I was reading another discussion on LinkedIn about one of the many “Project Manager/Scrum Master” job postings out there.
This got me thinking about sports. Which I don’t often do. I’ll be honest: when I go to games, I’m there for the food.
One of my best friends growing up was super into ice hockey, so I do know a little bit about it. I do know that you wouldn’t ask your goalie to double as a forward. You’d want them remaining close to the goal and only in their role as a goalie, blocking any pucks flying their way.
I also know a few things about basketball, given my dad’s love of UNC basketball. (Let’s not talk about how I went to school at a rival university.) In basketball, the team switches between offense and defense throughout the game. So they have to know how to be effective at both roles.
Being a Project Manager and a Scrum Master are two different roles. Can you really excel at both?
Possibly. But I think it’s incredibly rare.
When you think about well-known athletes, even basketball players, the majority of them are known for one area of expertise. One that they’ve studied over time, crafted, and built excellence in. They may have complementary skills from other positions, or even other sports. But in a single second at any given time, they are focusing on one role.
Same with the Scrum Master role. You may be a Scrum Master/Project Manager, Scrum Master/Program Manager, Scrum Master/Developer or even – and let’s hope not – a Scrum Master/Product Owner.
In fact, the Scrum Guide has begun to shy away from language that describes the Scrum Master as being its own role, instead choosing to use Scrum Master as an “accountability.”
The dual Scrum Master/Project Manager role presents particular difficulty in that the values and practices of Scrum often directly contradict important skills, traits, and practices that contribute to the success of traditional Project Managers.
As much as we pride ourselves in multi-tasking, in the spirit of Kanban, we know we do our best work when we are able to focus. And I hope whatever that role you’re focusing on, it’s where your heart and your expertise lie.
And not just a slash at the end of your job title.
Photo by Nathanaël Desmeules on Unsplash.