Understanding the scrum master role in agile
A Scrum Master takes on a front-and-center role in Agile. He/she is responsible for making sure teams correctly follow the rules and principles that govern scrum.
Part motivational speaker, part coach and manager, the scrum master roles involves monitoring and resolving any issues that may arise throughout the course of development. naturally, because of this, he also works very closely with the product owner.
Here are a few characteristics of a good Scrum Master:
1. Facilitator: The Scrum Master’s job is to deliver maximum value to the customer. A highly effective Scrum Master does this by making sure that all involved have the resources they need, are communicating well, and are shielded from distractions and interruptions.
2. Focused & goal oriented: Most projects will require work to be completed in short amounts of time. These tight dealines and timeframes help motivate the team and keep them focused on attaining their goals. During this time, the Scrum Master is responsible for keeping these goals clear and visible to teams. This may involve frequent “check-ins” and meetings, and daily standups.
3. Leadership: Scrum Masters, have the challenging responsibility to lead their teams to victory. They need to find effective ways to communicate project visions, that inspires their team to achieve greatness. Other qualities of effective leaders include, fairness, honesty and overall integrity.
Here is a great video to help you understand the scrum master role:
Related blog posts:
Scrum Methodology vs. Agile Methodology
Agile Adoption Statistics 2012
Waterfall vs. Agile