Monday, September 20, 2010

Leading by example - Playing Scrum Master in difficult scenario

Like a lot of people I have taken certification in scrum practice and understand it. Often for one reason or another we are asked to or made to abandon our Scrum Master hat.

I would like to be different, and I am ready to pay the price, Smilingly :). I am one of the few who is lucky to have a Great team, who loves me and adores me. And I mean Great, Guys who take responsibilities, don't shy way from additional loan when it comes. Guys who can solve any problem in the world. This bonding and building of Great team, happened due to lot of things I learn in my Scrum Master Training (Thanks to my coach Pette Deemers).

It was there where I learned to be a Servant, Body Guard and Coach for my team.

Quite recently it happened, I was asked to finish some fixed number of Goals in bug fixing sprint. The team worked fabulously and by half the sprint our first goal of 0 Defect looked close. Since this was the most important goal for the sprint, I asked the team to only focus on that till it look almost easily achievable. After half the sprint, I asked the guys to see if they can take up the other goals as well. And they did great on that, distributed it amongst themselves.

The came another Goal (disguising itself as stretched goal). Team has Priority 1,2,3,4 and Priority 5 gets added, asking them to start on it in parallel.

What do we do here? I am sure many of us have faced this situation and most of us give me.

For the greater good, its always worth stretching and giving in. But for a priority 5 goal, you need to take out and wear your scrum master hat.

I stood for the principle, its the team call to start with Goal 5 in parallel or get Goal 1,2,3,4 to delivery. Its more like Kanban, at one point in time, team will do X no of things not more.

Being Scrum Master is not easy not unless you put in your heart and job on the line. If I am trained to be a Scrum Master and payed to play the role of a Scrum Master, I should just play it.

Yes, today I was a Protector. Tomorrow, I have become a coach to show higher management the side me and my team can clearly see.

Chao,
Rohit

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