3 Tips to be a Successful Scrum Master

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3 Tips to be a Successful Scrum Master

3 Tips to be a Successful Scrum Master

There’s hardly any doubt that Scrum, as we all know today, is a significant aspect of project management which helps us generate solutions for various business problems. Every time a business encounters a new problem, a Sprint is initiated and the success of the Sprint depends largely upon the expertise of the Scrum Master. Organisations across the globe are well-versed when it comes to understanding Scrum, but there are certain tips and techniques which when employed can help you thrive as a Scrum Master. In this blog we will throw some light on three of those expert tips, but before let us take a look at some of the responsibilities of a Scum Master.

  1. Implement Project Management: The most vital responsibility that a Scrum Master carries on his shoulders is to create a team, integrate them and finally provide them insights into the pre-defined goal. In addition to that, he also serves as the bridge for information exchange between people. Finally, a Scrum Master assesses progress, provides feedback and creates a culture of Learning. All the activities mentioned above are aspects of project management techniques and it is the duty of the Scrum Master to carry out these tasks.
  2. Remove Roadblocks – There is no paucity of deterrents that might occur in your journey on Scrum. Here, the Scrum Master comes into play and removes these unwanted things. Be it unwanted meetings or excess work, anything which isn’t the need of the hour is done away with. This way, the team can focus on the task at hand and finish it off. 
  3. Host Meetings – Another short yet significant aspect of a Scrum Master’s duties is hosting daily stand-up meetings. These meetings allow the entire team to come together, exchange information, discuss their progress and provide feedback. New ideas are generated and goals are discussed during such meetings.

As we can see from above, a Scrum Master is vested with a plethora of roles and responsibilities in order to achieve the Sprint Goals. These roles are large in number, which means that a Scrum Master can either make or break the entire Scrum Team. So, in order to ensure that a Scrum Master fulfils every task assigned to him in a proper manner, we will now look at three important tips which can help you become a successful Scrum Master.

  1. Stop trying to control: It’s true when they say that everybody wants a leader and not a boss. In most cases, we have seen Scrum Masters trying to dominate the entire team by giving instructions all the time. Such an attitude should be replaced with that of teaching, where the Scrum Master teaches the team how to achieve the organisational goals. This is a very nice method of leading the team which helps to maintain the confidence of the team. The Scrum Master should act as a teacher or a friend to the entire team and try to keep the daily stand-up meetings fun and short. 
  2. Understand the framework yourself: It is necessary that the Scrum Master first learns the techniques of the Scrum himself, and then teach the same to his or her team. Since Scrum is all about Learning from our own previous mistakes and eradicating risks, it is advisable that the Scrum Master understands the entire framework properly. This way, if something is going against the Scrum framework, the entire team can realise it and work upon it. Having said that, it is also prudent to understand that Scrum is a framework that one must always keep in mind while performing the pre-defined tasks. A good way of understanding the framework is to become a Certified Scrum Master.
  3. Realise your ‘Why’:  We have saved the best advice for the last. As a Scrum Master, it is very important to understand why you’re doing a specific activity. You always need to have a clear plan in mind as to why you’re taking certain decisions or performing certain tasks. Most people add redundant tasks in the Sprint just because the Scrum guide suggests so. We need to realise that we have to constantly come up with our own ideas keeping in mind our history, and various other such variables which affect business decisions. A huge part of honouring the principles of Scrum is to keep experimenting with them. 
Conclusion

As mentioned above, a Scrum Master needs to constantly improve upon his skills and take into account the expert tips mentioned in this blog. A Scrum Master needs to stop asserting control, understand the entire framework and also realise why he is performing the tasks or assigning them to others. By keeping these tips in mind, a Scrum Master can help his team achieve the set goals with great ease. 

References
  1. https://www.easyagile.com/blog/scrum-master/ 
  2. https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/blog/ten-sentences-with-all-the-scrum-master-advice-youll-ever-need
  3. https://agilethought.com/blogs/3-tips-new-scrum-masters-successful/


Author

Paula

Is a passionate learner and blogger on Agile, Scrum and Scaling areas. She has been following and practicing these areas for several years and now converting those experiences into useful articles for your continuous learning.