01-05-2024

Hey Reader,

I sat down with Ryan from Australia for an episode of the Agile Audit podcast last year. Yes, this is how long it takes me to get a video out these days...

Anyway, we had an awesome discussion, and as I was rewatching it to get the episode ready, I got some new insights and inspirations.

One of the topics we delved into was the role of a Scrum Master as a connector or a glue of sorts.

Since our jobs bring results that can only really be seen long-term and are difficult to connect to our jobs directly, it sometimes feels like we have to validate our existence. And that often results in trying to show tangible results.

This often results in us taking over decision-making, being a bit too forceful and facilitating every discussion, providing reports. Or in simple terms - hand-holding.

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What I also enjoyed during this discussion with Ryan was our thoughts on how to show value to the stakeholders and also the team. In the end, they are our biggest promoters - when they see the positive improvements we bring, we don't need to prove anything anymore.

Ryan shared his stories of what that value looks like and how to recognize it.

We also touched on an interesting question: should a Scrum Master have any formal authority in the organization? A tricky question, isn't it?

I think it's a leadership role, but not one that needs official power. It's about guiding the team rather than being in charge. Transitioning to this self-organization approach can be a challenge for some teams, as people may have a tendency to rely on the Scrum Master for too long.

In my experience, making team agreements explicit can help. By involving the team in creating these agreements, everyone understands what's expected. This prevents misunderstandings and helps the team stay within the Agile framework.

Overall, the Scrum Master should focus on guiding and empowering the team, rather than having formal authority. It's about creating an environment where the team can thrive and take ownership of their work.

We discussed even more topics with Ryan during the episode, so check it out for more insights and ideas.