Scrum Master
The Scrum Master is the accountability within Scrum responsible for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide, helping the team and organization understand Scrum theory and practice, and removing impediments.
Explanation
The Scrum Master serves the Scrum team by coaching team members in self-management and cross-functionality, helping the team focus on creating high-value increments, removing impediments, and ensuring all Scrum events are productive and timeboxed. The Scrum Master is not a traditional project manager and does not assign tasks or direct the team.
The Scrum Master also serves the Product Owner by helping find techniques for effective Product Backlog management, facilitating stakeholder collaboration, and helping establish empirical product planning. At the organizational level, the Scrum Master leads and coaches in agile adoption, helps employees and stakeholders understand Scrum, and removes barriers between stakeholders and the Scrum team.
PMI frames the Scrum Master as a servant leader, someone who leads by serving the team. On the exam, look for answers that emphasize coaching, facilitating, and removing impediments rather than directing or managing people.
Key Points
- •Accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide
- •Acts as a servant leader and coach, not a traditional manager
- •Removes impediments that block the team from delivering value
- •Facilitates Scrum events and helps the organization adopt agile practices
Exam Tip
When a question asks what the Scrum Master should do, favor answers about coaching, facilitating, and removing impediments over directing or making decisions for the team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
Scrum Framework
Scrum is a lightweight agile framework that uses fixed-length iterations called sprints, defined roles, events, and artifacts to help teams deliver complex products incrementally and iteratively.
Servant Leadership
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy in which the leader prioritizes serving the team, removing impediments, and empowering individuals to perform at their best.
Self-Organizing Teams
Self-Organizing Teams (also called self-managing teams in the 2020 Scrum Guide) are teams that determine the best way to accomplish their work without being directed by people outside the team.
Test your knowledge
Practice scenario-based questions on this topic with detailed explanations.