The ScrumMaster role
Agile adoption is accelerating. It’s very common to find panelists or podcasters recommending the adoption of agile. Therefore, if you are thinking seriously about adopting agile, I have some important pieces of advice about the ScrumMaster role.
Resetting your Project/Product Delivery mindset
Don’t try fit the roles of agile into the traditional role structure of your company. Agile needs a complete different position structure. Don’t try to treat a ScrumMaster as a Technical Lead. Don’ treat a ScrumMaster as a Project Manager. Those roles are a not the same. That’s why is wise starting with a project, let it execute and finish for you to understand all the implications of having a new structure in the company. Note: when finding a good candidate for the ScrumMaster role, normally Project Manager or Technical Lead is a good fit after training and coaching.
ScrumMaster as a full time job
Don’t fool yourself thinking that there isn’t a more laziest job than ScrumMaster. Specially if the company is in the early stages of agile adoption. The impediment resolution is the hardest part when managing an agile team: Finding a suitable workroom, a taskboard, stopping chickens interference, monitoring advancements of the Action Items agreed last Retrospective meeting, monitoring progress along the Sprint, monitoring quality, convoking and facilitating meetings, fighting IT, promoting the vision, helping to find resources, pushing to keep the backlog, the taskboard, avoid the team over commit, avoiding confusion between tasks and User Stories, get the team committed, cheer leader, etc..
Every time the ScrumMaster role is degenerated to a part-time role, the Scrum practices are poorly followed at best.
Further reading
The Mythical Part-Time ScrumMaster
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