Scrum skills have been becoming very popular in recent times. But the Scrum master is also human and it is common for him to commit mistakes as well, especially if he is new in the field. But they can be prevented easily to avoid further risks. Below mentioned are some of the most common mistakes in the IT industry that a scrum master can commit and how to prevent them
- Scrum master taking decision for the entire team
No matter how much skillful the scrum master may be, he is not responsible to decide for the entire team. Teamwork is only promoted when all the members are equally involved in the decision making the process as all the members will be having specific job roles and responsibilities.
- Not raising the issues early
One of the prime benefits of scrum methods is that it helps in early detection of issues thus helping in early solving of the same. This helps to reduce both production time and costs. Not raising the issues early can only delay the production and incur more costs at later stages of the project development in the IT industry.
- Considering the transformation to be easy
The transformation from the traditional ways of production to the agile scrum methods is not easy and requires dedicated efforts. The scrum master must consciously convey this message to the entire team and help them adapt to the changing principles and methodologies. This is necessary for quicker incorporation of the agile skills throughout the scrum team.
- Not sticking to the principles
The principles of scrum are the only reasons to opt for a certification. The entire purpose is washed off if the principles are not implemented during the meetings. It includes feeling up the job roles, proper communication, early risk mitigation, and a lot of other factors. It helps to bring in long term benefits. The principles are much easy to say than to maintain but it is essential to follow them to avoid frustration. It is all about the culture and interaction of the people, not the processes, tools, and practices.
- Reduced daily stand-ups
Daily stand-ups are of utmost importance, especially for discussion of issues and consulting on new ways to develop the progress of the project. No matter if it is just for 15 minutes, but a daily sprint is essential to promote the transparency of the project. That includes all, the scrum team, the stakeholders and anyone else responsible or linked to the project.
- The absence of product owner
The role of a product owner can be time-consuming but it is one of the most essential roles in the entire production process. The ones who are just taking up the role may lack the knowledge of how important the commitment is or why it is so important to stay involved in the process. The absence of a product owner can increase production time greatly. The scrum methodology works best when all the ones involved in the project collaborated equally.
- Taking the responsibility for project delivery alone
It is a wrong initiative for the scrum master to take up the project delivery responsibility all alone. This is because the entire team is involved in the project and he should not try to control the team. The Scrum Master Certification helps them to develop the skills of an agile methodology that they can share with the team but by no chance can take up all duties of all those involved in the process.
- Scrum master acting as the mediator
A Scrum Master Certification works to teach the importance of teamwork. It is common for the scrum team members to deliver messages through the scrum master to the other individuals involved in the project. But it is something that must be avoided. Face-to-face communication is the best way to avoid any sort of miscommunication and ensure smooth productivity. A simple e-mail can solve the complexities, especially among the technical people.
- Scrum master acting as a project manager
The mentality of commanding to control the team is strictly against the concept of developing an agile system. It is against the pattern of the agile framework when a leader takes the initiative to assign tasks to the members and dictate their efforts. Self-organization is the main aim of agile teams and it is necessary for the scrum master to remember that he is a servant leader. Working together is the only way to boost productivity and provide better value for efficient inspection and adaption of the latest production ways.
- Complicating the startup
It is another one of the common mistakes that affect the projects. It is necessary to keep things simple as much as possible, especially for agile startups. It is not necessary to incorporate all the recent and coolest tools with the best lifecycle for collaborating with the project. Wall stickies, spreadsheet tasks and burn-down charts that are generated manually can serve the purpose as well. It is a wrong concept that focusing on tooling up that can be run for the project is more necessary than getting the right people for the project.
