“The Scrum Master is the conductor of agility, transforming the cacophony of challenges into a symphony of collaborative success.”
Scrum Masters play an essential role within any agile team. They are responsible for facilitating the scrum process, removing obstacles, and helping the team deliver value. However, getting started as a Scrum Master can be intimidating, especially if you are new to agile or joining a new team.
Two common questions:
I’m often asked by new Scrum Masters about two common questions: “I took CSM or PSM training. Now I’m certified, but I don’t know where to start. Can you help me?” “Every time I start as a Scrum Master in a new team, I feel a little lost. Can you guide me?”
The personal Kanban board:
The first thing I recommend to all Scrum Masters when starting with a new team or organization is to set up a “personal kanban board”. This will help them track their activities and ensure they stay on track.
A personal kanban board is simply a visual representation of your work. It can be as simple or complex as necessary. However, there are a few key points that all personal kanban boards should include:
- Columns : Your kanban board should have at least three columns: “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.”
- Work Items : Each work item must represent a single task or activity to be completed.
- Limits : You should set limits on the number of work items you can have in each column. This will help you stay focused and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
20 activities for your personal Kanban board:
Here are 20 activities you can add to your personal Kanban board to begin your work as a Scrum Master:
- Learn team processes and procedures.
- Meet with the team to understand their goals and priorities.
- Facilitate the scrum process.
- Eliminate obstacles.
- Help the team improve their communication and collaboration.
- Coach the team on agile principles and practices.
- Support the team in their work.
- Collect feedback from the team.
- Make improvements to the scrum process.
- Defend the team.
- Stay up to date with agile trends and best practices.
- Participate in conferences and workshops.
- Read books and articles on agility.
- Contribute to the agile community.
- Become a certified Scrum Master.
- Start a blog or podcast about agility.
- Write a book on agility.
- Start an agile consulting firm.
- Teach agile workshops.
- Become an agile thought leader.
Conclusion :
Getting started as a Scrum Master can be a daunting task, but it’s also an incredibly rewarding one. By following these tips, you can set yourself up for success and make a real difference in the lives of your team members.
References :
- The Scrum Guide: https://scrumguides.org/
- Personal Kanban: https://personalkanban.com/
- The Agile Manifesto: https://agilemanifesto.org/