Scrum Master vs Agile Coach: Know the key differences between Scrum Master and Agile Coach. Also, understand the roles & responsibilities of both approaches.

1. Scrum
Master vs
Agile Coach:
Difference
Explained
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2. Introduction

3. The question of the difference between a
scrum master and agile coach often arises
when the organizations want to shift to the
Agile methodology from their traditional
waterfall software development culture.
Transition as we know is the most difficult
aspect of any development process. And, it
is during this delicate phase, that
organizations must commit themselves to
truly understand the difference between a
scrum master and an agile coach.
In simpler words, the difference between
scrum master vs agile coach is a scale or a
level, and therefore, of accountabilities. A
job of a scrum master is more about
coaching the team, whereas a job of an agile
coach is more about coaching the entire
organization.

4. When does an
organization
face Scrum
Master vs
Agile Coach
scenario?

5. An industry open secret about Scrum is that
it is “easy to understand but difficult to
master.” Scrum framework undoubtedly is
a simple 14-page document, but, thorough
absorption of the essence of those 14 pages
is easier said than done. And, which is why,
when an organization is transitioning to the
Agile methodology, it needs a professional
who has years of experience and knowledge
of the Agile methodology.
It is exactly at this moment that the
organization can do itself a great favor by
having on board both scrum master and
agile coach. And, it is exactly at this
juncture that the relationship between the
two or the age-old debate of scrum master
vs agile coach defines the success of the
organization’s aspiration to be “Agile”.

6. Mere reading of Scrum Guide does not
produce a Scrum Master. It requires patient
and sincere practice, and years of experience
rooted in solid knowledge of the Agile
methodology.
To implement Agile means to move to a new
internal landscape which is often unknown.
Organizations need experts who can help
team unlearn their deeply ingrained old
belief systems and work patterns.
It is of paramount importance to have an
experienced professional who can guide the
team through this transition by means of
providing solid support and removing
inevitable obstacles at the enterprise level.
Normally, such a role of the guide is called
Agile Coach.
Following are some of the reasons why an
organization would need able scrum masters and
agile coach during this difficult, tricky, and
delicate transition:

7. The same needs to be done by the scrum
master as well. Though, her
responsibility is much more
concentrated at the team level than at
the organizational level.
During the Agile transformation, an
organization, thus, needs to have
adequate resources that help it at both
micro and macro level. A scrum master
and the agile coach are the names of
such resources that need to be utilized
wisely and intelligently. Scrum master
vs agile coach then is not about
exclusion but inclusion of two similar
yet distinct professionals into the
integrated system of agile development.
Let us explore what exactly these resources,
and their responsibilities are, and how they
can help organizations achieve better
business value and credibility by building
high-performing Agile teams.

8. What is a
Scrum
Master?

9. An integral part of the agile
development team
A manager who manages the flow of the
processes within the team
We have already discussed about the
misconceptions about the role of a scrum
master in our earlier post. However, when
we are exploring the role of a scrum master
in the context of a pressing debate of Scrum
Master vs Agile Coach, it is important to
explore the role of a scrum master from the
perspective of that debate.
A scrum master in comparison to an agile
coach is more intimately involved with the
team. A scrum master is an inside observer
of the team in comparison to an agile coach
who performs the role of an outside
observer.
A scrum master is:

10. A guide who helps team follow agile
principles
A trainer who trains the team to self-
manage and self-organize
A mentor who helps the team overcome
impediments during the agile software
development process.
A scrum master is someone who may have a
narrower scope of work than that of an agile
coach. An effective and experienced scrum
master can implement her vast knowledge
and employ strategies and practices that
help the teams perform at their best.
When an organization has knowledgeable
and experienced scrum master, it tends to
give her additional responsibility of an agile
coach too. This, at times, though, proves to
be a fatal mistake.

11. Scrum Master
role and
responsibilities

12. Imparting knowledge of Scrum theory
and practices
Teaching effective communication skills
Helping individual team members how
to continuously and consistently
improve their knowledge of agile and
their skills
Giving invaluable assistance in spring
planning and backlog management
When there is a scrum master vs agile coach
discussion, the roles and responsibilities of
a scrum master and agile coach would often
overlap. In essence, their roles and
responsibilities are same, more or less.
However, these differ greatly in their scope.
Following are some of the roles and
responsibilities of a scrum master when the
enterprise is moving to the Agile
methodology:

13. Observing and improving the outcomes
of the team performance based on her
guidance
Empowering the team to produce high-
value increments
Making the team efficient enough to
make and meet commitments.

