligns a team toward a goal, then the servant leader accomplishes this not with organization and directives, but with assistance and support. A good scrum master understands that a developer does his best when he doesn't have to deal with obstacles or interruptions, so he leads by providing the best environment for his team.
A servant leader focuses on growing his or her team, finding areas where others can improve and providing the tools to help them reach their full potential. A good Scrum Master learns to offer and provide help, he strives to understand how others are feeling and how to best support his team.
Active listener
“People are at their best when they feel confident in sharing their inner world”
What does it mean to be a good listener? First, it means that you actively pay attention and understand what the other person is saying, as well as where they are coming from, even if you disagree. Secondly, it means you empathize with the person in front of you so they feel heard and supported. And third, it means you can ask meaningful questions or give meaningful feedback.
A good Scrum Master knows that listening to your team is essential to helping them reach their potential. Daily scrums are a great source of information but they are not the only ones, a Scrum Master must pay constant attention to what is happening with his team during development, what they say and what they say on site, during meetings, or even when sharing memes from your Slack group.
The more you listen to others, the more they trust you and open up to you. A Scrum Master will naturally perform better when others trust them, which is why listening is such an important trait for them.
Training
“ Be a mirror that projects the best versions of those you reflect”
Each project is an opportunity to improve ourselves. New challenges offer new experiences that help us learn and grow. Unfortunately, we are often consumed by deadlines, bugs, difficulties and other responsibilities that leave us little or no time to reflect on our own process.
The Scrum Master must learn how to identify areas of potential development for team members, as well as help them realize it is an opportunity for self-actualization. A coach does not necessarily teach, but always helps others reframe a situation so that they can learn something from that experience.
Coaching also involves helping team members process their emotions. Sometimes we can become overwhelmed by fear or anxiety, and we can always use the help of a supportive person to calm these emotions or redirect them to our own benefit.
Assertive communication
“ Groups do their best when they share the best information”
Everyone who has ever been part of a work group knows very well that a team is only as effective as its communication. A Scrum Master has the responsibility to ensure that information channels are as clean as possible.
Being assertive helps a lot in achieving this goal. First, because the Scrum Master can teach others by example, helping team members to share information appropriately among themselves. And second, because they often serve as a bridge between the development team and the project owner. As such, they have to transmit information between both groups in the most assertive way possible.
Conflict Facilitation
“Groups do their best when they overcome internal tensions”
Nothing will kill a team's momentum as quickly as poorly managed conflict. Whether due to a lack of communication or because tempers flared, having a heavy emotional atmosphere will directly affect the team and your project.
Good Scrum Masters know that misunderstandings and conflicts are inherent in work groups. Thus, they need to have tools to help others process their emotions, reach agreements, and forgive others when situations require it.
This obviously goes hand in hand with the other skills we've discussed so far, but it also involves being able to understand both sides of the argument, knowing how to remain neutral, and how to best help people reframe conflict in such a way that a positive outcome results. for all parties can be achieved.
Creativity
“Be the paradigm shift that others need”
When we help other people with their conflicts, emotions or problems, we often run the risk of getting sucked into their picture and stuck as they are. A good Scrum Master is an expert in reframing a problem.
Reframing a problem means showing others a new perspective on things. Perhaps they are so focused on a single solution that they have not considered another strategy, or because they have already decided that something is a problem, they are not seeing how it could be an opportunity.
The Scrum Master knows what his team is capable of (sometimes even better than the team itself), so for him the challenge is to help others redefine a problem in such a way that it can be solved with the skills in which they are capable. they stand out.
Scrum Master is not just another buzzword for manager; the skill set underlying the role is completely different. In many ways, the role requires a more direct, hands-on approach, as well as a closer connection with the development team. A good Scrum Master is simultaneously a developer, coach and psychologist, a facilitator of human processes and also a leader.
