Philosophy of a Scrum Master

I have often come across people who see the workload or the range of responsibilities of a Scrum Master and fantasize to be one. On the surface, it seems to be a role where all you need to do is facilitate Scrum ceremonies, report metrics, maintain an ALM tool and in general help people overcome their roadblocks. But, to me there is a lot happening underneath the serene and harmonious surface. There is a lot of observing, processing and thinking that needs to happen. The Scrum Master is like a daemon thread that runs unobtrusively in the background and performs certain vital tasks for the overall well-being of the system.

There is enough literature floating on the internet on the roles and responsibilities of a Scrum Master. Being a Scrum Master goes beyond resolving impediments or making sure that the Scrum processes are adhered. There is a lot of reading between the lines that needs to happen. The Scrum Master is often described as a “Servant Leader” but the actual essence of this moniker never manifests itself. What that means is the Scrum Master either comes across as a role that handles the administration part of Scrum while the team does not perceive his value beyond this, or the Scrum Master takes things in his own hands and ends up running the show making the team dependent on him to drive them towards the goal. In simple (yet dramatic) terms, we have mostly been concentrating on the Physiography of a Scrum Master rather than the Philosophy. So, to understand this philosophy, we must dig deeper. Following are some important tenets that spur this philosophy

1.      Understand people’s motivations behind acting in a certain way

2.      Pay attention to their needs and listen to them

3.      Process your own emotions objectively to avoid acting on impulse

4.      Encourage people to deliver their best

5.      Focus on people’s career aspirations

6.      Connect with individuals but operate as a team

7.      Help the team to communicate proactively

8.      Pull but don’t push

9.      Always stay humble

10.  Stay positive and optimistic

The tenets mentioned above require the Scrum Master to look beyond the obvious and pay close attention to the team psyche. Here’s where some theory helps. Herzberg’s two factor theory talks about motivators and hygiene factors that play an important part in ensuring team welfare. The presence of motivators like achievement, recognition, responsibility, etc. leads to satisfaction. The absence of hygiene factors like status, relationship with peers and seniors, work-life balance, sense of purpose, career aspirations, emotional well-being, etc. leads to dissatisfaction. To a certain extent, the role of a Scrum Master deals with ensuring the maintenance of these hygiene factors. The Scrum Master on his own cannot take care of all hygiene factors but being cognizant about them is essential. So, the next time you think of playing the role of a Scrum Master, remember these determinants which will help you to do complete justice to your role.