A little empathy goes a long way.

As a scrum master, one of the most important qualities you can have is empathy. It is a special quality that allows you to put yourself in someone else’s situation and understand the world from their perspective. It means operating outside your comfort zone. Today, I would like to discuss the importance of empathy for a scrum master.

Working for a large organization is challenging.  Employees often feel alienated from their work and coworkers. I think a significant reason for this situation is that many people in leadership roles do not understand what it takes to provide their organization's goods and services.  These leaders are good at managing budgets and capacity but little else. It is where empathy matters.  As a leader, you need to walk a mile in another person’s shoes.  If a leader cannot do that in reality, then they must attempt the thought experiment to see the world from the perspective of the employee.

When a leader sees the organization from the perspective of the people interacting with customers several changes take place.  First, they see the people doing the work as people instead of resources who are disposable.  Next, they understand the systems and equipment the employees are using might not be meeting the customers' needs.  Another by-product of this exercise is that leadership understands how long it actually takes to build something.  It gives leadership insight into which deadlines are real and which are fiction.  Finally, leaders discover which activities generate value and which ones do not.

Early in my career, a mentor I respected said I should never order someone to do something I would not do myself.  I still follow those directions today.  This is why I go to meetings: so my coders get a chance to write software.  It is why I fill out expense forms and project requests; so the people doing the work do not have to do it.  It is part of the servant leadership I try to practice each day. So have, some empathy for the people who work for you.  You will be surprised by what you might discover.

Until next time.