I know you have been eager to know answers to ‘what is scrum master and the qualifications for a scrum master?’. This is a good reason why this content is specially made to satisfy that urge to understand the whole concept of scrum master, their roles and responsibilities in their organizations where they are needed and seen as important.
Scrums, as reliable frameworks, are used most especially in a company that is popularly known as Agile. Agile can be defined as pre-defined values/principles used to manage the software development process. One of the most commonly used Agile frameworks is Scrum.
With time, Agile principles are gaining in prominence in enterprises worldwide. Scrum is the most flexible development model that has allowed many organizations to develop products at a much faster pace, which is indeed a must in today’s competitive landscape.
Well, we can understand the meaning of a scrum master by both their definitions and yes, the functions and qualifications that make them deserving of the stated roles. Below is the highlight of these indicators:
By Definition
A scrum master is an information technology (IT) professional who helps manage information exchange among their team in an agile environment. Having flexibility in the development processes helps organizations need to come up with quality products to cater to customer requirements.
To adopt scrum methodology into your organization and provide what the organization requires, the enterprises need a process expert to manage the work with dedicated timelines. This person is called SCRUM MASTER.
A scrum master is not the leader of a team. They are the facilitator of exchanges and interactions with the team. They help build consensus regarding next steps on the team, keep everyone on task following the agreed upon rules, and do everything they can to maximize the team’s performance.
They work in any environment or organizations that make use of scrum in the runnings of their day-to-day clerical or official activities, or may work in a wide variety of businesses and industries, from banking to business to healthcare. Some scrum masters are part of remote teams and work from home. This is becoming more common as remote jobs are generally on the rise.
By Roles, Responsibilities, or Functions
The tasks required of a scrum master may vary from one job to the next, but generally speaking, the scrum master’s main responsibility is facilitation and maximization.
A good scrum master has a solid working knowledge of scrum and experience working in an agile environment.
They are often tasked with facilitating team decisions and maximizing teamwork, helping rules and goals guide the scrum team’s work.
They resolve issues and have complete control over the process. They make the team understand and imbibe scrum values and principles. They do every minute thing possible from their end to make the team perform at their highest level.
They are organizers and communicators who aim to remove any obstacle that might slow the team down.
Read Also: How AI Technology is Reshaping the Landscape of Software Development
Others are that they:
- Oversee design, implementation, QA, and validation of programming code and products
- Create project outlines and timelines and distribute responsibilities to team members
- Facilitate daily scrums, stand-ups, and meetings to monitor project progress and resolve any issues the team may be experiencing
- Shape team behavior through excellent management via the agile method
- Perform reviews on software development team members
- Remove project obstacles and develop solutions with the team
- Ensure milestones are reached and deadlines are met throughout the project lifecycle
- Build strong relationships with stakeholders, application users, and program owners
- Document progress and communicate to upper management and stakeholders
By Skills
Scrum masters should have the following skills if they must really serve their prescribed roles and responsibilities as required:
- Knowledgeable
The Scrum Master should be enlightened enough about the product being developed. He must be mindful of the tools and technologies used by the development team. For a Scrum Master, it is somewhat helpful to possess working knowledge instead of being an expert in the business domain to avoid upcoming roadblocks. The Scrum Masters should also possess knowledge on various Agile methodologies like Lean, Kanban, and XP.
- Observant
A Scrum Master is not the head of the organization; instead, he is a facilitator of the team. He must pay close attention to daily Scrum activities and the team member’s contributions to the sessions. He must also pay attention to the impediments faced by the team.
- Influential
Firstly, the Scrum Master must possess leadership and organizational skills. They must lead different teams working on a project to attain the project deliverables and milestones.
- Transparent
Every event happening within the team should be transparent enough to relate to communication. At a particular phase of the project, it becomes essential for the Scrum Master to promote communication outside the team as well. Without incorporating transparency, it becomes difficult to attain the desired business results.
- Collaborative
It’s the responsibility of the Scrum Master to possess collaboration skills to work in coordination with various teams such as the development team, product owner, and other parties. They must help the team members to accomplish their goals through stand-up meeting sessions, iteration planning sessions, and demo sessions.
By Qualifications
Even though you are not by compulsion expected to have any institutionalized degree, the core feature is that you have enough appropriate experience in the field. Below are the little things you may have as a person interested in becoming a scrum master in any organization where your importance is respected:
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, or information systems, or related field required
- Master’s degree preferred
- Scrum Master certification required
- 5-7 years of experience in information technology (IT) project management
- Experience with Agile technologies and tools
- Excellent communication skills
