I Am Torn: Should a Scrum Master Be Technical or Not?

(Germany)

April 8, 2024

TL; DR: The Technical Scrum Master

I am torn: Should a Scrum Master be technical or not?

A Scrum Master's technical and domain knowledge of their team’s field of work has benefits. However, there are also disadvantages.

So, what should it be?

The Technical Scrum Master — Stefan Wolpers

Advantages of Technical Scrum Masters

There are benefits of a Scrum Master having technical and domain knowledge of their team’s field of work:

Effective Communication: Scrum Masters with technical knowledge bridge the gap between teams and stakeholders, translating complex concepts into understandable language for alignment.
Faster Problem Solving: Technical Scrum Masters understand team challenges, facilitating quicker solutions and guiding in overcoming obstacles.
Empowered Coaching: Domain-savvy Scrum Masters offer relevant coaching, aligning Agile principles with domain needs and aiding decision-making.
Enhanced Collaboration: Technical Scrum Masters promote collaboration, facilitating discussions, knowledge sharing, and cross-functional cooperation.
Adaptive Planning: Domain-aware Scrum Masters aid in practical Product Backlog refinement, leading to improved Sprint outcomes.

Disadvantages of Technical Scrum Masters

Moreover, there are also disadvantages:

Overemphasis on Technical Details: A technical Scrum Master might focus excessively on technical aspects, neglecting holistic team dynamics and Agile principles.
Limited Skill Set: Technical expertise can overshadow essential soft skills, hindering effective coaching, conflict resolution, and stakeholder interaction.
Narrow Perspective: A technical Scrum Master might struggle to grasp diverse domain intricacies, leading to biased decisions and incomplete problem-solving.
Role Confusion: Balancing technical contributions and Scrum Master responsibilities can create role confusion and compromise team facilitation.
Less Flexibility: A technical Scrum Master might rigidly enforce technical practices, hindering experimentation and adaptation to new methodologies or approaches.

What is your take? Please share your thoughts via the comments! 🙏

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Comments (4)

axelwf

01:41 pm April 9, 2024

My impression is that you are mixing up the Scrum Master role with the Product Owner role... Negotiating with stakeholders and leading the backlog refinement are two things I feel that the Product Owner is responsible for rather than the Scrum Master. I think the soft skills of coaching, knowledge sharing etc are more important than the technical knowledge for a Scrum Master, however it is much easier to communicate with team members when you speak the same language. It also helps identify road locks on a more detailed level, and when discussing issues or proposing solutions outside of the own team, I consider it essential to know exactly what is being proposed and how it will affect... things. Technical things.

B.D. Softley

02:09 pm April 9, 2024

As someone who has worked in a development role, I question the common opinion that people with a technical have “Limited Skill Set”, or “Narrow Perspective”. Technical people, particularly those of us who have worked with business stakeholders, are often able to see both user pain points and technical issues. This allows for more effective communication and often removing obstacles faster. A common issue I have seen is SP & PO’s rewording questions and requests from developers only to inadvertently changing the message leading to significant confusion and lost time.

Missy Crowell

04:28 pm April 9, 2024

I think a balance is important. I am currently SM and not a developer but I have enough technical knowledge so that I understand, but I couldn’t do the delivery team’s tasks. I was previously a delivery team member that focused on user requirements and innovation, so that background really helps with this role. Without some technical knowledge I feel like I would just be a glorified assistant scheduling meetings etc

1m 1r

11:01 am April 10, 2024

It's a false dilemma, and arguments are mostly childish and made up