Editor's Notes

1. Introduce myself.
2. I wanted to test a hypothesis (which basically allows me to be wrong without being incriminated).Back up my argument - new ScrumMasters I train regular believe the job doesn't require constant attention. To me, in my experience, it’s wrong.I’m not arrogant enough to claim this to be true without some evidence. Asked 100 scrummaster’s using a variety of social networking tools. I’ve collated them as follows.
3. Meaning that in a typical sprint, ScrumMaster were expected or were doing “other stuff”.Only 12% percent of SMs surveyed dedicated 80%-100% of their sprint time to SM-ing the team.
4. So why does this worry me? Why do I think this is wrong?It’s not just about a process. That’s the easy bit. It’s about people. I see the ScrumMaster as the instigator of great things in a Scrum team and an organisation.ScrumMaster as a catalyst.
5. Some else I suspected would be true and the survey stats backed it up. This may be by choice, but I suspect it’s more requested by the organisation.14% of ScrumMasters were supporting 3 or more teams.This is probably possible and in some respects a “logical, economical” business decision. But is it the best thing for each individual teams in the longer term?
6. What I believe we are effectively seeing know is process compliance. People are concentrating on conformity, box-ticking rather than freedom of thought, being creative and innovating new products.
7. Example of where a catalyst makes a sustainable and permanent change in the environment, rather than an explosive uncontrolled reaction which returns to original state. Chemical Reaction vs. Physical Reaction.Once the sprit of Scrum has been fully understood and embraced, the need for a catalyst should disappear.
8. My first thought was - Is it the language or terminology? ScrumMaster is one of three ‘roles’ in Scrum. But as I have trained this over time, I tend to like the word role less and less.This definition implies the ‘role’ can be shared or shown by multiple people.
9. They are wider contexts around the word “role”. Acting, parenting,
10. Who in the room is the longest serving ScrumMaster in the room? Who was been in the “role” the longest? Stand-up, sit down if…Ask the winner, how long?
11. Ask the winner, do that sounds more like your role?This fits better with my understanding of what is required of a ScrumMaster in a team. Jobs are usually more permanent, more clear more precise, more focussed and committed.Read this part a continuation:When performed by an employee in an exchange for pay, a job consists of duties, responsibilities, and tasks (performance elements) … that are (1) defined and specific, and (2) can be accomplished, quantified, measured, and rated. From a wider perspective, a job is synonymous with a role and includes the physical and social aspects of a work environment. Often, individuals identify themselves with their job or role (foreman, supervisor, engineer, etc.) and derive motivation from its uniqueness or usefulness.
12. So why? Is it the language?I thought I better check the language Ken originally said.What I like about this it that Ken actually refers to the ScrumMaster being a person in his book. He talks around He or She, not they.“He/She tries to gauge the velocity of the team”“He/She is focussed and determined to do whatever is necessary for their Scrum teams”.That sounds like a person to me.
13. Is is the size of the team or the organisation?Really? Small teams have the problem where they think they don’t need one – this can lead to half-arsed Scrum or Scrum-but. A full time SM could have a bigger impact quicker.Small companies are generally more agile by nature.If the culture is more agile more chance of that culture carrying on. But small companies inevitably scale and new people (too fast)?, create new teams, self-organisation can be lost and needs to be grown again. More need for facilitation in large teams, more people need to be heard – yet usually people fall into hierarchy when scaling.
14. It is a lack of understanding of the role?I wanted to hear what people though the role was…Some of the best, and some of the worst.
15. It is a lack of understanding of the role?I wanted to hear what people though the role was…Some of the best, and some of the worst.
16. It is a lack of understanding of the role?I wanted to hear what people though the role was…Some of the best, and some of the worst.
17. It is a lack of understanding of the role?I wanted to hear what people though the role was…Some of the best, and some of the worst.
18. It is a lack of understanding of the role?I wanted to hear what people though the role was…Some of the best, and some of the worst.
19. It is a lack of understanding of the role?I wanted to hear what people though the role was…Some of the best, and some of the worst.
20. It is a lack of understanding of the role?I wanted to hear what people though the role was…Some of the best, and some of the worst.
21. It is a lack of understanding of the role?I wanted to hear what people though the role was…Some of the best, and some of the worst.
22. It is a lack of understanding of the role?I wanted to hear what people though the role was…Some of the best, and some of the worst.
23. As well as some individuals not understanding “scrummaster” well, I don’t think it’s understood well organisational either.HR don’t understand it (only 2 out of 850 CSMs I have trained have been from HR). It’s not in their interests to hire ScrumMasters into roles. There are too many project managers around. It’s a vicious circle. Will the term ScrumMaster thrive while the Agile Project Manager exists?Searching jobserve for “scrum master” in the UK returns 754 matching jobs. Searching for “agile project manager” returns 8,370 jobs. I beliieve HR have created this role to fill the void Scrum leaves.Agile Project Manager (Scrum Master)As Agile Project Manager (Scrum Master) you will be responsible for managing small-to-medium sized software development projects and development teams for this leading media company. They are at the forefront of the digital media space and you would be integral to managing the development of their cutting edge applications. Agile experience is compulsory and you must also be a Scrum Master. You will be conversant with all technologies but you will not be expected to code. Java, Hadoop and Jackrabbit are among some of the technologies that your teams would be using so knowledge of these is key. Fundamentally you must be a very Agile Project Manager who has worked on Real Time, dynamically changing websites. You must be an astute communicator who can manage personalities with ease.
24. Project Management, Software Development, Testing, Line Management, Technical Leadership, Product OwnershipOnly 12% of the 100 scrummasters asked said they don’t have time to do anything else other than ScrumMaster their team.Could be that they are not given the time or expected to be “the hero”.Or is It complacency.
25. People are getting cocky. This scrum stuff has been around for a while now, it must be easy then. It doesn’t take much time to set up meetings and facilitate a daily scrum for 15 mins. So no point - we don’t need a ScrumMaster full time.
26. Humility – a good scrummaster is never complacent and always looks for improvement. People think they are further on, and they’re team are further on.
27. If you ever think you are done – check this out. You would be surprised.
28. What are the consequences?More people seeing ScrumMasters as the process controller (which is easy and short-term) rather than team facilitator (which is harder, and long-term)
29. Quality, product, creativity, innovation.You may miss out on the spirit of Scrum.
30. I will be presenting these findings in London, and I also on my blog in an attempt to socialise the results. And I will continue to teach/coach the ScrumMaster as a full time job and occupation.
31. Something for new scrummasters to read as refer to. I will be updating it at the gathering based on real practitiioners experience and guidance.
32. Giving people more depth on the job and filling some of the gaps left by CSM.