Fixing Your Scrum

Discover how to visualize your work, resolve impediments, and empower your teams to self-organize and deliver using the Scrum Values, Agile Principles, and advanced coaching and facilitation techniques.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 17 January 2020
Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf

The work of a Scrum Master is an ongoing and demanding endeavor. The Development team relies on the Scrum Master's support to navigate the complexities of agile product management, while the Product Owner often finds themselves lost in the intricate details. Additionally, managers and stakeholders require clarity on the tasks, timelines, and costs associated with the project.

To fulfill their role effectively, experienced Scrum Masters must balance the demands of these three levels of servant leadership while also removing organizational impediments and fostering the success of Scrum Teams. This involves a range of strategies, including visualizing work, resolving impediments, and empowering teams to self-organize and deliver value.

One key aspect of being a successful Scrum Master is the ability to visualize work. This involves creating a clear understanding of the project's goals, objectives, and dependencies, and using this information to guide the team's efforts. By visualizing work, Scrum Masters can identify potential roadblocks and challenges early on, allowing them to take proactive measures to address them.

Another important skill for Scrum Masters is the ability to resolve impediments. Impediments can arise from a variety of sources, including technical issues, team dynamics, or external factors. Scrum Masters must be skilled at identifying and addressing these impediments in a timely and effective manner. This may involve facilitating discussions, providing guidance and support, or enlisting the help of other stakeholders.

Empowering teams to self-organize and deliver value is another critical aspect of being a successful Scrum Master. Scrum is based on the principle of self-managing teams, where individuals are responsible for their work and the outcomes they achieve. Scrum Masters must provide the necessary guidance and support to empower teams to make decisions, take ownership of their work, and collaborate effectively. This may involve setting clear expectations, providing resources and training, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

In addition to these skills, experienced Scrum Masters also utilize a range of advanced coaching and facilitation techniques to support their teams. These techniques include empiricism, which involves using data and observations to guide decision-making, and advanced facilitation techniques such as retrospectives, sprint reviews, and problem-solving sessions. By leveraging the full intelligence of the team, Scrum Masters can help teams create great products and improve their retrospectives with new formats and exercises.

Furthermore, Scrum Masters must work closely with management to gain support and buy-in for their practices. This involves communicating the benefits of Scrum and demonstrating the value that it can bring to the organization. By building relationships with managers and stakeholders, Scrum Masters can create a culture of collaboration and transparency, which can enhance the success of the project.

Finally, Scrum Masters must take the next step on their journey to becoming an effective leader. This involves transforming their Scrum practices to help teams enjoy their work again and achieve their goals. This may involve introducing new practices, such as continuous delivery or lean principles, or adapting existing practices to better suit the needs of the team. By continuously improving their skills and knowledge, Scrum Masters can help their teams deliver real world value and achieve their full potential.

In conclusion, the work of a Scrum Master is never done. It requires a combination of skills, strategies, and techniques to balance the demands of three levels of servant leadership, remove organizational impediments, and empower teams to deliver real world value. By visualizing work, resolving impediments, empowering teams, leveraging advanced coaching and facilitation techniques, and working closely with management, Scrum Masters can help their teams succeed and achieve their goals.

Weight: 458g
Dimension: 191 x 235 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781680506976