04/02/2022

Scrum Master: what is it and what do they do?

The recent confusion surrounding the so-called Scrum Master has led to it being viewed as a rather mysterious figure whose role within the development team is not very clear. This is due to the fact that despite being an expert with strong leadership skills, it is also someone who acts ‘behind the scenes’, while taking a holistic approach to their work.

According to the official definition, this professional figure is responsible for the efficiency of the Scrum Team and works to promote an Agile mindset. They use Scrum frameworks and principles to encourage colleagues towards constant improvement, so as to reach development objectives within a reasonable timescale.

Variety of roles adopted by Scrum Masters

The Scrum Master is a specialist who possesses great versatility. They can work directly with specific members of the group, with the whole team or the entire organisation. Their main distinguishing feature is that they must be able move seamlessly between different roles, according to the circumstances and requirements of the moment. Among their most important roles are:

Servant leader: the SM stands for values like courage, respect, openness, attention to detail and team effort within the Scrum. He interacts with the individual components of the team while aiming to respond to their needs, so that they can carry out their own tasks and reach company objectives;
Coach: when the Scrum Master focuses on team building he becomes a real sports coach. He encourages his colleagues to maintain a positive mindset, helps them to organise themselves and pushes them to seek continual improvement;
Facilitator: he can also take on the task of facilitating the work of the team and the product owner. He tries to simplify the stages of the whole Scrum process and ensures a smooth, sustainable production rhythm.
Teacher: he makes sure that everybody respects Agile guidelines and principles, while helping those who are involved in the project to understand them thoroughly so they can put them into practice;
Mentor: he can also be a wise advisor, who is able to share his knowledge and experience of the Agile culture with the team;
Manager: he can sometimes be responsible for the project itself. He has the duty to take care of the team’s health and limit any wastage of time or resources;
Impediment remover: considering that he often has the task of removing obstacles which impede the progress of works, he must be able to take informed decisions;
Agent for change: he is the driver of change within the development team. He works to encourage the team to adopt Agile principles and the Scrum spirit.

Things the Scrum Master does not do

Considering the number of different roles the Scrum Master can have within the development team, misleading ideas can easily be formed regarding this individual. Below are some points regarding the tasks that this person does not carry out:

He does not take minutes during Scrum meetings or ceremonies;
Hi is not a secretary and is not responsible for organising team members’ diaries;
He does not act as the Scrum Police;
He does not take decisions on behalf of the team or of the boss;
He does not manage instruments used by the team, as he is not an administrator;
He does not act as president of the organisation during meetings;
He is not a super hero and has his own limits, which must be respected.

This brief overview should be helpful for those seeking greater clarity as to what a Scrum Master does and does not do and why his presence is a crucial factor in any self-respecting team. Working according to Scrum principles is not at all easy and this is why it requires someone who is able to organise team members in a knowledgeable and dependable way.

Translated by Joanne Beckwith