Scrum Masters are essential for facilitating and coaching agile teams, but they can also fall into some common traps that hinder their effectiveness and the team's performance. In this article, we will explore some of the anti-patterns that Scrum Masters should avoid and how to overcome them.
One of the anti-patterns that Scrum Masters should avoid is acting like a boss or a manager of the team. This can create a hierarchical and command-and-control culture that goes against the agile values of self-organization and collaboration. Instead of telling the team what to do, how to do it, and when to do it, Scrum Masters should empower the team to make decisions, solve problems, and inspect and adapt their own processes. Scrum Masters should also avoid taking credit for the team's work or blaming them for failures. Their role is to serve the team, not to control them.
This is a lesson that took me the longest time to learn. Because I'm now normally the most experienced (i.e. senior) team member I'm often pretty convinced that I know what the best solution is for a given problem so I would often jump in and tell the team what to do because... it's just saving everyone time, right!? Wrong. Every time a Scrum Master solves a problem for the team they're denying them the opportunity to learn how to solve that problem for themselves. As well as the fact that team will own any solution they come up with far more than any solution that is imposed upon them. Plus... it turns out I'm as fallible as anyone else and facilitating team problem solving taps into the wisdom of crowds!
Being the daddy/mummy, playing the life coach or psychologist, be the savior/hero of the team, being the secretary, bringing chocolates to the scrum retrospective, conducting the daily scrum, solving problems that the team should/could solve themselves, not fostering an environment of learning, growth, accountability and trust.
(a) Micromanagement - Trust the team's expertise & allow them autonomy, rather than overseeing every detail. (b) Neglecting Feedback - Ignoring team or stakeholder feedback can stifle continuous improvement (c) Bypassing Ceremonies - Skipping retrospectives, daily stand-ups, or reviews can undermine the Scrum process's effectiveness (d) Fixed Mindset - Resisting change or new methodologies can hinder team growth and adaptability (e) Overburdening - Avoid setting unrealistic expectations or overloading the team, which can lead to burnout (f) Silos Creation - Encourage cross-functional collaboration instead of allowing departmental silos to form
In my experience, at least in the last few years, I have tried to remove myself as a boss and encourage/foster an environment of self managing individuals. I have coached faculty to reflect and problem solve by providing the team with resources, clear vision, and instruction/training in order to empower them to do the tasks as SME’s. I reflect daily and ask myself if at any point in time if I was a boss or a coach to my team. This has helped me restrain myself from acting like a boss as a Scrum Master.
Micromanaging, being too directive, neglecting team feedback, not fostering a collaborative environment, and ignoring the Agile principles are common anti-patterns that Scrum Masters should avoid.
Another anti-pattern that Scrum Masters should avoid is being a firefighter or a problem-solver for the team. This can create a dependency and a learned helplessness that prevents the team from developing their own skills and capabilities. Instead of jumping in and fixing every issue that arises, Scrum Masters should coach the team to find their own solutions, ask powerful questions, and facilitate constructive discussions. Scrum Masters should also avoid shielding the team from external stakeholders or impediments. Their role is to help the team face their challenges, not to hide them.
A good Scrum Master does not remove all impediments from the team, instead, they cause the impediments to be removed. There is a key difference in these 2 approaches, one supports an environment of self-management, while the other creates an an environment where the Scrum Master becomes an impediment.
Frequent firefighting not only leads to burnout but also fosters a culture that promotes an unhealthy work-life balance. While occasional firefighting situations are inevitable, when they become the norm, it's essential to conduct a thorough analysis to understand the underlying causes. For Scrum Masters, a key principle is empowering the team to act as responsible adults who can address issues independently and feel comfortable seeking help or vocalizing blockers when necessary. This approach not only reduces the need for constant firefighting but also promotes a collaborative and proactive team environment, ultimately enhancing overall efficiency and well-being.
In my experience, One of the most crucial things in this topic is that, technical people in multiple scrum teams should discuss with each other in order to solve their problems and issues on their own because they know the details better than anyone else. Indeed, It could be a good idea for a Scrum Master to teach the people in his/her team to have effective communication with others and let the developers experience such an environment.
I have played the role of SM and as SM i used to do following : 1. Coach the team from behind 2. Encourage the team to provide solutions of problem 3. encourage the team to think on problem first rather then how to solve it 4. Protect the team from stakeholders or any escalations 5. Nurture them with Agile mindset 6. Establish open and transparent communication
This one is a little tricky. At times, a Scrum Master may be required to get involved in 'fire-fighting'. However, it becomes a problem when it becomes the norm. There should be a balance between cases where the Scrum Master protects the team and in others, let team members face the fire.
A third anti-pattern that Scrum Masters should avoid is being a secretary or an administrator for the team. This can create a passive and a bureaucratic culture that reduces the team's engagement and ownership. Instead of doing all the administrative tasks for the team, such as updating the backlog, writing the reports, booking the meetings, and taking the notes, Scrum Masters should enable the team to share these responsibilities and use tools that automate and simplify them. Scrum Masters should also avoid being the only source of information or communication for the team. Their role is to foster transparency and feedback, not to filter them.
I believe a strong organization has a clear R&R, so Scrum Masters should avoid being a secretary for the team. Instead, they should enable and lead the team to share these responsibilities and use tools that automate and simplify them. Scrum Masters should also avoid being the only source of communication for the team. Their role is to foster transparency and feedback, not to filter them.
