Scrum Master Role and Benefits

Project managers:

Plan overall project from start to finish, manage budgets, control risks, and procure material.

Scrum masters:

lead teams, remove roadblocks, participate in the planning process for the team’s work, and help the team work together

Typical scrum process

Sprint planning - Sprint - Review or Demo - Retrospective

• Role of Scrum Master:
  • Acts as a coach, facilitator, and team member.
  • Does not plan the overall project, manage budgets, control risks, or procure materials.
  • Leads teams, removes roadblocks, participates in planning, leads meetings and scrum events, improves processes, reports to management, supports the product owner and stakeholders, and helps the team work together.
  • Promotes a healthy team environment and leads the scrum process.
• Differences from Project Managers:
  • Project managers execute a predetermined plan.
  • Scrum masters use an iterative and incremental approach.
• Responsibilities:
  • Align and realign the team to the product owner's vision.
  • Ensure the team provides planned value.
• Steps in the Scrum Process:
  • Sprint Planning Part 1: Selects user stories from the product backlog.
    • Scrum master schedules and ensures team participation and commitment.
  • Sprint Planning Part 2: Completes a sprint backlog.
    • Facilitates self-organization and role assignment.
  • During the Sprint:
    • Facilitates daily scrum meetings.
    • Updates sprint Kanban board and burndown charts.
    • Removes blockers and manages conflicts.
  • Review or Demo:
    • Ensures all work is ready for presentation and attains feedback.
    • Prepares the product owner for the presentation.
  • Retrospective:
    • Facilitates discussion on improvements and ensures consensus on improvement items.
• Benefits of the Scrum Master Role:
  • Provides immeasurable value to the organization.
  • Ensures the team follows the scrum process and values.
  • Acts as a coach, teacher, and servant leader.
  • Proactively identifies and addresses blockers.
  • Promotes positive changes and continuous improvement.
  • Known as a "waste buster" and master problem-solver.
  • Works with other scrum masters to share knowledge and improve effectiveness.
  • Plans for the team’s future success.

 

Scrum Master Skills

Servant Leadership;

• Manage relationships through effective communication with the team and organization
• Facilitate collaboration and shield from external distractions
• Remove obstacles and impediments
• Educate all stakeholders on Scrum value

Coach team members to become;

• Self-directing
• Self-organizing
• Skilled in cross-functional communications
• Scrum Master

Creating increments skills;

• High-value increments that meet the definition of "done"
• Ensure the team stays focused on the goal
• Facilitate creation and delivery of Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Facilitation skills;

• Be positive, productive, and in timebox
• sprint planning, daily stand-up meetings, demos, and retrospective 
• Be effective process manager

Conflict Management;

• Identify and address sources of conflict
• Promote functional conflict
• Mitigate dysfunctional conflict

Negotiation and problem-solving skills. Facilitate collaboration and problem solving plan. Estimate velocity, don't underdeliver. Creating and managing the product backlog. Creating user stories. 

Empirical process

• Transparency: all scrum process should be observed by anyone.
• Inspection: ensure information is shared with all key stakeholders
• Adaptation: learn and improves through Transparency and Inspection

*it's not uncommon to spend a whole day to troubleshoot and clear roadblock for a team member to make the person can finish their work. Help them to get back on track, give assistance.
Scrum Master should be able to answer anything related to the scrum process.

 

Scrum Master Responsibilities

Stand-up meeting (daily scrum meeting)

What each team member did yesterday, what they gonna do today, seek any blockers.
Update kanban board, burndown charts.

Resolving conflict

Conflicts should be resolved internally by team members. 
Not done during stand-up meeting
Gives support in any means if required

Coaching

Share information, guidance, and support
Be servant leader
work for others
prepare junior team members to assume role in the future

Event planning

Daily stand-up
Sprint planning
Demo / present
Retrospective

Refinement of Product Backlog

Product backlog for next sprint
User stories for next two sprints ready for implementation

Scrum Master's Challenges:

• Minimal authority

Critical responsibilities to accomplish
Minimal authority
To establish as a subject matter expert in the organization
To create trust and credibility within the team

• Time management
• Keeping senior management happy who don't understand scrum process
• Acceptance by stakeholders: education and 
• Disruption in mid-sprint: be flexible, update product owner

 

Adaptive Methodologies to be flexible

Extreme Programming (XP):

XP is a software development methodology intended to improve software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements. XP advocates frequent releases in short development cycles intended to improve productivity and introduce checkpoints at which new customer requirements can be adopted.

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe):

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a set of organization and workflow patterns intended to guide enterprises in scaling Lean and Agile practices. SAFe is one of a growing number of frameworks that seek to address the problems encountered when scaling beyond a single team.

