The document discusses the political nature of the Scrum Master role and how politics can impact organizational change efforts. It notes that politics arise due to people's desire to maintain the status quo as well as fears related to transparency, protection of one's career, and disrupted progress. The Scrum Master should help create transparency, challenge the status quo, and develop compelling reasons for change. Patterns of private dissent and lack of transparency can indicate destructive political activities are occurring. When this happens, the Scrum Master has limited options such as selective transparency, coaching, or leaving the organization.

1. Scrum Politics Master
Why Politics Matter And Should Be Mastered

2. What is meant
by Politics and
why they
matter.
Table of Contents
Politics?
1
Why Scrum
Master
“The role of
Scrum Master
is inherently
political”
Bas Vodde
2
Patterns
How can we
understand
when they are
at play
3
What We Can
Do
And what can
we do about
them
4

3. Politics
“How do actors use power and
social influence in a group to
achieve self-interested goals
when officially sanctioned means
are unavailable or undervalued.”
(Lepisto, Pratt in Ferris, Treadway
2012)

4. Status Quo

5. Changing is hard
As humans we like to maintain a
certain level of stasis, both
within our bodies and within
organisations
When people are not ready to or
simply do not want to change
any threat to the status quo will
result in a fight or flight response
and the initiation of destructive
political activities

6. Politics?

7. Constructive Political Activities
Not behind closed
doors
Open Group
Discussion
Our natural,
evolutionarily
derived talent
Conversation
People are good
and are trying their
best
Assume Positive
Intent
Not quid pro quos
Favours
Informal consensus
building
Nemawashi
Activities that work towards shared organisational goals and meaning

8. Destructive Political Activities
Talking about other
people when the
facts are not
confirmed
Gossip
Kills trust and
respect
Lying
Hiding information
to serving your own
goals rarely helps in
the end
Hiding
Information
If it’s a molehill, say
it's a molehill
Exaggeration
We are mostly
(people just trying
our best), it pays to
remember that
Assume Negative
Intent
Conflict avoidance
is clarity avoidance
Talking about
others
Activities that destroy meaning, often through isolation and silos &
are often self-serving and with goals that conflict to those of the org

9. Why Scrum Master?

10. The Scrum Master
should...
Help the whole organisation improve,
continuously, developing a new
organisational strategic direction
when needed. Not just helping the
teams
Create compelling reasons for people
to want to keep and support the
whole
Challenge the status quo through the
sharing of observations and expertise

11. FEARIs created because...

12. TransparencyWhen it’s created it can really suck
for some when it doesn’t tell the
same great story they have been
telling...

13. FEARIs created because...

14. ProtectionPeople’s career and (to differing
extents) their personalities have been
built, in part, because of the current
state of the organisation

15. FEARIs created because...

16. ProgressWhen the org is still rewarding (or
perceived to reward) behaviours that
do not align to the new way changing
the status quo = impacted progress
for new approaches

17. All this FEAR
Means people go into the shadows or
undertake strong offsenses to actively
work against creating a new shared
understanding

18. Destructive Political Activities
Talking about other
people when the
facts are not
confirmed
Gossip
Kills trust and
respect
Lying
Hiding information
to serving your own
goals rarely helps in
the end
Hiding
Information
If it’s a molehill, say
it's a molehill
Exaggeration
We are mostly
(people just trying
our best), it pays to
remember that
Assume Negative
Intent
Conflict avoidance
is clarity avoidance
Talking about
others
Activities that destroy meaning, often through isolation and silos &
are often self-serving and with goals that conflict to those of the org

19. Patterns

20. Not publically
agreeing is more of
a problem then
disagreeing
Smells like Politics
Public Indifference
Behind closed
doors dissent is rife
Private Dissent
If people are no
talking to you about
the problems then
you cannot advise
No Conversations

21. What Can We Do?

22. If there are destructive politics you
options are limited
I Won’t - Time &
Influence
These people don’t
the your solutions
and reject
transparency or
seeking transparency
as the see no
problems.
I Can’t - Coaching
Opportunity
These people see
obstacles to change,
with good coaching
these can often be
challenged and
overcome

23. If there are destructive politics you
options are limited
Selective
Transparency
Choose when, how
and to whom you
create transparency
careful and skillfully
select the what.
Get another job
Sometimes knowing
when to quit is the
ethical and
professional thing to
do

24. Thanks!
Do you have any
questions?
hello@sheev.co.uk
sheev.co.uk
Ben Maynard
Certified LeSS Trainer,
Coach and Mentor

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26. Results in
40%60%
20
interested in the
proposal
60,000
Voters Gender Age
35
Interests
Human
rights
Public
policy

27. Main Competitors
Mars Mercury Venus Jupiter

28. Market Research
To modify these graphs, click on them, follow the link, change the data and paste them here
Evolution Share
Mars
Venus
Pluto
33
50
80
20
50
20

29. Market Data
40%
Mercury is the
smallest planet
50%
Venus has a
beautiful name
25%
Neptune is the
farthest planet

30. Analysis
Mercury is the
closest planet to
the Sun
70,000
Neptune is the
farthest planet
from the Sun
50,000

31. Our Process
Day 1
Mercury is the
smallest planet
Day 2
Venus has a
beautiful name
Day 3
Mars is actually a
cold place
Day 4
Neptune is the
farthest planet

32. Jenna Doe
Here you could
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this person
Our Consultants
John James
Here you could
talk a bit about
this person

33. —Someone Famous
“This is a quote, words full of wisdom
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34. Our Partners
Saturn
Saturn is the
ringed one and a
gas giant
Venus
Venus is the
second planet
from the Sun
Mercury
Mercury is the
closest planet to
the Sun
Jupiter
Jupiter is the
biggest planet of
them all

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56. It not responsible
or accountable for
delivery
Or responsible for increasing their capability (is responsible for the
process that makes the gaps in capability visible when the team is not
very agile or very agile. Scrum is for beginners)
Instead is there to help the organisation solve the problems/sub
optimisations/patterns that using Scrum will expose

57. Goals
▶ Organisations are rarely optimised as a whole, regularly it’s just the
parts that are optimised
▶ People tend to want to maintain the status quo
▶ Consultancy firms make recommendations, senior people may
consent to them, but they are uninformed when they do so
▶ The people who created the current organisation have many
relationships, no who owes them a favour and knows what the boss
chooses not to see
▶ The existing way of doing things evolved to allow all of this
▶ What is written, what is happening and what you perceive is
happening are probably all different things