The job of scrum master in the agile environment is complex. They need to guide and lead the team without becoming the decision-maker. They should rather become effective facilitators, guiding the team in their roles and responsibilities while giving them the autonomy to execute tasks and become organised over time. There is a thin line of difference between decision-making and facilitating, and even an experienced scrum master could stumble in doing the complex job. The current article lists out the common mistakes made by the scrum master and ways to avoid them.
Some Mistakes made by the scrum master
Turning sprints into a race
Sprints are daily stand-up meetings conducted in the organisation to discuss project updates. They are meant to be conducted with focus rather than rushing. The scrum masters often push the team too hard. Also, a few Scrum masters allow the work to spill over from one sprint to another. Though it is often acceptable, the scrum master should ensure that the team does not make it a routine.
Fix the issue.
The scrum master should encourage a steady pace of work among the team members and help the product owner set realistic goals for the team. The scrum master should balance the sprint rhythm by checking the team’s capacity and speed before planning the new sprint. If the team’s not able to achieve their goals through consecutive sprints, the scrum master should bring up the issue during retrospectives and let them discuss the issue.
Conducting daily scrum meetings
Conducting regular Scrum meetings is often looked at as a core responsibility of the Scrum master, but the Scrum master need not necessarily participate in every Scrum meeting. When the scrum master takes on the role of conducting a meeting every day, all the discussion will be directed towards the scrum master. There is no need for the scrum master to lead every meeting, fill every pause or answer every question in the meeting. This approach of the scrum master may interrupt the team and prevent them from sharing ideas. The scrum master can enhance their skills in handling complex jobs by joining the online SAFe Scrum Master Certification course.
Fix the issue.
The scrum master should let the teams conduct the meeting. The aim of the sprint meeting is to get an update on the project progress and identify impediments, if any. Instead of leading every sprint meeting, the scrum master may ask open-ended questions in between to keep the teams engaged during the discussion or interrupt the meeting when they are moving off the track.
Not Protecting the Team
Many scrum masters often commit the mistake of pushing last-minute urgent work into sprints. This action of the scrum master pushes the team beyond the sustainable pace of work. Teams may burn out when they commit to achieving more in sprint planning. The teams may stay too optimistic about the workload that can be completed during the sprint cycle, but it is important for the scrum master to allocate realistic workloads to the teams and help them stay productive. When teams burn out, they lose focus on the sprint plan.
Fix the issue.
When the scrum master feels that teams are being overloaded with work in sprints, they should help the product owner push the work to the next sprint by explaining the need for focus during the development of a customer-centric product. Before finalising the work during the sprint planning, the scrum master should check the capacity and speed of the team to ensure they are not overloaded with work.
Avoiding retrospectives
Retrospectives are an important part of product development, and the scrum master may need to get involved in the complex meetings during retrospectives. During retrospectives, the scrum master often addresses recurring issues and misconceptions about agile practices. Avoiding retrospectives may bring unresolved problems to the surface, impacting the project’s progress.
Fix the issue.
The scrum master should be educated and help the team understand the importance of retrospectives: it is not just about highlighting problems, but also about understanding the team’s strengths. The scrum master should keep the retrospectives short and focused enough to deliver actionable outcomes. By conducting regular retrospectives, the scrum master can develop a culture of continuous improvement and build long-term success for the organisation.
Becoming an assistant for the team
A scrum master is seen as a servant leader who helps the team navigate obstacles when they arise. By becoming a problem solver every time, the scrum master makes the team dependent on them for help, and the team fails to take ownership of their work.
Fix the issue.
The job of a scrum master is to empower the teams but not to replace them. The scrum master should guide the teams to solve the issue by themselves. They should delegate the tasks and trust the team to make decisions. By encouraging open communication, the scrum master should encourage the team on self-organising. The scrum master can boost the confidence of the team by celebrating their achievements.
Conclusion
A scrum master should know and avoid these common mistakes to thrive in the agile environment. By empowering the team with the needed autonomy, the scrum master can make the team self-resilient and self-organising. These capabilities of the team make them more confident about their work, and they will get engaged during both sprints and retrospectives, which further impacts the project’s progress.
