What is a scrum master?

kburns

What are the top most important qualities that a scrum master should have?

Answer this Question

Answers

2 total
jimlynch
Vote Up (16)

Hi kburns,

Here's a definition from Wikipedia's article about Scrum:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrum_(development)#Core_Scrum_roles

"ScrumMaster
Scrum is facilitated by a ScrumMaster, also written as Scrum Master, who is accountable for removing impediments to the ability of the team to deliver the sprint goal/deliverables. The ScrumMaster is not the team leader but acts as a buffer between the team and any distracting influences. The ScrumMaster ensures that the Scrum process is used as intended. The ScrumMaster is the enforcer of rules. A key part of the ScrumMaster’s role is to protect the team and keep them focused on the tasks at hand. The role has also been referred to as servant-leader to reinforce these dual perspectives."

Ty Kiisel
Vote Up (25)

For project teams working within an Agile environment, the Scrum Master role is equivalent to a more traditional project manager. However, because Scrum teams are more self-managing than traditional project teams, the Scrum Master's is more facilitator than traditional project manager. The three most important qualities a capable Scrum Master should possess are:

1. An effective Scrum Master needs to be a skilled communicator. Facilitating a successful project is his or her primary responsibility.

 

2. An effective Scrum Master needs the experience and political capital within the organization to remove impediments and eliminate roadblocks quickly, to ensure that projects finish on time. Most Agile projects work with a truncated timetable when compared to traditional projects, which requires quick action on the part of the Scrum Master when needed to help overcome a debilitating obstacle.

 

3. A skilled Scrum Master does not need to be a subject management expert. For example, I know several very capable Scrum Masters working with software development teams who are not developers themselves.

Ask a question

Join Now or Sign In to ask a question.
Companies of all sizes are beginning to reap the benefits of data analytics technology. If you're not up to speed yet, here are five ways that big data can benefit your business--and one precaution that may well thwart your big data plans.
Apple pays a fair share of the taxes it owes the U.S. and other nations, its CEO said Tuesday, despite criticism from U.S. senators that the company is ducking taxes by shifting profits to subsidiaries that the company does not consider tax residents of any nation.
Donations to WikiLeaks since January have only been enough to cover expenditures in essential infrastructure, such as servers, according to a transparency report.
Sprint Nextel has increased its offer to buy out Clearwire, bidding US$3.40 per share, to counter a competing offer by Dish Network.
Mobile operators collect huge amounts of data about how their subscribers use mobile data, and that information is starting to go on sale as targeted intelligence that enterprises can use to better reach consumers.
Amazon Web Services has finally received certification under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, which the company said will lower the cost of implementing its cloud services among government organizations and agencies in the U.S.
Vodafone's revenue dropped 4.2 percent for its fiscal year to March 31, because of tough economic conditions, particularly in Southern Europe.
The European Union may be trying to protect its telecom equipment industry with its recent threat to investigate China over networking equipment imports. But the move could end up hurting the chances of Western vendors intent on supplying technology to China's upcoming 4G services launch, according to analysts.
Directly licensing music from labels could let Apple and others offer music services which may be better for the listener, but potentially less profitable for recording artists
Google will retire its Checkout payment processing tool on Nov. 20, and warned retailers they will need to move to a different payment processing platform.
Join us:
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Tumblr

LinkedIn

Google+