The document discusses how to convince managers to have a full-time ScrumMaster. It provides several arguments for doing so, including: explaining how a ScrumMaster can double a team's velocity in 6 months and increase value; comparing it to high-performing sports teams that have full-time coaches; and suggesting running an experiment to prove the value. It also addresses potential issues like ensuring the ScrumMaster and team are ready, developing additional ScrumMasters, and identifying the most impactful impediments to address.

1. Getting the ScrumMaster Full-Time — How?
Webinar, February 2020, Joe Little

2. Intro
• In the last webinar I talked
about WHEN to have a full-
time ScrumMaster.
• The short answer: usually.
• Now, assuming you agree,
HOW do we get that to
happen?
• How do you (and maybe your
colleagues) convince a
manager to go with a full-time
ScrumMaster?
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3. Agenda
• Key: How to Get a Full-time
ScrumMaster (Usually)?
• How did we get here?
• Making Change Happen
• Some Issues
• NEXT Webinar: Dedicated &
Stable Teams
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4. How Did We Get
Here?
1. Insufficient training
2. Do not clarify “full-time”
3. People do not see the value of
“dedicated” enough yet
4. Managers do not see the value
5. Too wide a license to innovate
on the process
6. The Agilists are timid about
Velocity, etc.
7. Now: I think this is a VERY
common problem.
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5. Now, How Do We
Fix It?
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6. Explain What You
Mean
• Normal situation that
includes:
• Team of 7 (about)
• Relatively stable team
• Playing professionally
• You want to get better, and
your company is willing to
change
• You want to win
• You can find a decent SM
(normally you can)
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7. Note
• You may have to have a
specific person to be the SM
• And, you may have to explain
how that person will be
developed into a good SM
• Good = that person can
accomplish the following
goal…
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8. The Goal
• Take a normal Scrum Team
• Double the Velocity in 6
months
• Increase the Happiness / Fun
• Reduce the Hours (~40)
• Increase Quality
• Increase the BV per SP
• Makes people say, “I never
want to leave this Team.”
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9. Be Honest
• The team must identify good
impediments (useful things to fix)
• A manager must support, and say
“yes” sometimes
• To people, to $, to allowing
change, etc.
• The team will need some money
to fix things (maybe 20% of the
cost)
• The organization should be willing
to change
• All these things need to happen
eventually to do this well
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10. Might Work!
• Just explaining might work.
• Have you really done this well
yet? (Often you have kind of
tried, but you have not done it
well… yet.)
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11. If So, Is the SM
Valuable?
• ABSOLUTELY!
• In a year, an OK SM should fix
impediments so that Velocity
increases by 100%.
• With some basic reasonable
assumptions, that produces an
additional $3 million in value on a
go-forward basis.
• This is like having a second team
for free.
• A team that’s delivering twice as
fast.
• That’s VERY valuable — and fun!
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12. Hyper-productive
• Increasing by 100% does not
happen often in the wild.
• BUT, the true goal of Scrum is
hyper-productivity. That means
a 5x-10x improvement.
• MANY teams have increased
100% and some a lot more.
• True fact: If you don’t try to
improve, it is not likely you will
improve.
• “I don’t mind failing, I mind not
trying.” —Michael Jordan
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13. Other Conditions
• The SM is decent at working
on some impediments. Other
people are good at other
impediments.
• We work on impediments one
at a time in priority order.
• “Impediment” is defined
broadly as “any opportunity for
improvement.”
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14. Another Great
Argument: Covey
• Almost all managers will agree
that we should improve
continuously.
• You ask, “Does that mean every
Sprint?” Yes it does.
• What percentage of our time (as a
Scrum Team) should we devote to
improving? Common answers are
25-33%.
• You say, “How about 14%?”
• 1/7 = .1429 (~14%)
• That is, 1 SM inside a team of 7
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15. Note
• In Covey’s book, this is called
“Sharpening the Saw.”
• It is the 7th habit. That is,
continuous improvement.
• Lots of managers have read
this book or you can give them
that gift.
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16. Comparison
• Ex: The Kansas City Chiefs, who
just won the Super Bowl (pick
the right team for that manager)
• Do they improve?
• Is everyone full-time?
• Do they have full-time coaches
and support staff who fix
impediments?
• Does the help of “non-players”
help the players win?
