Skip to main content

Scrum Master Less

Last post 07:46 pm July 12, 2018 by XXX Elgharably
7 replies
07:37 pm July 4, 2018

Is Less made the roles and responsibilities for scrum master fewer ?

As now we are using Less, we have 2 teams with 2 scrum masters X and Y. X is acting to lead Y also. X is the only one who attends the backlog refinement, sprint planning 1 , communicating with POs, and also attending the overall retrospective. While Y is only facilitating the calls for his/her team

Is this right? Y is feeling that he/she is not doing his/her job? How can we fix this? Is this Less for?


06:32 pm July 5, 2018

Scrum is a lightweight framework. As long as you don't remove or invalidate anything that is part of Scrum, you can add extra complexity on top. 

Using a scaling framework on top of Scrum should therefore not take anything away from the role of a Scrum Master. In fact, the added complexity is likely to mean that the Scrum Masters have more to do.

X is acting to lead Y also. X is the only one who attends the backlog refinement, sprint planning 1 , communicating with POs, and also attending the overall retrospective. While Y is only facilitating the calls for his/her team

In this case, it sounds like Y is not serving, or being allowed to serve as the Scrum Master, because X is doing so instead. Why has this system been put in to place?

If you read the Scrum Guide, how much do you find that isn't currently being followed or done correctly in your organization?

 


07:39 am July 6, 2018

Thanks so much @simon 

Here is what Y does not do, especially X is adding himself as a layer to POs, and others .  PO not in the same country of Y ,

  • Finding techniques for effective Product Backlog management;
  • Helping the Scrum Team understand the need for clear and concise Product Backlog items; ≈
  • Ensuring the Product Owner knows how to arrange the Product Backlog to maximize value;

Scrum Master Service to the Development Team

  • Removing impediments to the Development Team’s progress (Scrum master  y does not do this, we have another person acting like TL who is doing so)

Scrum Master Service to the Organization

  • Helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact Scrum and empirical product development;
  • Working with other Scrum Masters to increase the effectiveness of the application of Scrum in the organization.( scrum master X always take decisions by himself, and he just informs scrum master y by changes, and new processes

 

My issue and my question how we should we fix this? Now we are sure that Y does not do his job. Taking into consideration that y is not in the same location of POs and this one of the worst thing. Should we bring other scrum master than Y as this model is not going to work? As X is always saying that the issue all the meeting is done offshore.


01:56 pm July 6, 2018

Have you spoken to X about this, and asked how he/she intends to help Y become more capable and proficient as a Scrum Master? Also, what transparency do X and Y intend to put over organizational impediments they cannot resolve, such as geographical dislocation?

Part of a Scrum Master’s role is to be an organizational coach, and that includes coaching other SM’s when necessary.


04:02 pm July 6, 2018

Yes, I did. But X only thinks that this is the only best way even I mentioned before he can have a scrum master from the allocated country but he also is not in favor of this decision.

And The only thing he is thinking can help Y about his/her career that experience he/she can take from the vague environment. I only think about is  the role of scrum master to resolve impediment and to have an open environment. Y cant do this because he/she is trapped into the unknown( not knowing the plan - not knowing the strategy, and does not even know the decisions that took place while he should be the one who steers all that)


04:14 pm July 7, 2018

X is the only one who attends the backlog refinement, sprint planning 1 , communicating with POs, and also attending the overall retrospective. (...) X is always saying that the issue all the meeting is done offshore.

Sounds like, keeping in mind Scrum Values of transparency and respect, X and Y should collaborate to make these meetings more inclusive. Does your company provide an infrastructure that would help to make seamless vide-conferences possible?


09:43 pm July 9, 2018

I think it should be noted that this is not a reflection of a recommended LeSS scaling strategy, but more of an organizational Scrum impediment related to one Scrum Master assuming a leading role and relegating other Scrum Masters to positions of less responsibility.


07:46 pm July 12, 2018

Thanks so much for all your replies.

Now I am sure it is not LeSS.


By posting on our forums you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.

Please note that the first and last name from your Scrum.org member profile will be displayed next to any topic or comment you post on the forums. For privacy concerns, we cannot allow you to post email addresses. All user-submitted content on our Forums may be subject to deletion if it is found to be in violation of our Terms of Use. Scrum.org does not endorse user-submitted content or the content of links to any third-party websites.

Terms of Use

Scrum.org may, at its discretion, remove any post that it deems unsuitable for these forums. Unsuitable post content includes, but is not limited to, Scrum.org Professional-level assessment questions and answers, profanity, insults, racism or sexually explicit content. Using our forum as a platform for the marketing and solicitation of products or services is also prohibited. Forum members who post content deemed unsuitable by Scrum.org may have their access revoked at any time, without warning. Scrum.org may, but is not obliged to, monitor submissions.