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 CSM 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.