A Scrum master is an agile coach who helps the whole team to understand the Scrum framework. You can consider a Scrum master to be the leader who leads the team in maintaining the Scrum values and practices in a project. Different companies have come up with distinct ways to describe the job of a scrum master over time. This can be hard to understand, especially when a company tries to use the Scrum project management system. CSM Training helps you learn more about the responsibilities of a Scrum master.
Read the article to learn more about a Scrum Master’s role and responsibilities. It will help you comprehend the accountability and exposure of a Scrum Master in Agile approaches.
4 Key Responsibilities of a Scrum Master
The common responsibilities of Scrum masters are:
1. Help the team stay on track:
The main job of a scrum master is to keep the development team organized and moving forward with the projects. The scrum master could lead the team’s daily stand-up meeting. During this meeting, the team discusses what they have done, what they want to work on that day, and any problems that get in the way of their work. This meeting will be brief and to the point, which will help the team understand the hurdle in the process and assist the team in avoiding such a hurdle in projects.
In addition, the scrum master will help run other Scrum events. Sprint planning meetings are where the product and development teams discuss the most important things they must work on in the next sprint. The scrum master will listen to ensure the team knows their job roles in achieving the goals. Their job is to write down these choices so the team can stick to their agreed-upon plan.
2. Gap the bridge between growth and product management:
When making a product, there is always the chance that the product management team will be unable to clearly explain its strategic goal to the developers. If the product strategy is misunderstood, the team members could focus on the wrong things or make choices that impact the product vision. In an agile group, these risks can be reduced by the Scrum master. They help people in the product management and development team to discuss with each other. When a company has a product owner, the Scrum master will speak to that person. So, the Scrum master might tell the product owner that the development team wants to break up a job into smaller parts before adding it to a sprint, along with the reason for this.
The product owner will tell the scrum master about any requests from the product management team or strategic thoughts that the development team should know and implement. The scrum master will then share this information with the development team. A good working relationship with the product owner and development team is one of the primary job responsibilities of a Scrum master. This helps ensure that development and product management share information regularly. Both teams work from a place of trust and respect for each other.
3. Remove barriers and keep the team intact:
Developers will tell the Scrum master about any dependencies or other problems stopping them from finishing a sprint job. The Scrum master will remove those problems so the team can continue working. When a product manager goes straight to the development team with an essential last-minute request, like writing custom code for a client, it is the scrum master’s job to tell the project manager that the team can only work on the tasks agreed upon during the current sprint.
A satisfactory scrum master will always protect their developers’ time and ensure they have a clear path to follow to complete their work.
4. Leadership with credibility and impact:
The Scrum Alliance says that a Scrum Master is in charge of many things but has no power in the business. This is one reason why some businesses call their Scrum master an agile coach or a team coach. These professionals should lead their team, but they should do so as a respected expert and guide, not as a boss who can instruct them regarding their responsibilities.
A Scrum Master must gain the team’s trust to accomplish their job well. It will take time, and you have to earn it over time.
What is the Scrum Master’s Accountability?
As the Scrum Master, you will be helping the following people on the team in different ways. According to the Scrum Guide, the Scrum Master’s job is to
1. To the product owner:
Trying to find better ways to set product goals and handle the product backlog; Teaching the Scrum Team why product backlog items need to be clear and to the point; assisting with actual product planning in a complicated setting, and making it easier for stakeholders to work together when asked or needed.
The Scrum master’s main job is to ensure that the product owner’s list of changes reaches the Scrum team. As needed, the scrum master must also organize events and workshops related to the Scrum and optimize the product backlog.
2. To the Organization:
As a Scrum master, you will plan and advise on Scrum implementations, helping employees and stakeholders. They help implement an empirical approach for complicated work and remove barriers between stakeholders and Scrum Teams.
However, the Scrum master directs the company in successfully adopting Scrum. It improves team productivity by accomplishing the work more quickly. The Scrum Master plans how Scrum will be used in the company.
3. To the Scrum Team:
Scrum team members in self-management and working with people from different departments; Helping the Scrum Team focus on making high-value increments; Getting rid of things that are in the way of the Scrum Team’s progress. In addition, they ensure Scrum events become positive, helpful, and completed within the time limit.
4. Scrum Framework:
As we all know, the Scrum Master oversees the Scrum framework. They ensure that the people attending the webinars and workshops. Ensure that the Sprint Retrospective works in a way that gets good results and boosts productivity.
Final Thoughts
When you hire a Scrum master, it is essential to keep in mind that your company should use the Scrum format. A Scrum master can do their job well if their company follows the core Scrum rules. PSM Certification can enrich your knowledge and skills about the Scrum master. Also, they can help each team run their processes, which suits the company. Team members can focus on what they do best while customers always get what they want.
