I used to work for a company where a leader sent me this chart as what a Scrum Master should be doing.
I posted the chart on LinkedIn to get other Scrum Masters’ thoughts. And while I did receive the intended confused and horrified reactions, some people took this chart and shared it as truth.
And this is how misinformation spreads.
For example.
A Scrum Master is not a servant leader. Shocking, right?
It wouldn’t be a shock if you’ve been keeping up with the Scrum Guide – you know the one, the guide that explicitly lays out with the role of a Scrum Master is. And lo and behold, it says, and I quote:
Scrum Masters are true leaders who serve the Scrum Team and the larger organization.
– The ScRum guide
Ctrl+F for the word “servant” in the Scrum Guide. You won’t find it.
You know what else you won’t find? The word “groom.” Yep, that was removed over 9 years ago from the Scrum Guide.
And “stand-up”? Was never in there to begin with. I checked every version.
But let’s give the authors the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps this is an older chart?
So if the language on the chart is wrong, how about some of the responsibilities?
Like maximizing business outcomes? Smoothly onboarding new team members? And creating and communicating roadblocks? I say to those Product Owner, definitely not in the Scrum Guide, and excuse me – what? You want the Scrum Master to create roadblocks for the team?
I’m sure that this chart was well-intentioned. But good intentions can still spread harmful information. Which can make its way to leaders. Who then take this chart as truth and won’t hear otherwise. Even from real, actual Scrum Masters. Or the Scrum Guide itself.
I have never been in a role where I’ve felt compelled to spend so much of my time explaining what my role actually is and what it is not to people who may or may not even listen.
At some point, you just stop trying to make any sense out of things.
And people wonder why Scrum Masters are so frustrated.
It’s not about the information itself. Much like any information that’s presented that can be misused, like metrics, it’s about how you receive the information. And how tightly and inflexibly you cling to your own ideals.
I encourage you to ask questions about what’s presented to you. And to challenge your own thinking. Listen to people who have the training and experience. And get some of your own.
And maybe, just maybe, it won’t be a story of where a Scrum Master used to work anymore.
Photo by Daniel Herron on Unsplash
Yes, it’s now “leader” instead of a “servant leader”, despite me preferring the older defined role. I still work for the team. And I still don’t have a manager’s title which is the de facto corporate way of saying “you are now a leader and push change through.” I still have to persuade, cajole, explain and encourage until I get the team and my PO to see that after all that talk – it really was their idea. Even if Jeff and Ken rewrote the guide, it doesn’t mean that my boss read, or understands the subtitle difference.