Getting acclimated to the position of scrum master skill is one of the major challenges for teams adopting Scrum as an agile or hybrid methodology. This is particularly true for those who are transitioning from waterfall paradigms, who frequently mistake Scrum Masters for less authoritarian project managers. Even while there is a little amount of truth in that comparison, it does the Scrum Master a great injustice.
Being an excellent project manager does not automatically translate into being an excellent Scrum Master, and vice versa. A project manager is first and foremost a leader who excels at seeing the big picture and setting up their team according to the individual strengths of each team member.
As a facilitator for the team and the product owner, the Scrum Master is the opposite. Consider the Scrum Master as the person with the shovel who clears the route so that a project may be completed as fast and effectively as feasible if a project were a road full of rubbish. So what abilities should one acquire to do that role well as a Scrum Master?
Team Leader
If a leader is someone who brings a group of people together to work towards a common objective, a team leader accomplishes this via support and encouragement rather than planning and orders like a boss. A smart scrum master knows that a developer works best in an environment free of distractions, thus they take the initiative to create this environment for their team.
A team-leader focuses on developing the skills of their team, identifying areas for improvement, and giving them the resources they need to reach their full potential. A good Scrum Master learns to offer and provide assistance, makes an attempt to comprehend how others feel. and determines how to support their team in the most effective way.
Engaged listener
Scrum master need to actively listen to what the other member of their team are saying and comprehend their perspective, even if they disagree. In order to make the person in front of you feel heard and encouraged, it also implies that you empathize with them. Thirdly, it implies that you can ask task-related questions and provide proper feedback on the progress of the activity.
A skilled Scrum Master is one who understands the need of listening to their team and work on improving it in order to maximize team performance. Everyday scrums are a fantastic source of knowledge, but they are not the only ones; a scrum master must constantly monitor what their team is doing while developing and what they are discussing. This way they are updated on all the tasks and activities and can share input on the go.
People trust you more and open up to you when you listen to them more. Listening is a crucial skill for a Scrum Master since they will naturally work better when others trust them.
Coaching
Every task is a chance for us to get better. Fresh difficulties present fresh opportunities for learning and development. Sadly, deadlines, problems, crunch, and other obligations frequently absorb us, leaving us with little to no time to consider our own working methods.
The Scrum Master should get the ability to recognize team members’ potential development areas and assist them in realizing this is a chance for self-actualization. A coach may not always impart knowledge, but they do constantly assist others in reframing events so that they might gain knowledge from them.
Confident:
A Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that there in a communication gap among team members and completing their goals.. As anyone who has ever worked in a team knows, effective communication is the key to the success of the organization.
In order to accomplish it, being forceful is very helpful. Secondly, the Scrum Master can lead by example, encouraging team members to communicate effectively with one another. Also, they frequently act as a link between the project owner and the development team. They must therefore communicate with both groups as assertively as they can.
Conflict Management
A poorly handled quarrel can swiftly ruin a team’s momentum. An environment that is highly charged emotionally will have a negative impact on the team and their project, whether it is a result of misunderstandings or heated arguments.
Workgroups inevitably experience misunderstandings and disagreements, as good Scrum Masters are aware of. As a result, they must be equipped with the skills necessary to assist others in managing their emotions, coming to agreements, and showing forgiveness when necessary.
This naturally goes hand in hand with the other skills we’ve covered thus far, but it also entails being able to comprehend both sides of the debate. understanding how to maintain objectivity, and knowing how to best assist people in reframing the disagreement so that a win-win solution can be found.
Creativity
When we assist people with their disputes, feelings, or issues, we frequently run the risk of becoming enmeshed in their frame of reference and becoming trapped just like they are. A skilled Scrum Master can reframe a problem in many different ways.
To reframe a situation is to present it to others from a different angle. Since they have already concluded that something is a problem, they may not be seeing how it might also be an opportunity since they are so focused on one solution that they haven’t thought of any other options.
The challenge for the Scrum Master is to assist others in redefining an issue so that it may be solved using the talents they are best at since they are aware of what their team is capable of (occasionally even better than the team itself).
The function of a scrum master requires entirely separate skill sets, making it more than just another trendy term for management. A competent Scrum Master is an equal parts developer, coach, and psychologist, as well as a facilitator of human processes and a leader. The role calls for a more direct, down-to-earth approach and a deeper relationship with the development team.
