As products in IT take on a greater and greater share of the market – there is an increasing emphasis on going Agile. And, of all Agile practices, Scrum has proved to be the most adopted framework and works for most project teams. Hence, the demand for one of the major roles in Scrum – the Scrum Masters!
What exactly is a Scrum Master?
A Scrum master guides a team during a project by employing Agile project management methods. A Scrum Master enables effective communication and collaboration among leadership, product owners, and team members for a successful result. Scrum masters also make sure that their teams are following the scrum principles correctly and address any challenges faced by the team promptly.
Let’s look further into what a scrum master does and what makes them of so much importance in a team!
What Does A Scrum Master Do?
A scrum master has an overarching perspective of the project that may not be shared by any members of his team. As mentioned previously, they serve as the crucial link connecting the Product Owner and the team. Yet, they do not solely transmit needs from the Product Owner. Then, what does a scrum master do?
A scrum master is tasked with assisting the Product Owner in various ways, including:
- Aid them in organizing and ranking the needs in the Product Backlog or the Work-Item list.
- Help the Product Owner comprehend the Team’s point of view.
- Act as the representative of the Product Owner in assisting the team in grasping the business requirements.
In the role of the representative for the team towards the Product Owner, a scrum master is required to:
- Assist the company in comprehending the team’s obstacles.
- Establish specific guidelines for Agile methodologies.
- Communicate the team’s excellent performance to the Product Owner.
Moreover, the Scrum Master collaborates with various department heads and higher management levels to ensure the team’s tasks are completed effectively.
Daily Responsibilities Of A Scrum Master
The everyday duties of a scrum master consist of the following:
- Eliminate the obstacles hindering the team.
- Convey, convey, and convey the Vision through communication.
- Servant Leader – Support the team by carrying water, resources, etc to ensure effective functioning.
Things A Good Scrum Master Does
A successful Scrum Master goes beyond simply facilitating; they are crucial in ensuring the team achieves success. They aim to support team success by implementing Agile principles. This is the way they create a significant difference.
- Encourage the team to improve cooperation and efficiency.
- Support the Product Owner in collaborating with both internal and external stakeholders to enhance the value and quality of requirements.
- Discuss observations and difficulties with the entire team and coworkers. You have the option to employ CoP (Communities of Practice) or CoE (Center of Excellence) or introduce Agility in the organization through hosting open sessions.
- Ensure that teams enjoy themselves. Teams who are having a good time are more efficient and produce higher quality work – so it falls upon the scrum master to ensure that the team morale is high.
- Transform your Way of Working (WoW). Scrum masters must develop a culture of continuous improvement by experimenting with new Agile methods and exploring beyond the common Scrum Terms.
Disciplined Agile for Scrum Teams
In the Project Management field, Disciplined Agile is referred to as a “Game Changer.” This designation is given because Disciplined Agile certifications acknowledge that each organization operates differently and may not align with standard frameworks and methodologies. Every business is unique, faces unique obstacles, and therefore, will require unique solutions to overcome the obstacles.
Furthermore, Disciplined Agile simplifies the process of incorporating the most effective elements of Agile frameworks in order to achieve quick and cost-effective success while delivering high-quality results. It creates a collection of various frameworks such as Agile, Lean, Kanban, Waterfall, and others for you to select the best option for any scenario. It serves your role perfectly – as a scrum master or a senior scrum master.
A Disciplined Agile Certification strives to change the organization’s Way Of Working (WoW) by implementing business agility in its projects and teams. Moreover, if not all teams within the organization operate based on Agile principles, the enterprise will not be able to attain agility. Therefore, these certifications provide you with the essential skills to implement frameworks from the Disciplined Agile toolkit within your team and organization.
The demand for Scrum Masters in 2024
Top companies globally, such as Google, Amazon, Walt Disney, and others, are recruiting Scrum Masters and Senior Scrum Masters at an increasing rate of 67% compared to last year. Several top companies have implemented the Disciplined Agile approach to increase business agility, resulting in quicker time-to-market, improved quality, boosted employee satisfaction, and transformation into highly adaptable organizations. Hence, at present there is a disparity in supply and demand, leading to an increase in your salary in the Scrum Master role.
The Bottom Line:
The Scrum master role has been seeing a whole lot of job opportunities today. This is a great time to polish up your Agile Mindset, get the Scrum principles rolled in, and gear up for the role! Getting an Agile Certification will help enhance your scrum master skills and take advantage of the increasing demand in all the different sectors.