• How much do they pay Andy
Reid?
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17. Experiment
• Most managers cannot resist an
experiment.
• Can we TRY a full-time ScrumMaster and
see how much it helps?
• If so, then make sure the experiment can
win.
• Get a good SM
• Identify good impediments
• Get some fixed
• Measure the Velocity change
• Assure that the team is happier
• A successful experiment should lead to
all teams having a full-time ScrumMaster.
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18. Note
• Taiichi Ohno prefers the “offer
an experiment” approach.
• Taiichi Ohno has arguably
changed his corporation more
than any single person (and he
did it with the help of many).
• Toyota, the Toyota Way, etc.
• He might have a good idea
here.
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19. Just Do It
• “Just do it, they don’t know
what you are doing.” —Jim
Highsmith or Ron Jeffries
• “They” are the managers.
• If you have a good SM, then
don’t ask for permission. Have
that person be full-time and
explain later why it helped so
much.
• Managers do not argue with
success. (OK, some will.)
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20. “FearLess Change”
• Book by Mary Lynn Mann’s and Linda
Rising. Also: “More FearLess Change.”
• 48 patterns (now +15) to use to get
change to happen.
• These patterns can be used on one
person at a time or many people.
• You need to become a master at
influencing change.
• Good news: Here’s a winning
opportunity to learn the zen of change.
• Bad news: You are probably a newb
(like most people). You’re going to fail
some. (Failing is a learning
experience.)
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21. Let’s Review
1. Just explain
2. Show me the money! (+$3 mil)
3. Covey - “Sharpening the Saw”
- 14%
4. Comparison
5. Just Do It! (and show results
later)
6. FearLess Change (48 + 15
patterns)
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22. Some Issues
• Below we address some
related issues.
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23. “Not Good” SM or
Scrum Team
• Typically: The right person (or
Team) in the wrong place.
• Often: “They are not there yet.”
• This is not good, and might
lead to problems.
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24. Where are the
ScrumMasters?
• You need to develop good SMs
for multiple teams.
• Why?
• To do the experiment
(successfully)
• To fill the positions
• So they do their job well
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25. How to Develop?
• Training
• Be sure they understand:
• Servant leadership
• Key goal: up by 100% in 6
months
• They’re not alone
• Must involve managers
• Many types of impediments
• Prioritize the impediments
• Do NOT be an ordinary SM
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26. Leverage
• Find a really good SM
(somewhere)
• Have your first new SM copy
him/her (Steph Curry?)
• Let your best SM always be an
example to other aspiring SMs
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27. When Should the SM
Not Be Full-time?
• Don’t get stuck. Be somewhat
flexible.
• There MAY be a situation
where a full-time ScrumMaster
would not be that useful.
Admit it.
• INSIST that usually the SM
should be full-time.
• And see our last webinar…
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28. Identifying the Best
Impediments
• Scrum Teams can be inhibited
in identifying the best
impediments.
• You may have to work with
them
• There are, of course, many
TYPES of impediments.
• One thing: the team must
believe (or imagine) things
might change.
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29. Company Unwilling
to See Its Problems
• The Scrum Team has to be
willing to see its problems.
• More broadly, the company
must be willing to discuss its
problems.
• Usually it comes down to
individual people being OK to
discuss certain things.
• If we overcome this, it’s often
the key to working on much
“better” impediments.
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30. Tracking Velocity
• Idea: This is going to be tough
until your Scrum Team uses
Velocity pretty well.
• Start putting SPs on more
stories.
• Start tracking Velocity.
• Start getting Velocity more
consistent.
• Stop over-promising.
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31. Your Questions
• As time permits…
• Please type them in the chat
window.
• I hope that each person can
ALSO talk and explain a bit…
and then we discuss.
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32. Our Next
Webinar(s)
• Dedicated & Stable Teams
• March 16th
• And: What do you want later?
(Send us an email with ideas)
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33. My Two Questions
• Was this helpful?
• Please answer in one sentence
via chat.
• Which slide (thought, idea,
etc.) was most useful?
• Answer in chat with the
number slide, title, or some
other comment…
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34. Thank You
Time is up!
You can contact me here:
jhlittle@kittyhawkconsulting.com
www.leanagiletraining.com
Please see our blog for more
information on other Agile-Scrum
topics.
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