According to the definition from the Scrum Guide:
Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps individuals, teams, and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions to complex problems.
In simplest terms, Scrum requires the Scrum Master to contribute to creating an environment where:
- the Product Owner organizes the work needed to solve a complex problem by creating the Product Backlog,
- the Development Team transforms a selected part of this work into a valuable Increment during the Sprint,
- then, the Scrum Team and its stakeholders review the results and adjust their actions for the next Sprint.
Based on this definition, it is clear that there is a distinct division of responsibility for each element.
In this article, I would like to focus on one of them, which, in my opinion, is the most misunderstood and overinterpreted yet crucial for the successful use of Scrum. It will be a story about the responsibilities of the Scrum Master.
I will use the description of the 8 stances of the Scrum Master presented by Barry Overeem in his document of the same title (8 Stances of a Scrum Master), also showing what can happen when the Scrum Master steps beyond their role and when the correct stances are distorted.
Servant – Leader
The first stance of the Scrum Master I would like to discuss is the Servant-Leader. Yes, I know, it sounds odd, almost like an oxymoron 😊. After all, is the Scrum Master supposed to lead or serve, and how can these roles be combined?
Well, they can be. According to Robert K. Greenleaf, the creator of the concept of the Servant-Leader, a Servant-Leader should primarily serve. Their goal should be to support the development of both individuals and the entire team, focusing on building trust, respect, transparency, and encouraging open collaboration and engagement – exactly the values described in the Scrum Guide as the foundation of using this framework.
Therefore, a Leader in the context of Scrum is not a Boss. We see obvious differences here: encouraging rather than ordering, guiding towards proper solutions rather than imposing them, and most importantly, having no influence over administrative matters: not hiring, firing, giving bonuses, or raises. The Scrum Master works with the team, is part of the team, and strives with the team to achieve the Sprint Goal.
Step outside
In this context, a Leader points the team in the right direction and supports them in self-organization. If the Scrum Master steps outside this role – trying to manage the team, exert pressure, impose decisions, and hold the team accountable for commitments – the values underpinning Scrum will quickly erode.
There will be no openness and courage; engagement and respect will disappear. Instead of a Team, we will have a group of people who are given tasks and, out of fear of consequences, will “do as they are told” without engaging in improving the product (remember, a valuable product is the cornerstone of Scrum) or the team’s relationships. Paraphrasing a well-known quote – I came, I did, I got paid. And yet, one of Scrum’s values is engagement.
Who is taking notes today?
The opposite extreme in understanding the concept of the Servant-Leader is the Scrum Master assuming the role of the Team’s Scribe or Secretary. Need to organize a meeting, book a room, prepare the agenda, check if the time suits everyone, and finally prepare and send out the minutes? – “Who you gonna call? Scrum Master” 😊
I will skip the obvious point that expecting the Scrum Master, who by the very name should be an expert in their field, to perform tasks at the intern level, i.e., someone just starting their career, is simply a waste of money.
Most importantly, constantly relying on one person takes away the team’s chance for self-organization and, once again, for engagement. It’s great that someone “takes care of everything,” but what will the team do when the Scrum Master is on vacation, or worse, unexpectedly falls ill? Will we cancel the Review with the client, explaining that in the absence of the Scrum Master, we cannot book a room?
If the meeting goes ahead by some miracle (because maybe the room is booked permanently), will we fail to discuss the completed Increment and not gather feedback from the client because no one knows how the meeting should proceed, where to start, and who should be the unfortunate person to take notes? (probably the Product Owner; after all, “it’s their product” 😊).
Will you agree with me that this situation sounds absurd? At the same time, how often have you heard the sacramental question before a Review: “Who will be presenting today?” In a team where the Scrum Master understands their role and promotes development and self-organization, cooperation is based on Scrum values; such a situation does not occur.
Manager
Another stance similar to the Servant-Leader is the Manager, and here, too, there is a lot of room for misinterpretation. The first association brings to mind a Team Leader or perhaps a Project Manager.
However, in this case, the Scrum Master is a process manager, supporting the team in optimizing processes, minimizing waste, assisting in removing impediments that hinder or prevent work, and ensuring that all Scrum events are valuable and lead to the achievement of set goals.
