4 Myths on Scrum Masters That Got Everyone Confused

Scrum’s reputation as the top agile framework of choice by companies around the world needs no validation. However, despite Scrum’s popularity there are still many misconceptions about Scrum Masters out there that often cause confusion and can negatively impact the Scrum Team’s performance. In many cases, this even happens within the Scrum Teams themselves.

In this article, we’ll take a look at five top myths about Scrum Masters and dispel them once and for all.

1. Scrum Master is someone who schedule meetings

This is possibly be the most common misconception about Scrum Masters. In supporting the team to perform, Scrum Masters ensure all team members get the information they need to complete their work. Sure, this may include proactively putting important meetings in people’s calendars so those exchange of information can happen. But in reality, they do more than that.

On top of ensuring key meetings happen, Scrum Masters actively facilitate the discussions within those meetings to make sure everyone productively contribute and gain value from the meetings. This means a Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that all team members are able to participate in honest and productive discussions, and that the meetings are structured in a way that enables the team to achieve their goals.

2. Scrum Master must solve all team’s problems

While it's true that Scrum Masters play a key role in helping the team to resolve challenges, they are not the one responsible to solve all of the team's problems. Instead, Scrum Masters supports the Scrum Team by helping them find new ways of working so they can be more self-sufficient and self-reliant. This may include delivering specific training and workshop sessions such as how to properly breakdown and prioritise work, or having 1:1 coaching session with team members.

By equipping the Scrum Team with the right knowledge and skills to find solutions to their problems, Scrum Masters help the team members to learn and gain the confidence in making decisions. With the ability to find their own way, your team will be more likely to take ownership, stretch themselves and learn from their experiences.

3. Scrum Master leads the scrum team

Although in a way Scrum Masters can be seen as leaders, they’re different to a leader in the traditional sense. Scrum Masters are leaders in a way that instead of giving directions or assign tasks, they enable & empower the team to continuously expand on their potential. They help clear out obstacles and provide the team with the knowledge and skillset they need to reach their destinations. More like a very hands-on teacher.

Scrum Masters also serve the team by leading the implementation of proper scrum practices within the team. This enables the team to collaborate effectively and achieve their goals. The Scrum Master does not make decisions for the team, but instead helps the team to make decisions collectively. They help to create an safe and productive work environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions to work together towards a common goal.

4. Scrum Master must have a technical background

Although having a technical background can benefit a Scrum Master, it’s not mandatory. What is more important is the ability to understand the team's needs, facilitate communication, and help the team to resolve conflicts.

The Scrum Master must be able to understand the team's processes and be familiar with agile methodologies, but they do not need to have a technical background. Instead, they need to have strong communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to understand and work with people from different backgrounds and with different skill sets.

Bottomline

A Scrum Master is a key player in making sure your Scrum Team continues to improve and be more efficient in how they work. They help build a safe and productive environment for the team to grow and expand their potential, so they can be better at what they do and achieve their goals.

Whether you're new to agile methodology or have been working with Scrum for a while, understanding the purpose of the Scrum Master role can help your team improve and perform better to reach their goals.

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Cover photo: unsplash/@danielmingookkim