Explaining being a scrum master to civilians

One of the things that makes working in the 21st century so disheartening is that most people cannot easily describe their work.  During the Middle Ages, people were farmers, blacksmiths, nobles, or merchants.  The roles and job descriptions were easy to understand.  Today, the work of content curators and account managers creates plenty of ambiguity and misunderstanding.  This week on the blog, I want to clarify the definition of a scrum master.

The Elevator Pitch

People ask me what I do for a living when I am at social functions, networking events, or family gatherings.  I say scrum master, and I get a puzzled look. They ask me, “What kind of job is that?”

This is what I say.

“I build software and help developers and businesses develop software on time, on a budget, and with minimal bugs.”

The person nods and smiles once this sinks in and switches to a new topic.

The Scrum Master Syllabus

When I describe the job of a scrum master, it often looks like a college syllabus.

A good scrum master is:

• An excellent communicator with individuals, small groups, and the organization.
• They understand the agile manifesto and principles of Agile and practice them daily.
• They are a trainer and coach, improving product owners and developers at their jobs.
• They educate business leaders and stakeholders on how agile improves their business.
• They are good listeners
• They have grace under pressure
• They educate developers on TDD and SOLID development
• They are servant leaders
• They ship working software regularly.
• They make a goddamn difference.

These are the signs of a good scrum master, and I aspire to these goals daily.

The bottom line.

Being a scrum master is a hard job.  It is also a calling closer to being a priest or pastor than a software professional.  A good scrum master can reinforce your belief and faith in agile, or they can become a tool of oppression.  I have never been into oppression, and I want to be someone who makes a difference.  That is why I am a scrum master and why I have such high standards for the profession.

I hope this clears up any misunderstanding you might have.

Until next time.