Above all, they create an organizational culture where mistakes and errors are not seen as failures but opportunities for growth and learning. Remember, Scrum is an empirical approach, so to be sure that something is a good solution, we must try it. And let the one who never erred cast the first stone.
Shared responsibility
Thus, the stance of the Scrum Master as a Manager does not involve managing the team, monitoring deadlines, and accepting reports at the Daily meeting about who did what and whether they will have work to do today. If the Scrum Master fulfills their role well, the team can organize itself perfectly and divide tasks to achieve the goal set during Sprint Planning. Suppose the Scrum Master requires reports and explanations, tries to hold the team accountable for the amount of work, and criticizes them for mistakes. In that case, they will take on the stance of a project manager, and not a good one at that, as they will undermine the team’s morale instead of ensuring proper Scrum implementation. Micromanagement is the enemy of self-organization, and the whole Scrum Team is responsible for the results.
Teacher
The Scrum Master is responsible for the effectiveness of the Scrum Team. They achieve this by creating appropriate conditions for improving the team’s practices according to Scrum rules. To accomplish this, the Scrum Master sometimes takes on the role of a Teacher, ensuring that Scrum is understood and applied as described in the Scrum Guide.
This means the Scrum Master must not only understand Agility and Scrum thoroughly but also be able to convey this knowledge clearly and understandably to everyone.
Equally important is explaining that Scrum works as a whole; we cannot pick and choose elements we like and discard others we find inconvenient. That is not Scrum; it is the Scrum Master’s role to warn the team and the organization about the consequences of such decisions.
Another task of the Scrum Master as a Teacher is to explain the pillars and values of Scrum and why they are important. Showing the team the benefits of these aspects is a key area the Scrum Master should focus on, and the opportunity to do this arises every day.
Teacher – not Policeman
In summary, the Scrum Master, in the role of a Teacher, should point out the proper way to use this framework to benefit the team, the organization, and the client/user. However, one should be careful not to fall into the extreme of becoming a Policeman who mindlessly enforces all Scrum rules regardless of the situation.
If we notice that 15 minutes is not enough for the Daily, we do not turn off everyone’s microphones when time is up and do not interrupt anyone mid-sentence. Instead, we looked for why 15 minutes was not enough time for the team to organize and discuss tasks for the day. In 9 out of 10 cases, it will be due to going off-topic or recounting the previous day minute by minute. And here, we can smoothly transition to the next stance of the Scrum Master – the Facilitator.
Facilitator
This stance of the Scrum Master fits perfectly with the overarching goal of the Scrum framework, namely – focusing on value for the client. And that is precisely what facilitation is – a process that increases the efficiency of the team’s work in achieving the intended goal.
Through attentive and active listening, asking the right questions, and creating a friendly, open atmosphere, the Scrum Master leads the team towards the goal – whether it is the goal of a meeting, the Sprint Goal, or the Product Goal – the role of the Scrum Master is to help the team achieve it. What is very important is that the Scrum Master remains neutral towards the opinions or proposed solutions and any ideas anyone expresses.
Risks
Unfortunately, the Scrum Master’s stance also poses risks and can be misunderstood. The most common misunderstanding is treating this role as a secretary, scribe, or team administrator, someone who organizes and runs the meeting, then makes and sends out the minutes and maybe even “logs” a few tasks into Jira, thus once again taking away the team’s chance for development and self-organization.
Remember, the Scrum Master’s responsibility is to ensure that meetings are constructive and effective, so this should be their main focus.
The second pitfall is using facilitation as an opportunity to push their own ideas and steer the team towards solutions that may not necessarily be the best. Facilitation does not require the Facilitator to have expertise in the topics being discussed. Therefore, the Scrum Master does not act as an expert or advisor but merely supports the process.
Coach
Another stance that strongly supports the team in achieving goals and development is the Coach. The essence of this stance is to unlock the team’s full potential and encourage them to find solutions.
Coaching is not about giving advice but supporting people in finding solutions. If you ask the right questions, they will succeed.
