How to Become a Scrum Master?

What is a Scrum Master?

Scrum Master, in simple words, is a role within the Scrum Framework. Scrum framework is an agile approach to build product incrementally and iteratively. Scrum is the most popular framework on the name of agile. Many people get confused between agile and scrum. Scrum is the most popular way to be agile but again, it is not the only way to be agile. The popularity of scrum reflects on its role as well.

There are 3 roles in Scrum which have their own responsibility and accountability.

1. Scrum Master
2. Product Owner
3. Development Team

Scrum Master: This is the most popular role in Scrum so far by looking at the number of training that is conducted every month. Scrum Master has to take care of the scrum processes and help the scrum team to do their job without outside hindrance. The scrum master helps others to do their job by facilitating team decisions and scrum events. They Coach everyone on scrum processes, agile values and principles, removing impediments that hinder in-team performance and much more.

 You can learn deeper about Scrum Master jobs in Scrum Master and Advance Scrum Master training. It is popular for reasons such as it was the first training launched by certification bodies, traditional project managers took up this role in beginning to move towards agile-based delivery. Also, many considered this as a natural career progression within quality management, change management and release management organizations, etc.

Product Owner: This is the second most popular role in Scrum. Product owner looks after stakeholders, manages releases, manages the product backlog, and coordinates requirements within the development team and end-user. For me, this is the most important role in the scrum to build a successful product.

Product Ownership is a rather challenging job, particularly when users don’t know what they want. If you are interested in learning what the product owner does, then it is highly recommended to join Scrum Product Owner training. However, this wouldn’t be sufficient and you must explore other concepts such as lean startup, lead product development and user experience, etc.

Development Team: There is no product unless it is developed & ready to use for potential users. This will not happen without having a development team. You may survive without having a Scrum Master and Product owner because these roles could be played by someone within the development team; nevertheless, reversing the same might not always be possible.

Unfortunately, there are very few organizations that understand the value of a self-organized and cross-functional development team. However, the majority don’t invest hugely in them. Ignored development team results in producing the ignored product. It is important to have an educated development team on a scrum in order to maximize the value of their effort. Scrum developer training might be a good start.

What does a Scrum Master do?

As said above, Scrum Masters are caretakers of Scrum who help others to do the job better and help the team to stay focused on the goal. Here is how they do it: -

Adopt Scrum values and processes: It is the Scrum master’s responsibility to help the team understand Scrum processes and values. Ensure that the team practices scrum in the right way and understand why it is important to practice the right way. They make sure artifacts such as product backlog, sprint backlog, and product increment are transparent. Also, facilitate all inspections and adapt events as needed/requested.

Facilitation: This is a big responsibility, especially when the scrum team is autonomous. Scrum masters need various approaches for facilitating learning opportunities, conflict management, stakeholder engagement, etc.

Coaching: Coaching is a professional skill, quite challenging to master. Yet, there are various learning paths to help you to achieve mastering in this. Scrum master coaches individual teams and practices. Hence, this goes beyond regular coaching, and there’s a need to master system coaching as well as scaling practices

Mentoring: Mentoring is an informal approach to help individuals and teams achieve their goals. This is a continuous process as the goal keeps changing for the team as it gains maturity.

How to Become a Scrum Master?

Becoming a good scrum master requires continuous learning and that usually starts with learning scrum processes. Learning scrum processes begins with attending Scrum Master Training, and the journey continues.

I suggest you follow the below simple and easy process to get Scrum Certifed:

To become a Scrum Master, follow these steps:

• 1Understand Agile and Scrum: Gain a solid understanding of Agile principles and the Scrum framework by reading books, attending workshops, or taking online courses.
• 2Get Certified: Consider earning a Scrum Master certification such as Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) or Professional Scrum Master (PSM) to validate your knowledge and skills.
• 3Gain Practical Experience: Look for opportunities to apply Agile and Scrum principles in your current role or volunteer for Agile projects to gain hands-on experience.
• 4Develop Soft Skills: Cultivate strong communication, facilitation, and coaching skills to effectively guide and support your team.
• 5Continue Learning: Stay updated on industry trends, best practices, and emerging tools by attending conferences, webinars, and networking with other Agile professionals.
• 6Seek Mentorship: Find experienced Scrum Masters or Agile coaches who can mentor you and provide guidance throughout your journey.
• 7Apply for Scrum Master Roles: Start applying for Scrum Master positions in organizations that embrace Agile methodologies, highlighting your certification, experience, and passion for Agile principles.
• 8Grow and Adapt: Continuously reflect on your experiences, learn from successes and failures, and adapt your approach to better support your team and organization.
• 9By following these steps and continuously investing in your professional development, you can embark on a rewarding career as a Scrum Master.

Career Path for Scrum Master

This is a tricky question. Since scrum master is a role and not a hierarchical title, explaining where or how far you will go in the role of a scrum master is a difficult task. However, many suggest that the scrum master can become an agile coach, but I believe the scrum master is already an agile coach. However, there are many exciting roles available outside, such as director - agile transformation, agile transformation lead, change manager agile COE head, etc.

Should I Try for a Scrum Master Job?

Again, it is more a role than a job, so be careful about it. I strongly advise everyone to make the decision based on your liking. If you love coaching and mentoring, then go for it. If otherwise, learn and play this role as per demand within your organization, like Scrum Master for one product but be ready to be a part of the development team in the next product if it is motivating. You may play the role of the product owner as well if you are really passionate about the product that you are going to lead.

The Biggest Challenge For Scrum Master

Many scrum masters fail to explain what they do and what are their day-to-day activities. Not having a clear idea leads to part-time scrum mastery and this could be worse. The part-time role doesn’t take you anywhere, so be clear about it before you take the challenge. This is not just a role transition from project manager to Scrum master. In fact, project managers are more suited for product owner roles than the scrum master role.

The biggest challenge for Scrum Masters often lies in balancing various responsibilities while navigating complex team dynamics. This includes:

1. Managing Stakeholder Expectations: Striking a balance between meeting stakeholder demands and protecting the team from excessive external pressure.
2. Overcoming Resistance to Change: Encountering resistance from team members or stakeholders who are hesitant to adopt Agile practices or embrace change.
3. Dealing with Dysfunctional Team Dynamics: Addressing conflicts, lack of collaboration, or resistance within the team that hinders productivity and progress.
4. Handling Uncertainty and Ambiguity: Managing uncertainty in project requirements, timelines, or priorities, especially in fast-paced and dynamic environments.
5. Ensuring Continuous Improvement: Facilitating meaningful retrospectives and driving continuous improvement initiatives amidst competing priorities and time constraints.