All about the craft of scrum mastery.

I take inspiration from plenty of people online, and if you have followed this blog for any length of time, you will realize I am not afraid to cite my influences.  I have also been a big proponent of Scrum Mastery, a profession that requires more than showing up to the office.  This week, I want to discuss the craft and business of being a scrum master.

I have said before being a good developer is, in many respects, like being a good jazz musician. You can say the same about being a scrum master.  A scrum master must have some technical chops and be able to perform their duties regardless of the situation.  It would be best if you were prepared for anything and flexible enough for when the unexpected happens.  It is hours sitting around with developers active as a “rubber duck” to help them solve problems.  It is listening to them vent their frustrations. Finally, it is about continuous improvement.

It is a challenging job.  One moment, you are a therapist for a developer, and the next, you are disciplining a product owner who is not doing their job.  I have had moments of deep rage where I find myself shouting at my house plants.  The anger is contrasted with sublime satisfaction, knowing I am shipping software and helping the business meet customer needs. I have experienced every emotion between these two polls.  Each day is a new adventure and a series of emotions to experience.

Companies are looking for scrum masters at an increasing rate because they are struggling to meet increasingly challenging customer demands.  They are also attempting to take dysfunctional cultures and transform them into something where people are willing to innovate.  They want to turn the peasant farmers who labor in their cubicles and transform them into warrior poets.

It takes strange and caring people to lead this kind of charismatic change.  Ironically, these individuals are often entrepreneurs and iconoclasts who do not mesh with corporate culture.  I am sure every scrum master has a story about visiting the Vice-President's office to remove an impediment and ignore office politics.  I have discovered that most transgressions are forgiven if you get software into production.

So, being a scrum master is both a profession and a craft.  I would not have it any other way, and I want to help others understand this career.

Until next time.