ATB2014 Presentation

1. Through other eyes
Addressing the various perceptions of the Scrum Master’s role
Reshma Pendse
People10 Technologies

2. Humans see what they want to
see
We don’t see things as
they are;
We see things as
we are

3. Why perception matters

4. Why perception matters
• Our perception is the driving force behind our reaction to
things
• A positive perception makes a person receptive to learning
• A negative perception creates a hostile environment

5. Perception is key
• “Justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be
done.”
• Famous English court case where due to a perceived conflict of
interest, the verdict was quashed.
• “To change ourselves effectively, we first have to change our
perceptions.”
• Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in
Personal Change

6. SO,
HOW ARE SCRUM MASTERS
PERCEIVED?

7. devSpeak
follow up the task which is
out of the radar
make sure all the
participants
should
attend the
meeting on time
and give proper
update
should educate … the
team to understand …
scrum. because most of
the time team doesn't
understand the essence of
scrum
maintaining the Artifacts
understands
the Product
Owner's
Vision
responsible for knowing the
workflow of all task of scrum
board and keep the tracker of
the progress.

8. qaSpeak
do a sprint planning for member progress
keep track of
everyday
progress of all
team members
take update of each
team for a week or
something like that
ensure that the team should perform at their highest level
own the
success of
the teams
process
works very closely with the
product owner

9. othersSpeak (tech writers, Product Owners, Management)
facilitates interactions
ensures
visibility of
artifacts and
that the
dashboard is
updated
Activities for Today and
Tomorrow are the main
focus
Make a list out of these meetings
effective
communication
… within their
own
…and….connected
teams
after the scrum, take decisions
or do escalations accordingly :)

10. Scrum Alliance speak
• The State of the Scrum 2013 report published by Scrum Alliance states
that, of the 500 people that took the survey:
• Only 4% said that Scrum is used across the organization
• 16% said that Scrum is used for all software development
• 2% said that Scrum is used in non-software projects
• 39% said that Scrum is one of the practices used
• 38% said that their organizations:
• Are not aware of what Scrum is, or
• Are aware but have not used it, or
• Have tried it, but have not decided whether to adopt it, or
• Are piloting it
• Source: Scrum Alliance 2013-State-of-Scrum-Report

11. It’s not a requirement!
• Does your organization require Scrum certification?
11% said YES
32% said Recommended
41% saidNO!
Source: Scrum Alliance 2013-State-of-Scrum-Report

12. Role of the Scrum Master
• 41%- Dedicated Scrum master
• 24% - Project Manager in addition to Scrum Master
• 35% - Project Manager plays the role of Scrum Master
Source: Scrum Alliance 2013-State-of-Scrum-Report

13. Analysis
• Perceptions are varied, people don’t know what the Scrum
Master is supposed to do
• 40% organizations don’t know what Scrum is
• 40% of those who know do not require any certifications
• 60% teams do not have dedicated Scrum Masters

14. What does that tell us?
• Thousands of working professionals have no idea of the role of
the various players in the Scrum team, including the Scrum
Master.
• Many companies do not require their employees to have any
Scrum certification.
Source: Scrum Alliance 2013-State-of-Scrum-Report

15. Agile transformation by
changing perceptions
• Unless we are able to mold the perceptions of the wider
community, Agile transformations, whether for teams,
departments, organizations, or industries will remain pipe
dreams.
• It is important then, for us to listen and get a good
understanding of how these people perceive our role.
• We can drive change only when we know what we need to
change.

16. Scrum Master’s role
• Servant leader
• Coach
• Facilitator
• Remover of impediments
• Custodian of the framework

17. expertSpeak
Six Attributes of the Good Scrum Master
• Responsible
• Humble
• Collaborative
• Committed
• Influential
• Knowledgeable
• A good listener
Source: Mike Cohn: http://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/articles/leader-of-the-band

18. Let’s inspect and adapt
• How am I doing?
• Am I listening to my team?
• Do I know what my team really thinks?
• Am I missing something?