By Rajeswari (Raje) Kailasam,
It is now common for team members to step into the role of
ScrumMaster. They have figured out how to facilitate/navigate through ceremonies,
know to create the right artifacts at the right time, and have learned to
escalate the ideal issues to the right audience.
But does that make them true ScrumMasters? True ScrumMasters
learn to look beyond the issues they face. They learn to turn issues around and
understand why they originated. They seek to find the true causes of all
issues.
In the deserts of Saudi Arabia, camels can smell packed
alfalfa grass in travelers' backpacks from miles away. They gravitate toward
them, wanting to eat that fresh-smelling grass. I would love our ScrumMasters
to be intuitive, like the camels. Not simply focused on the survival of the
team, but always going where they know the solution exists. Or where there is a
reasonable cause for a problem to start.
How does a ScrumMaster learn to master Scrum?
The first big success factor is by being aware, by being
like the camels of the deserts. Camels have developed an innate ability to
smell water. Water is what they are always craving. They practice smelling
water. They memorize its smell. They smell water in everything that has
moisture. They have developed the art of being aware of water.
A true ScrumMaster, in his or her heart, develops an acute
sense of awareness. She observes. Learns. Reiterates what she has learned and
practices it. Maybe she has learned that her team works well on one day, so she
will not just stop at expecting the team to repeat that performance. She will
create an environment where those success factors can be repeated. She will
learn to modify and adjust as needed and still help them be consistent. She
will learn to become a master of this situation and then not be afraid to
experiment with making small new changes. At the same time, she is aware that
one small change of habit can cause a huge shift. If it is in the right
direction, she will not be afraid to make that small shift.
Thus to truly become aware, our ScrumMasters can practice
some of the following steps regularly:
- Observe what catches your eye.
- Learn about it thoroughly.
- Pause and think deeply about what you have learned.
- Acknowledge the changes that need to be made.
- Accept responsibility for all the ripple effects and unintended consequences that will occur.
Make the change. Practice what you have learned. And repeat
as needed!
Source: www.scrumalliance.com
