Understanding and Apply Scrum [P3]: Scrum Teams - Myth 8: The scrum master is a junior agile coach

Question 1

What does the scrum guide say that disproves the myth “the SM is a junior agile coach”

Answer 1

• contains a clear description of the services a scrum master provides the development team, the PO and the ENTIRE organization
• coaching the Development Team in self-organization and cross-functionality,
• helping the Product Owner find techniques for effective Product Backlog management and
• supporting the organization in delivering high-value products through the empirical process established through Scrum

Question 2

What are the 8 stances of a SM? The SM is a …

Answer 2

• impediment remover
• facilitator
• coach
• teacher
• servant leader
• manager
• change agent
• mentor

Question 3

Explain the Impediment Remover stance of an SM

Answer 3

The SM is a … AnImpediment Removerthat helps resolve issues that are blocking the team’s progress, taking into account the self-organising capabilities of the Development Team;

Question 4

Explain the Facilitator stance of an SM

Answer 4

The SM is a … AFacilitatorthat sets the stage and provides clear boundaries in which the team can collaborate. This includes facilitation of the Scrum events to ensure they’ll achieve the desired outcome and - most importantly - that the empirical process is optimized;

Question 5

Explain the Coach stance of an SM

Answer 5

The SM is a … ACoachthat helps individuals and groups to continuously improve in how they deliver valuable outcomes as a team or as an organization;

Question 6

Explain the Teacher stance of an SM

Answer 6

The SM is a … ATeacherthat ensures that Scrum and relevant techniques are well-understood and enacted;

Question 7

Explain the Servant Leader stance of an SM

Answer 7

The SM is a … AServant Leaderthat creates environments where teams can work effectively with stakeholders to create valuable outcomes;

Question 8

Explain the Manager stance of an SM

Answer 8

The SM is a … AManagerthat is responsible for managing (true) impediments, eliminating waste, managing the process, managing the team’s health, managing the boundaries of self-organisation, and managing the culture;

Question 9

Explain the Change Agent stance of an SM

Answer 9

The SM is a … AChange Agentthat helps to enable a culture in which Scrum Teams can flourish - on every level of the organization;

Question 10

Explain the Mentor stance of an SM

Answer 10

The SM is a … AMentorthat transfers agile knowledge and experience to the team

Question 11

What are six examples of challenges of a SM?

Answer 11

• How to facilitate transparency, inspection and adaptation in a traditional ‘closed’ organisation?
• How to coach organisations in truly collaborating with their Scrum Teams?
• How to manage the boundaries of self-organisation in control-driven organisations?
• How to offer a “safe to fail & learn” environment where experimentation?
• How to promote a culture where Scrum Teams can thrive?

Question 12

How must a SM approach common challenges of being an SM?

In such a way that…

Answer 12

• Team success is valued over individual success;
• Continuous improvement and experimentation are promoted;
• “Agile contracts” are encouraged;
• Stable team composition is supported;
• Behaviour is rewards, not individual achievements;

Question 13

Why is an SM in a good position to work with HR, Sales, stakeholders and other SMs?

Answer 13

• know what needs to change and why, remove impediments, how more value can be delivered
• HR - help find practices that are better aligned with scrum
• Sales - help move from fix-price/fixed-scope contracts to agile friendly contracts
• Stakeholders - help increase collaboration between stakeholders and team
• other SMs - org change from inside out

Question 14

If a org choses to implement an empirical process primarily through Scrum, is there a need for Agile Coaches?

Answer 14

• No
• Scrum Masters should be enabled and supported to promote the empirical process on all levels of the organisation.
• If they can, and if they do, no other roles are necessary to help organizations generate valuable outcomes with Scrum.

Question 15

Should we fire all agile coaches?

Answer 15

• No - still have value
• The need for Agile Coaches diminishes greatly when SMs are allowed to perform their intended role
• Both add value from organizational change POV
• SM - inside out approach (better)
• Agile Coaches - outside in approach
• Agile Coaches
  • poor understanding of team (since not in team)
  • lack management support
  • less experience to drive change from outside in

Question 16

What should an org do if they believe that Agile Coaches are junior SMs?

Answer 16

• focus on enabling SMs - enable outside in
• get rid of Seagull Coaches - fly in, make noise, got to next customer, leave mess behind
• if REALLY want Agile Coach, ensure have proven exp in affecting change outside in

Question 17

If there REALLY must be an Agile Coach, what should an org make sure they ensure?

Answer 17

Agile Coach make sure they focus their efforts on helping the teams and the Scrum Masters drive change themselves

Question 18

How does Geoff Watts descript scrum?

Answer 18

Scrum aims to harness the power of self-organising, autonomous, engaged teams who take responsibility for delivery and collaborate directly with their customers.

Question 19

Which is preferred - SM or Agile Coach? Why?

Answer 19

SM - change driven from inside out - better position to facilitate change than an external Agile Coach + how the Scrum Guide intended the SM role

Question 20

In general, when organizations choose to implement an empirical process primarily through Scrum, is there any need for Agile Coaches?

Answer 20

There should be almost no need for Agile Coaches.

Instead, Scrum Masters should be enabled and supported to promote the empirical process on all levels of the organisation