Explore the reality behind the five common myths about the Scrum Master role
As seasoned scrum masters, along with our colleague Kate Sakalova, we want to break down 5 myths about the scrum master role and share the real facts. Let's get started!
Myth 1: The main role of the Scrum Master is to remove impediments.
Reality: Contrary to popular belief, the Scrum Master does not directly remove obstacles. Instead, he focuses on empowering the team to remove obstacles on their own. They help develop team problem-solving skills and encourage asking others for help when needed.
Reality: Contrary to popular belief, the Scrum Master does not directly remove obstacles. Instead, he focuses on empowering the team to remove obstacles on their own. They help develop team problem-solving skills and encourage asking others for help when needed.
Myth 2: The Scrum Master has to attend a daily Scrum.
Reality: While daily Scrum is necessary for developers, the presence of the Scrum Master is not mandatory. His responsibility is to ensure that the event is conducted and effective, but his presence can sometimes lead to it becoming a status report rather than a collaborative session.
Reality: While daily Scrum is necessary for developers, the presence of the Scrum Master is not mandatory. His responsibility is to ensure that the event is conducted and effective, but his presence can sometimes lead to it becoming a status report rather than a collaborative session.
Myth 3: The Scrum Master is responsible for the execution of the project.
Reality: The role of the Scrum Master is focused on ensuring that the Scrum is effective, not directly responsible for delivery. The product owner is responsible for delivery by managing the budget, prioritizing business value, and overseeing release management.
Reality: The role of the Scrum Master is focused on ensuring that the Scrum is effective, not directly responsible for delivery. The product owner is responsible for delivery by managing the budget, prioritizing business value, and overseeing release management.
Myth 4: The scrum master is responsible for maintaining the team's board.
Reality: With self-directed developers, the Scrum Master does not need to update the board. It is the responsibility of the developers to keep it up to date, reflecting their progress and adapting the plan as needed.
Reality: With self-directed developers, the Scrum Master does not need to update the board. It is the responsibility of the developers to keep it up to date, reflecting their progress and adapting the plan as needed.
Myth 5: The Scrum Master is all about reporting.
Reality: Reporting for the Scrum Master is not focused on project management. Instead, it is focused on tracking the team's growth in agile capabilities and its impact on the organization. Metrics related to time to market, quality improvement, cost reduction, and performance trends are more relevant to their reporting.
Reality: Reporting for the Scrum Master is not focused on project management. Instead, it is focused on tracking the team's growth in agile capabilities and its impact on the organization. Metrics related to time to market, quality improvement, cost reduction, and performance trends are more relevant to their reporting.