A fourth anti-pattern that Scrum Masters should avoid is being a purist or a dogmatist for the team. This can create a rigid and a prescriptive culture that limits the team's creativity and adaptability. Instead of imposing a strict adherence to the Scrum framework or any other agile methodology, Scrum Masters should encourage the team to experiment, learn, and customize their practices according to their context and needs. Scrum Masters should also avoid being a zealot or a critic for the team. Their role is to inspire and support the team, not to judge or lecture them.
Being a purist/zealot rarely accounts for the nuanced and dynamic nature of real-world situations. Strict adherence to a single method can lead to resistance to change, hinder adaptability, and stifle innovation. It's important to strike a balance between following best practices and being open to adjustments and creative problem-solving. Too much of a purist can be counterproductive when the goal is to maximize effectiveness and responsiveness in dynamic environments. Bottomline: You will lose the team
The Scrum Guide is pretty thin. Scrum doesn't enforce that many rules, even if some people may find it restrictive. The Scrum Guide itself mentions that scrum is deliberately incomplete, it requires the people using it to select the complementary practices that fit the environment. And the selection of practices will change as the environment changes over time. As such, a Scrum Master tends to have prior experience they can draw on, yet what worked with one team, may not work with the next. And "Scrum says" tends to be the worst way to convince a team to try something new. Instead embrace curiosity. Experiment with practices. Be willing to let go of "that's how we do things here" and keep optimizing.
The role of a Scrum Master is often described as that of a servant leader. Their primary responsibility is to ensure that the principles of Scrum, as outlined in the Scrum Guide, are established and understood by all team members. The most effective way to fulfill this role is by identifying areas for improvement and facilitating constructive discussions within the team. Through the art of asking the right questions, the Scrum Master empowers the team to self-discover areas in need of enhancement and assists in implementing those changes. This approach aligns with the essence of servant leadership, where the Scrum Master's mission is to inspire and support the team rather than passing judgment or delivering lectures.
Some individuals have a rigid approach towards Agile. More often than not, 'by the book' approaches fall flat on their face in the real world. 'Try & Fail' is a better suited approach, in my experience.
One of the most significant anti-patterns that a Scrum Master should avoid in this topic is that, he/she always says that we have to do this activity because it’s based on the Scrum Guide. This dogmatic behavior will ruin the trust among the team members and the Scrum Master. So that, at first try to tell the team the why and reason behind of doing any activity and then decide whether start doing it or not.
A fifth anti-pattern that Scrum Masters should avoid is being a bystander or a spectator for the team. This can create a detached and a complacent culture that hampers the team's growth and improvement. Instead of being passive and silent during the team's interactions, Scrum Masters should be active and vocal in facilitating, coaching, mentoring, and teaching the team. Scrum Masters should also avoid being a loner or a recluse for the team. Their role is to connect and collaborate with the team, not to isolate or ignore them.
There's a fine line between being too involved and not involved enough. And it's important to keep in mind that the best solutions will eventually come from the people who do the work. So: * don't try to solve their problems for them, facilitate the process of finding options and choosing a solution. * don't create the plan and assign the work, but help people understand what must be done and make sure that is visualized * don't randomly coach people, coaching is by invitation from the person that wants to be coached. Of course you can ask to be invited. * In many cases it may feel like you're not doing enough, but actively doing nothing is an art. Similar to remaining silent long enough in a conversation to let the other step in.
A couple of suggestions: - One good way to facilitate is asking high gained questions to teams and keep asking follow up questions till the team reaches the solution they are looking for. - Try to gamify. There are lots of games available online which makes problem solving fun and effective. - Guide the team to first understand the problem before jumping into solutions. Once everyone in the same page, then discussing solution becomes effective. Scrum masters can guide the team in adding structure in this process. - Invite inactive or silent team members to contribute, so that the loudest voice doesn't hog all the attention.
If you feel like you are not contributing enough to the team’s progress or not fulfilling your role as a Scrum Master, you can ask for feedback from the team members or the product owner. It's also a good way to review your actions and responsibilities against the Scrum framework and identify areas of improvement. Remember that being a Scrum Master is a continuous learning journey.
Scrum Masters play a major role in ensuring the success of agile teams. To avoid anti-patterns, first, steer clear of becoming a "taskmaster." Instead of assigning tasks, encourage the team to self-organize. Next, avoid micromanagement; let the team take ownership of their work. Resist the urge to dominate discussions during retrospectives or daily stand-ups. Encourage open dialogue and active participation from all team members. To overcome these anti-patterns, focus on servant leadership, where you serve and support the team's needs. Emphasize collaboration, not control. Foster an environment of trust and allow team members to make decisions and learn from mistakes.
ISTQB? Accredited Trainer | Software Testing Expert | Driving Excellence at SAJO Academy
Scrum Masters should avoid: 1. Being overly dogmatic and inflexible about Scrum practices without considering the team's unique context. 2. Running unproductive or lengthy daily stand-ups, sprint planning, or retrospective meetings. 3. Allowing external stakeholders or management to disrupt the team's work during a sprint. 4. Scrum Masters who do all the work or solve problems for the team instead of coaching and enabling the team to do it themselves.
I feel most of the 'anti-patterns' mentioned above are only to be considered 'anti' when a Scrum Master (SM) gets stuck in any one of these. Additionally, there may be scenarios when the SM maybe expected to follow all or multiple of these patterns and more. However the pattern should not get turned into a behavior.