Scrum Master Training: Complete Tutorial
What is Scrum?
Scrum is agile development framework for managing product development. It is
flexible and holistic product development approach. In this methodology
development and QA teams work as one unit.
In this tutorial, we wil learn-
What is Scrum?
What is Scrum Master?
What is Scrum master is not?
Scrum Master Skills
Characteristic of the Good Scrum master
Daily Activities of Scrum master:
Best practices for Scrum master
Why is Scrum master's role is difficult?
Certified Scrum Master
Scrum Master Career Progression
What is Scrum Master?
Scrum master is a person who helps other people to understand Scrum and serves
the project team by removing obstacles. He also helps in simplifying project
complexities.
The Scrum master also needs to make sure that development team works based on
the core values of Scrum. He is often considered a coach for the team, helping the
team do the best work they possibly can. Moreover, he ensures that the Scrum
adoption is successful in the enterprise.
Scrum master acts as a heart of Scrum project. He needs to perform responsibilities
like:
Scrum Master needs to assure that team meets its business objectives
Scrum Master fosters collaborative environment in the team
The Scrum master does the planning, team backlog grooming, sprint demo,
sprint retrospective.
Guides Scrum processes and helps to maintain integrity of Scrum values
Promote improved engineering practices like TDD, automated testing and
continuous integration.
Making sure that every stakeholder should be present at the meeting at the
given time
Works together with other team members to ensure dependencies and risk
are distributed across Scrum teams.
Conducting feasibility studies, writing & validating specifications.
What is Scrum master is not?
The Scrum master is not a project manager. Both roles are different in the agile
process. He will not guide a team in every phase of the development. He is neither
responsible for any technical decision nor for managing the business with clients. He
will never lead the team or make decisions on behalf of the team.
Scrum Master Skills
The Scrum master is a very important person in the agile Scrum process. He should
have multiple skills including technical, scrum process and soft skills.
Scrum master must know different techniques and practices to manage self-
organizing teams. He should show honesty, integrity, trust, and respect for the team.
He should have expertise in Agile, IT coaching, and presentation. Moreover, Scrum
master should able to schedules meetings in such a way that it doesn't affect the
regular work of the team members.
Characteristic of the Good Scrum master
Following are important characteristics of Scrum master:
Servant-Leader: Servant leadership is a social leadership style. Scrum master act
as a servant leader to attain project objectivies through service to others.
Morale booster: The Scrum master also acts as a Morale booster by encouraging
the team to do their work more effectively.
Facilitator: Scrum master plays a role of facilitator as he helps the team to
understand their common project-related objective. He also assists the team to
achieve these objectives while remaining neutral.
Coach: Scrum masters coaches the team to become self-organized and also guides
them on the path of continuous improvement.
Agent: Scrum master also plays a role of an agent which helps to make the
necessary changes allowing a better implementation of Scrum.
Mentor: The Scrum Master should share his knowledge, experiences, and even his
opinions just like a mentor.
Remover of obstacles: Scrum master should remove all the obstacles preventing
the development team to work in the best conditions.
Manager of the framework: The Scrum Master is also responsible for the
framework within which the team works.
Observer: He needs to constantly observe everything even the smallest activities of
the team members.
Daily Activities of Scrum master:
Activity 1: Capacity and velocity planning using spreadsheet and Jira.
Activity 2: Determine implementable stories available with points remaining from
the sprint review.
Activity 3: Review previous sprint velocity along with the team.
Activity 4: Estimating teams' capacity
Activity 5: Calculating number of points completed by team
Activity 6: The team member provides all known tasks and estimates task effort
within an hour. Scrum Master should ensure task given to members are never above
their capacity.
Activity 7: Scrum master also needs to ensure that the tasks in never more than 16
hours. If at all it is bigger then that he should tell the team to make it in the break
them down.
The above is just a small sample of the many activities a Scrum Master is involved
in.
Best practices for Scrum master
Scrum master should listen to all the queries of developers, project manager,
and owner to understand their issues.
He should entrust his unwavering faith in his team members that they will
complete the allocated work.
Scrum master should avoid doing multitasking in his/her work
He should give respect even to the smallest team member and listen to
everyone's perspective.
Show genuine appreciation to the team for their successful accomplishments
Why is Scrum master's role is difficult?
First of all, management of large size self-organizing teams is not an easy task. It
needs lots of willpower. Scrum master often needs to manage conflicts between
team members and project manager.
He may head the entire Scrum management project still he remains without any
power. Scrum master also needs to learn about motivation, communication,
behavioral economics and a whole host of other social science which surely needs
lots of time outside of his job.
Certified Scrum Master
In order, to become a professional Scrum Master, you need to clear Certified Scrum
Master exam known as CSM. This certificate helps the candidate to understand
Scrum values, practices, applications, and provides a level of knowledge and
expertise.
Prerequisite for CSM Training
Although there is no eligibility criteria set for CSM certification, it is always advisable
that you should have some understanding of the Scrum principles and possess a
working knowledge of the overall Scrum process.
What are the benefits of a Scrum Master certification?
Here, are some benefits of having CSM certificate
Helps you to grow your career by staying relevant and marketable across all
industry sectors
A CSM program is designed to teach enhanced skills for better
implementation of Scrum
CSM certification also provides an opportunity to stand out among global
Scrum community.
This training helps a person to learn about work environment which is useful
for company's growth.
The CSM certification helps the professional to engage with a Scrum expert.
With this certification, the person will get access to local groups, networks and
two years membership with Scrum Alliance.
CSM Course objectives
Scrum basics and core values
Should able to start using Scrum with complete ease
Learn how to know when to implement Scrum
Scrum meetings, including the Sprint Retrospective, Sprint Review, and
Release Planning.
How the Scrum framework different from to other methods like Waterfall and
Agile
Scrum artifacts like Product and sprint Backlog, and Burndown Charts
Steps to clear CSM certification
After completing training, Scrum certification candidate needs to-
Step 1) Person needs to complete online evaluation exam. This exam covers topics
like Scrum technology, practices, and principles.
Step 2) After successful completion of the exam he/she will receive certified Scrum
master certification from Scrum alliance.
Step 3) Person becomes an official member of Scrum Alliance and can work as
professional Scrum master.
Scrum Master Career Progression
There are many opportunities for growth in career as a Scrum Master
1. Scrum master
It is the first rank that any person will get after the completion of the CMS certificate.
He needs to work in this position at least one year to five-year duration. Here, he
needs to perform all the assigned role of Scrum master.
2. Senior Scrum master
From Scrum Mastet you progress to Sr. Scrum Master. To become Senior Scrum
Master, one should gather advanced knowledge of Scrum best practices and how to
implement them in teams.
3. Agile coach
From Senior Scrum Master you transition to Agile Coach. To become an Agile
coach, you need 5years + knowledge as a Scrum Master and at least one year
experience of mentoring and coaching.
Summary:
Scrum is agile development framework for managing product development.
The Scrum master is a person who helps other people to understand Scrum
and helps the team by removing obstacles.
The Scrum master do the planning, team backlog grooming, sprint demo,
sprint retrospective.
Scrum master should have the skill of arranging meetings in such a way that it
does not affect the regular work of the team.
CSM is an exam to become professional Scrum master.
There are many career opportunities for a person for growth like Scrum
Master, Sr. Scrum Master and Agile coach.
