Why Marketers and HR Pros Make Great Product Owners and Scrum Masters?

In a world where adaptability is key and market demands shift rapidly, how can businesses ensure they stay competitive while maintaining team efficiency? The answer lies in recognizing the unique strengths of roles like Product Owner (PO) and Scrum Master (SM) and how unconventional candidates such as marketers and HR professionals are increasingly well-suited for these positions.

The Traditional Approach: Assigning Project Managers and Tech Leads

For years, businesses have relied on traditional roles like project managers for Product Owners and tech leads for Scrum Masters to drive Agile initiatives. While this approach offers structure, it often limits innovation. Project managers are excellent at managing timelines and budgets, as outlined in PMI ’s PMBOK Guide , but they can struggle to prioritize value-driven features and adapt to customer feedback mid-project. Similarly, tech leads may excel in technical problem-solving but lack the people-focused skills necessary for Scrum Masters to ensure smooth team collaboration.

In Coaching Agile Teams , Lyssa Adkins emphasizes that the Scrum Master’s role is to guide the team towards self-organization and continuous improvement. Tech leads, however, can inadvertently focus too much on the technicalities, missing the bigger picture of team dynamics and impediments that require attention.

The Marketer as Product Owner: Adapting to Customer Needs

A product-oriented approach where continuous value is delivered better suits today’s fast-moving business environment. Marketers, with their customer-first mindset and ability to adapt to market feedback, are increasingly fitting the role of Product Owner. According to Scrum.org ’s Scrum Competencies Framework , the PO’s responsibility is to manage the product backlog, prioritize features based on customer and business value, and deliver continuous updates that align with market needs (BMC ).

Marketers are naturally skilled at balancing customer demands with business goals. Their deep understanding of market trends and customer behaviors enables them to steer product development in the right direction. As Eric Ries describes in The Lean Startup , a PO should continuously iterate on a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) based on real-time feedback, much like marketers do in their daily work.

Moreover, ESCO’s skill framework also highlights that marketers possess core skills like managing customer relationships and adapting strategies to meet evolving needs, making them a natural fit for the Product Owner role (Scrum.org ).

The HR Professional as Scrum Master: Facilitating Team Dynamics

While marketers are best suited for the Product Owner role, HR professionals often excel as Scrum Masters. The HR role involves fostering collaboration, resolving conflicts, and guiding teams through change exactly what a Scrum Master does in Agile teams.

As described in Jeff Sutherland ’s Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time , a Scrum Master ensures that the team follows Scrum practices, removes obstacles, and helps the team stay productive and engaged (BMC ). This aligns well with the daily work of HR professionals who manage employee dynamics and promote a healthy, collaborative work environment and culture.

ESCO also emphasizes the importance of leadership, facilitation, and conflict resolution in managing teams, skills that HR professionals already possess. These competencies make HR professionals well-equipped to guide Agile teams through complex environments where adaptability is crucial.

A Product-Oriented Approach: The Key to Success

As markets become more unpredictable, businesses need roles that can adapt quickly. Marketers, with their focus on delivering continuous value, are well-suited to drive product development. HR professionals, on the other hand, excel at facilitating collaboration and ensuring the team remains on track. Both roles fit well into the Scrum Competencies Framework and offer a more flexible, value-driven approach compared to traditional project managers and tech leads.

In contrast to the rigid project approach where every step is predefined and changes resemble minor track switches this product-oriented mindset is about continuously adapting and evolving. The PO, much like a marketer, reacts to feedback and market changes in real-time, while the Scrum Master ensures the team remains efficient, engaged, and aligned with customer needs.

Conclusion: Rethinking Agile Roles for Greater Success

So, while projects may eventually end, products evolve, live on, and continue to deliver value. By assigning marketers as Product Owners and HR professionals as Scrum Masters, businesses can navigate today’s complex landscape with more agility and focus on continuous improvement.

But here’s a question for you: why do many organizations still assign project managers as Product Owners and tech leads as Scrum Masters? What impact have you seen from this in your own teams? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

For more insights on how businesses are adapting to rapid market changes, check out Trustoppy