Product management glosary

Scrum master

What is Scrum Master?

Scrum is a popular framework used in agile software development. It is an iterative and incremental approach to project management that focuses on delivering high-quality products. Scrum Master is a key role in the Scrum framework. The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that the Scrum team follows the Scrum framework and that the team achieves its goals.

Responsibilities of a Scrum Master

The Scrum Master has several responsibilities, including:

  • Facilitating the Scrum events, such as Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective.
  • Removing any impediments that are preventing the team from achieving its goals.
  • Coaching the team on the Scrum framework and agile principles.
  • Ensuring that the team is following the Scrum framework and that the team is continuously improving.
  • Helping the team to self-organize and to make decisions.

Skills of a Scrum Master

A Scrum Master should have several skills, including:

  • Excellent communication skills, as the Scrum Master needs to communicate with the team, stakeholders, and management.
  • Strong leadership skills, as the Scrum Master needs to lead the team and ensure that the team is following the Scrum framework.
  • Good facilitation skills, as the Scrum Master needs to facilitate the Scrum events.
  • Good coaching skills, as the Scrum Master needs to coach the team on the Scrum framework and agile principles.
  • Good problem-solving skills, as the Scrum Master needs to remove any impediments that are preventing the team from achieving its goals.

Benefits of having a Scrum Master

Having a Scrum Master can provide several benefits, including:

  • Improved team productivity, as the Scrum Master ensures that the team is following the Scrum framework and that the team is continuously improving.
  • Improved product quality, as the Scrum Master helps the team to identify and remove any impediments that are preventing the team from delivering high-quality products.
  • Improved team morale, as the Scrum Master helps the team to self-organize and to make decisions.
  • Improved stakeholder satisfaction, as the Scrum Master ensures that the team is delivering value to the stakeholders.

Conclusion

The Scrum Master is a key role in the Scrum framework. The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that the Scrum team follows the Scrum framework and that the team achieves its goals. A Scrum Master should have several skills, including excellent communication skills, strong leadership skills, good facilitation skills, good coaching skills, and good problem-solving skills. Having a Scrum Master can provide several benefits, including improved team productivity, improved product quality, improved team morale, and improved stakeholder satisfaction.