How does the Scrum Master go about Facilitating Scrum? How do they Add Value to the Agile Project?

The Role of the Scrum Master is often under-rated by lots of Organisations. This is because the organisation often does not understand the real Value of the role. This is why it is often stated that the Scrum Master can be assigned to multiple Scrum Teams. While this could be the case where you have high-performing Teams, this is rarely achieved. In fact, where a Scrum Master is no longer needed as a full time contributor to the Scrum, they can be said to have done an excellent Job. They instil the Principles of Scrum to a level where the Team does not merely understand them. The Scrum Team live and work according to those Principles.

The Scrum Master’s Responsibilities extend far beyond the Agile Project. They are an essential role to creating consistency between the Team and the rest of the Organisation. This is done through a combination of Change Management, Negotiation and Facilitation. By doing this, they create an Environment where the Team is able to produce their best Work.

Facilitating Scrum: A Facilitator, not a Manager

The Role of Scrum Master is often confused with the Traditional Role of Project Manager. The Scrum Master however does not Manage, they Facilitate. The closest approximation to what the Scrum Master represents in Agile is the Role of Coach in a Centre of Excellence. They Facilitate Meetings, the “Ceremonies” of Scrum. The role ensures that the right individuals attend the meetings, and the desired results are obtained. It is up to them to ensure Meetings do not over-run..

The Scrum Master is a non-participatory Role in the Meetings, with the exception of the Sprint Retrospective. Their Role in the Retrospective is to find potential for improvement. They are responsible for optimising the Team’s efficiency by means of process improvement and avoiding variances from the Scrum Practices.

Facilitating Scrum: A Subject Matter specialist

The Scrum Master functions as a subject matter professional on two fronts:-.

• The Scrum Master is knowledgeable on Agile and Scrum. They understand the Roles, Artefacts and Processes of Scrum. They bring this knowledge to the Team as a Coach and Mentor, in addition to a Compliance Manager.
• The Scrum Master understands the Dynamics of Teams. They guide the Scrum Team through the Four Stages of team maturity outlined in Bruce Tuckman’s Theory of Team Development. Throughout the Project, they will utilize this understanding to gauge both the Maturity of the Team and its capability to Collaborate.

The Steward of Agile and Scrum.

The prime Role of the Scrum Master is to guarantee that the Scrum Framework and Processes are understood and followed by the Team. They have mastery of the Agile Values and Principles. This allows them to see deviations from the recommended practice and realign the team. Their knowledge of Agile and Scrum is likewise used to educate the rest of the Organisation.

The Scrum Masters responsibility is to ensure that the Team follows the Twelve Principles of the Agile Manifesto. They uphold the desired Values, particularly those of openness, sincerity and transparency. Additionally, they guide the Team on producing Artefacts, like the Burndown Chart.

Scrum Master as a Coach and Mentor.

As the steward and specialist of Scrum, the Scrum Master inform the Scrum Team and Stakeholders on the Agile Practices and Processes. They ensure that the Process is followed in full. There should be no skimping or avoidance of the principles. For example, the Stand-Up Meeting is held at the same time for the prescribed maximum time of 15 minutes. They do not try to affect the outcomes of the Meeting, as this is the authority of the Development Team. However, they ensure that the fundamentals are covered and promotes complete disclosure. During the Stand-Up Meeting, Impediments to progress are brought up by the Team. The Scrum Master will attempt to remove these Impediments, so that the Team can focus of their progress.

We found these books great for finding out more information on Agile Scrum:

The Best Scrum Master: A Referee.

When the Team is relatively new and in the “Storming” stage, Team members can be antagonistic and will challenge other Team members. This is because they do not feel part of a Team at this stage. This can lead to quite heated arguments and disputes. The Scrum Master will act as both referee and peacemaker in such situations. It might be the case that the conflicts are too disruptive, in which case one or both of the Team members may have to leave the Team and be replaced. The problem with this is that the Team is back at stage one again (Forming) .

Facilitating Scrum: Managing Change.

The Scrum Master has the Role of promoting the Agile and Scrum values and principles both within the Team and externally to the Company. They are the Gatekeeper when it comes to Changes during the Project.

The Agile Manifesto states in one of the Twelve Principles:-.

“(We) Welcome Changing Requirements, Even Late In Development. Agile Processes Harness Change For The Customer’s Competitive Advantage”.

While Change is invited, it does not mean that it is instantly used. To Start With the Product Owner must determine the requirement for the Change and Prioritize it in the Product Backlog. This Change can only be resolved in the next Sprint, and it is the Scrum Master’s duty to avoid any Change being applied throughout a Sprint.

Supporting the Team, the Product Owner and the Company.

The Scrum Master is often described as a “Servant Leader” – they serve the Scrum Team. They may however adopt other leadership styles where needed.

To the Development Team, they are a Coach and Facilitator. They are the individual who remove obstacles from the path to successful Product Development. They maximise engagement by introducing methods such as gamification to the Scrum. The Scrum Master likewise helps the Team to grow and mature during the Project.