14. What Does an
Agile Coach
Do?

15. In the absence of the formal definition of an
Agile Coach by the Scrum Guide, it is
important to note that many a times,
enterprises do perceive this very important
role same as the scrum master.
But, even if an agile coach is an experienced
scrum master, the one is much more than a
scrum master. An agile coach is a unique
professional with advanced training and
special skill sets.
It is quite natural for enterprises to
misunderstand a scrum master as the roles
and responsibilities of both these
professionals indeed overlap. But, an agile
coach works at a much wider and broader
level than a scrum master. Agile coach has
the skills and experience that make the
enterprises achieve overall agility. Agile
coach is:

16. A leader with a progressive perspective
A supporter to multiple teams as well as
to the leadership
A thorough disciplinarian who
motivates teams to continuously and
consistently practice and improve
A mentor
A facilitator
A trainer
A servant leader
Every enterprise which is gearing up for the
transition to the agile methodology needs
an agile coach to inspire teams to create
effective and high-value solutions
independently and creatively.
An Agile Coach who can find a balance
between her roles of a mentor, a facilitator,
and a trainer is undoubtedly an asset to the
organization.

17. Roles and
responsibilities
of an Agile
coach

18. As an advanced scrum master, the role of an
agile coach is wider and bigger than that of
a scrum master. Some of her usual
responsibilities are:
• Clearly communicating the agile
methodology to the teams as well as to the
leadership
• Making constant efforts to instill best
practices at the team and at the
organizational level
• Training teams to exploit Agile tools and
strategies in the correct way
• Constantly observing the progress of the
teams as well as of organization
• Providing support to remove any
obstacles in the path of the agile
transformation as well as development
process
• Making all the stakeholders and the
leadership participate actively in the
process

19. • Making all the stakeholders and the
leadership participate actively in the
process
• Advising the leadership when it is
adopting Agile mindset and culture
• Promoting initial retrospectives and
stand-ups.
Having said this, it would be interesting to
note that a true agile coach would coach the
team in such a way that she would make her
own role redundant. Yes. That is the ideal
situation to be in for any agile coach,
however, ironical it may sound!
It is also a mark of genuine coaching that
teams no longer require intense agile
coaching due to the very coaching of the
agile coach! Indeed, they have been able to
outgrow their Agile Coach. Such an Agile
coach, in essence, is a real evolution of an
experienced scrum master.

20. Transformation
of a Scrum
Master into an
Agile Coach

21. When Sutherland and Schwaber defined the
Scrum, scrum masters were by default designed
to be the agile coaches. It is no wonder therefore,
why we do not have any separate definition or
guide that exclusively sets forth the roles and the
responsibilities for an agile coach.
The reason we do not see this natural
transformation of a scrum master into an agile
coach is that enterprises do not appoint the
scrum master in its true spirit. They tend to
directly appoint either any project manager or an
agile coach to help them navigate through the
transition.
The direct appointment of an Agile Coach may
give instant strength, but, it denies the business
its effective legacy governance. It is therefore,
important that the organizations appoint scrum
masters keeping in mind the longer and broader
picture of the organization including the
importance of legacy governance.

22. Providing necessary professional
development training and guidance to
scrum masters
Scrum masters having access and
authority to make things happen for
their respective teams
Scrum masters having adequate power
to focus on team-centric growth
strategies.
One of the ways enterprises can arrive at
this natural transformation of the scrum
master into an agile coach is by imparting
effective training to the scrum masters. The
agile coaches can train, develop, and
empower strong scrum masters who can
take up the job of a coach with adequate
skills and knowledge.
Following are some of the ways enterprises
can have their own agile coaches by
growing their scrum masters:

23. Organizations’ full support and willingness
to see their scrum masters transforming
into powerful agile coaches with
extraordinary coaching skills and expertise
can make this transformation smooth and
satisfactory.

24. Scrum Master
vs Agile
Coach: Key
differences

25. As we have already discussed, the major
difference between a scrum master and an
agile coach is that of a scope. Let us have a
look at some of the major areas in which
they differ:

26. Conclusion

27. It is quite clear that a scrum master and
agile coach are not mutually exclusive. That
one is optional to the other is the biggest
misconception the organizations harbor.
And, when they move to the agile
transformation with either a scrum master
or an agile coach, results are often
disastrous.
The enterprises need to know that both the
scrum master and the agile coach are their
pillars of strength. They both are needed for
successful and smooth agile transformation.
It is equally important that the
organizations realize this crucial fact that
both these roles cannot be taken up by just
one person. That these two leaders do not
replace each other is an important fact the
enterprises need to know and implement
too.

28. The roles of scrum master and agile coach
have their unique areas of focus. Hence, it is
never scrum master vs agile coach, but it is
always scrum master and agile coach! So if
you want to achieve the desired business
goals and sustainable agility across the
organization, you should contact the best
Agile Software Development Company that
can bring agility to your projects.

29. Thank You
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