Kanban:

Kanban is a methodology that uses many Scrum methods. Requirements are placed on a Kanban board and flow across the board from start to finish until completed. Each requirement begins in the Backlog or “To Do” column. When work begins, the requirement moves to “In-Progress.” When the requirement is completed, it moves across the board to “Peer Review,” “In Test,” and ultimately, “Done.” If a requirement is blocked, it is placed on the Kanban board accordingly until the blocker is resolved. A key feature of Kanban is “Work in Progress” limitations. There can only be so many requirements in each category on the Kanban board. This ensures that work is evenly distributed and that the team has adequate capacity to complete each requirement during each column or phase.

Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM):

An Agile project delivery framework was initially used as a software development method. It features an iterative and incremental approach and prioritizes deliveries.

Crystal:

The Crystal Agile methodology is an agile framework that puts focus on the interaction among individuals rather than on the processes and tools used. It empowers teams to find their own solutions to problems instead of being confined by rigid methodologies of performing tasks. Crystal was derived from values stated in the original Agile Manifesto.

Lean Software Development:

Lean Software Development (LSD) is an Agile framework based on optimizing development time and resources, eliminating waste, and ultimately delivering only what the product needs. Lean methodology was originally created by Toyota Corporation.

 

Terminologies

Agile	Optimal lifecycle when deliverable frequency is high and anticipated change is high.
Blockers	Issues or problems preventing a development team from progressing in a Sprint.
Burndown Chart	Information Radiator that graphically shows team progress to complete User Stories.
Ceremonies	Events to include sprint planning, the Sprint, reviews and retrospectives.
Coach	Process conducted to improve team member performance and confidence.
Crystal	An agile methodology that is an agile framework which puts focus on the interaction among individuals rather than on the processes and tools used.
Daily Scrum/Daily Stand-up meeting	A Scrum ceremony conducted for 15-minutes each day to ensure the Sprint is progressing and identify any potential blockers.
Done	Done is realized when all solution criteria for a User Story is accomplished to the customer's satisfaction.
Development Team	Team members committed to creating useable increments during each Sprint.
Diversion Shield	Shield the team from external distractions. Create an environment where the team can focus on the job at hand.
DSDM	Dynamic Systems Development Method. An agile project delivery framework initially used as a software development method.
Dysfunctional Conflict	Conflict, that can lead to negative feelings and results.
Empirical Process Control	Promote transparency, ensure inspections occur as needed, and work with the team to adapt to change.
Extreme Programming (XP)	A software development methodology intended to improve software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements.
Facilitate	Lead communications and collaboration to achieve an outcome.
Functional Conflict	Conflict, that can lead to positive feelings and results.
Impediments	Issues or problems preventing a development team from progressing in a Sprint.
Information Radiators	Forms of agile communications that are transparent and available to all stakeholders.
Kanban Board	A tool used to display all backlog tasks in a Sprint and status.
Lean Software Development (LSD)	An agile framework based on optimizing development time and resources, eliminating waste, and ultimately delivering only what the product needs.
MVP	Minimum Viable Product. The product increment developed during a given Sprint. The increment must have value to the customer.
Predictive	Lifecycle where project scope, schedules, and budgets are determined early in a project. Best if delivery requirements are low and change is low.
Product Backlog	A repository of prioritized User Stories developed and managed by a Product Owner.
Product Owner	Adaptive role. Maintains Product Backlog, develops User Stories, and acts as Voice of the Customer.
Project Manager	A person assigned by the organization to lead the team.  Accountable for project objectives.
Quality	Provide a product or service that conforms to requirements and is fit for use.
Refinement	The act of updating the Product Backlog based on changing product requirements.
Retrospective	A ceremony conducted at the end of each Sprint to determine what went well, what should the team change, and what is one change the team will pursue during the next Sprint.
SAFe	Scaled Agile Framework. A set of organization and workflow patterns intended to guide enterprises in scaling lean and agile practices.
Scrum	A popular form of agile, used by the majority of agile practitioners.
Scrum Master	Adaptive role. Trains and coaches development team.  Ensures all agile processes are adhered to.
Self-Organize	Ability of a team to organize and take the right actions without the need for management direction.
Sprint/Iteration	A timed period where an adaptive or agile project is implemented. Generally, time boxed at 15 or 30 days.
Sprint Backlog	A list of tasks to support a User Story developed by a Scrum development team.
Sprint Demo/Review	Ceremony where the Product owner presents the functionality developed by the team during a Sprint and receives feedback and acceptance.
Sprint Planning	The Scrum team determines which user Stories will be accomplished during a Sprint. Sprint backlog is developed to execute the User stories.
User Stories	A requirement defined by role, need, and value developed by a Product Owner.
Velocity	The amount of work a team can complete in a given Sprint.