This applies not only to the team and individual members but also to the organization and sometimes even the client – focusing on the Goal helps find effective ways to achieve it.
The anti-pattern here is the Scrum Master trying to take on the role of the Boss, imposing their own ideas, forcing the team to choose their solutions, and generally convincing the team that they (the Scrum Master) know better what and how they should do. Acting this way, the Scrum Master will quickly lose the team’s respect and cause the erosion of Transparency, Engagement, and Openness. And that is a direct path to destroying Scrum.
Mentor
Similar risks accompany the distortion of the Mentor stance. There may also be a temptation to act as the Alpha and Omega, and, like the Coach, who misuses their position, this may lead to the loss of Scrum values.
So, who should the Mentor be? This role is based primarily on knowledge, personal experience, and mutual trust. It is dynamic and requires flexibility to adjust the approach to the team’s and its members’ individual needs to achieve maximum efficiency and job satisfaction.
It is worth noting that the stance of the Mentor and the Coach complement each other perfectly – while the Coach does not have to be an expert in the field and their task is primarily to focus on the goal, the Mentor shares their knowledge and experience and assists in finding solutions that work. This is particularly important for newly formed Scrum Teams or teams just starting their journey with Scrum.
The Scrum Master, as a Mentor, is invaluable in solving problems, sharing best practices, and, most importantly, helping to identify areas for development. The Mentor supports the team’s understanding of Scrum principles and helps members become better professionals.
Change Agent
The role of Scrum Master as Change Agent is complex and requires versatility, as well as communication, organizational, and leadership skills. The main task of the Scrum Master as a Change Agent is to ensure an environment where Scrum can function, develop, and even thrive. In this capacity, the Scrum Master should primarily focus on “working with the organization.”
What does this mean in practice? Firstly, ensuring that the concepts of Scrum, agility, and the value brought by empiricism are understood. I want to emphasize strongly that this is a process that requires time and patience. A thorough analysis of areas needing change is necessary to yield positive results, followed by planning and implementation.
It is crucial in this process for the Scrum Master to ensure Transparency and Openness; without these two aspects, any change will be impossible, leading to the creation of “Scrum-But,” “Scrum Zombie,” or other entities that share only the name with Scrum. Consequently, another opinion will spread that Scrum is pointless, doesn’t work, and brings no value.
Impediment Remover
Finally, the Scrum Master is an Impediment Remover. “Removing impediments is one of the Scrum Master’s fundamental responsibilities, directly impacting the team’s efficiency and the quality of delivered products. This simple statement immediately presents a trap that many novice (and not only novice) Scrum Masters fall into – namely, wanting to support the team and ensure the Sprint Goal is achieved without unnecessary delays, the Scrum Master “takes on” solving the problem.
It might seem they are doing exactly what they should, but as always, the devil is in the details. This responsibility does not mean that the Scrum Master is personally removing impediments; rather, they are “ensuring that impediments limiting the Scrum Team’s progress are removed.”
As you can see, there is a fundamental difference here. A Scrum Master who takes the initiative and removes all impediments from the team’s path will quickly lead to the erosion of self-organization within the team. This does not mean they should always refrain from direct action and watch from the sidelines as the team struggles to find solutions.
It is necessary to find a balance and, most importantly, to recognize and analyze whether the team genuinely needs support in the form of a Scrum Master’s intervention at that moment. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the “Impediment Removal Algorithm” presented by Rafał Markowicz from Code Sprinters in an article titled, which excellently demonstrates the complexity of this issue and provides guidelines on how to support the team in removing obstacles while also fostering their development.
Summary
As you can see, the role of the Scrum Master is very complex, and their responsibilities and actions directly influence how effectively the team and the organization understand and apply Scrum principles and practices. This makes it very clear that if the Scrum Master poorly fulfills their duties and does not understand their role, the chances of Scrum’s success automatically decrease.
Unfortunately, very often, the cause of this situation is the influence of the organization, which does not allow the Scrum Master to act in the right way, but that is a topic for another article 😉
***
If you are interested in the topic of Projects Management, be sure to also take a look at other articles by our experts.
Leave a comment