Scrum is an agile project management method for product development, which is used mainly for Software industries. Within a defined framework, people can handle complex problems in a productive and creative way by effective collaboration. While it is lightweight and easy to understand, mastering such a project needs some certain skills.
The Scrum Master is a servant-leader for the project team and helps the external stakeholders to understand better interactions with the team. By changes in those interactions the Scrum Master maximizes the value created by the Scrum Team.
The significance of being rather servant than autocratic is described by scrum.org and a Scrum Guide. In the leader role the Scrum Master needs
a holistic approach to work
enabling shared decision-making power
promote a sense of community
service to others
The three dimensions of service interfaces of the Scrum Master are
the Product Owner
the Development Team
the Organisation
The Scrum Master supports the product owner in managing of product backlogs, moderates meetings of the scrum and supports the development team to self-organize and work effective. At the same time the communication between the scrum team and sponsoring communication is an essential of this role. The servant-leader eliminates hindrances to ensure progressive work and supports the implementation of scrum to sponsoring organisations.
Service to the product owner
Breaking down the main tasks of a scrum master to the three dimensions, working with the product owner requires some services. The leadership role has to ensure that goals, scope and product domain are understood by all stakeholders of the project. By finding techniques support to the product owner has to be provided for an effective backlog management, while the clearance and conicity should be understandable to the team. Differences in product planning in an empirical environment should be clear to the Master, also to ensure a maximum value of the backlog arrangement. These interactions need certain understanding and practice of agility.
Service to the development team
Coaching the development team in self-organization and cross-functionality needs some certain skills to realize. Goal is to help the division team to create high-value products and removing impediments to the team’s progress. In organizational environments the Scrum Master is able to coach through a fully adoption and understanding of the method.
Service to the organization
An organization consisting of many disciplines could struggle to understand the different approach of the Scrum Team and needs a kind of interpreter. Therefore, the lead and coaching part of the adoption to an organization is done by the Scrum Master. In this role, the planning of scrum implementations within the organization and helping employees and stakeholders understanding and enacting scrum as well as empirical product development are required skills. During projects the cause of change is important to increase the productivity of the scrum team and working with other scrum masters shell help increasing of effectiveness of the application in the organization.
Sources: www.scrum.org; www.projektmagazin.de
Comments