Scrum Puppet Masters
Many Scrum Masters cross the line and unknowingly rob teams of self-management
Scrum champions the concept of self-managing teams, yet a paradox emerges as some Scrum Masters inadvertently adopt practices that starkly contrast with this principle. These actions unwittingly strip the team of their autonomy, self-organisation, and ownership, effectively undermining the very essence of Scrum.
Here are some common things Scrum Masters do that steals team’s self-management.
Facilitate events – The Scrum Master's micromanagement of Scrum events robs the team of any autonomy in organising and leading their own gatherings, stifling their initiative and decision-making abilities.
Coordinate sprints – By tightly controlling sprint planning and execution, the Scrum Master effectively neuters the development team's capacity to self-organize, making them passive participants in their own sprints.
Setting up the team – The Scrum Master's second-hand and unilateral decisions in team setup deny team members the opportunity to leverage their skills and first-hand knowledge of what they need, rendering the concept of team self-organisation meaningless.
Shield the team – By policing all external interactions, the Scrum Master infantilises the team, stripping them of the chance to manage their stakeholder relationships and shield themselves.
Go-to-Person – Centralizing communication through the Scrum Master cripples the team's ability to communicate directly, making them overly dependent and undercutting their autonomy.
Remove impediments – The Scrum Master's insistence on being the sole impediment remover teaches the team helplessness, discouraging them from taking the initiative and solving problems together.
Monitor team performance – By obsessively tracking productivity and performance, the Scrum Master undermines the team's trust, eroding their sense of responsibility and self-motivation to improve.
Compliance – The Scrum Master's strict enforcement of compliance and governance oversteps, turning the team into rule-followers rather than innovative problem-solvers who manage their work within a framework.
Prioritise work – Taking over the prioritisation of work, the Scrum Master disempowers the team, depriving them of the critical decision-making process central to agile self-management.
Responsible for delivery – By holding themselves solely responsible for delivery, the Scrum Master sidelines the team, undermining their sense of ownership and accountability for the sprint outcomes.
Manage scope and timelines – Dictating scope and timelines, the Scrum Master boxes the team into a corner, leaving them no room to navigate or adjust their course based on their insights, essentially turning them into workers rather than empowered team members.
Time manager – The Scrum Master's rigid enforcement of timeboxes pressures the team unnaturally, hampering their ability to manage their own time and work effectively at their own pace.
Best Practices - Forcing the team to use specific best practices and agile techniques robs them of the chance to find and adopt methods that work best for their situation, stifling innovation and team growth.
Retrospective Anchor – By unilaterally setting the topic for retrospectives, the Scrum Master strips the team of their voice and agency, reducing them to passive attendees rather than active participants in their improvement process.
One also sees the bad stances of Scrum Masters
Scrum Police – As the Scrum Police, the Scrum Master manages adherence to Scrum practices and rules, closely monitoring the team's processes and enforcing Scrum guidelines, thus managing the team's approach to Scrum and potentially stifling innovation and self-organisation.
Chairman – In the Chairman stance, the Scrum Master manages meetings and discussions, controlling the agenda, the flow of conversation, and decision-making processes. This management of dialogue and decisions can limit the team's ability to contribute to and own these processes.
Hero – Acting as the Hero, the Scrum Master manages to step in and solve problems for the team, taking charge of impediments and challenges. This approach to managing obstacles and issues can undermine the team's ability to develop problem-solving skills and resilience.
Scrum – In this role, the Scrum Master manages the application and interpretation of Scrum methodologies within the team, dictating how Scrum principles are implemented. This management of Scrum practices may prevent the team from adapting Scrum to their unique context in a way that fosters creativity and effectiveness.
Admin Clerk – As the Admin Clerk, the Scrum Master manages the team’s administrative tasks, such as keeping records, updating tools, and managing schedules. Managing these tasks reduces the team's responsibility for self-organisation in these areas.
Scribe – In the Scribe stance, the Scrum Master manages the documentation of meetings, decisions, and discussions, controlling the official record of what transpires within the team. This management of information documentation can discourage team members from actively participating in the documentation and owning the team's knowledge management.
Team Boss – As the Team Boss, the Scrum Master manages the team's directions and decisions, effectively leading and making key decisions. This management style can strip the team of the ability to self-manage, make decisions, and take ownership of their work and outcomes.
The detrimental impact of these practices is not limited to team dynamics. Still, it extends to the broader organisational culture, setting Scrum initiatives up for failure and potentially leading to negative returns on investment. As companies increasingly abandon Scrum, the recurring theme of misapplication and misunderstanding of its principles becomes evident. This trend highlights the urgent need for a shift in perspective among Scrum Masters and organisations alike.
Scrum Masters and organisations must recognise the destructive potential of outdated management practices applied to the Scrum framework. The current trajectory of agile and Scrum in the market serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of such practices. Instead of clinging to counterproductive habits, there is a compelling need to foster awareness, challenge prevailing norms, and lead organizations towards successfully implementing Scrum.
This call to action is not about antagonising management but about inspiring a collective effort towards effective leadership and genuine servant leadership. The question posed to Scrum Masters and agile coaches, "Are you a true servant-leader or merely a micromanager in disguise?" underscores the importance of self-reflection and commitment to the principles of Scrum. It's time for a paradigm shift, one that embraces the essence of Scrum to foster innovation, efficiency, and genuine organisational growth.
Now, go do some self-reflection and start helping others become true servant-leaders who empower teams to be self-managing.