Hello, Scrum Masters! Hope you’re doing a great job and that you are inspired in your everyday journey called Scrum Framework. Let’s admit, this is one challenging journey with many impediments, but they’re teaching you a lesson, right?
Just a quick reminder – in the 2019 “Most Promising Jobs” overview by LinkedIn, Scrum master was ranked in 10th place, with 104% year over year job opening growth and a base salary of around $100,000.
In the previous article, we talked about some efficient Coaching tips for not only Scrum Masters, but those who are taking their careers to a next level. We hope you found these guidelines inspirational. In addition, more important is the fact how and why you’re working with the team and what benefits they can get by working with you? Now, we can give you examples of some methods, metrics or ways how to measure or estimate the performances of your team as a Scrum Master:
#1 Burndown Charts
Burndown Charts are a common tool to measure and visualize progress – they show the amount of work left to do in the remaining period of time. That means that Development Team should be updating their work remaining daily – Chart shows you visually where you are in current Sprint and will allow you to change priorities.
#2 Incorporate Agile Testing and Automation
Teams very often struggle with how to build and test Product in concept, as they are used to follow traditional testing practices that often start testing after code is frozen. One of the solutions is to accept automation and agile testing in order to stop delays in deploying tested features.
#3 Being Operationally Disciplined
You must admit – this is always challenging. It means adhering to a set of well-defined, proven and well-thought-out processes and consistently performing them correctly. In Agile, this means conducting Agile ceremonies diligently, such as having periodic meetings with stakeholders for planning, user acceptance and sprint reviews and daily Scrum meetings. All of these demands a lot of discipline and commitment from the team members.
#4 Sharing knowledge and experiences
This is very important on so many levels for each Scrum role. A team must exhibit the behavioral aspects of discipline, close collaboration, and commitment and be open to feedback during review and retrospective meetings. Sharing knowledge and experiences across teams is critical to get your entire organization up to speed as soon as possible. This frequently also builds relationships among teams and increases the success of an effective collaboration.
And, we can’t forget these aspects:
Workshops on coding guidelines, engineering practices are also great methods for motivating Development team for further efficient results. As a Scrum Master you shouldn’t forget to introduce a culture of celebrations, for example small, but significant presents for achieving the Sprint goal. The award should always be for the whole team, never for individuals. Can you remember any other equally great tool for measuring performance of the team?
According to Jurgen Appelo, our dear friend and fantastic Agile speaker who gave us examples of 10 motivators for team members you can adopt and apply within your organization:
- Curiosity: People have a variety of things to investigate and think about.
- Honor: People feel proud that their values are reflected in how they work.
- Acceptance: Colleagues approve of what they do and who they are.
- Mastery: Their work challenges their competence, but it is within their abilities.
- Power: There’s enough room for them to influence what happens in the world.
- Freedom: People are independent of others with their work and responsibilities.
- Relatedness: People have fulfilling social contacts with others in their work.
- Order: There are enough rules and policies for a stable environment.
- Goal: Their purpose in life or need for direction is reflected in the work.
- Status: Their position is good and is recognized by the people they work with.
In the end: What’s important?
Being a fantastic Scrum Master is an art. This can be fun, exciting and very rewarding career. Being able to look back on a successful project and thinking, “Look at what I helped the team create” is very satisfying. But, you’re all growing and pushing your limits, right?
So, Advanced Certified Course for Scrum Masters (A-CSM) is inevitable in the journey of one Scrum Master. This is a huge and serious step and requires will, discipline and enough good mood and energy. Working with Certified Trainers will give you enough enthusiasm for adopting and learning new stuff. Don’t hesitate, don’t be afraid and do it for yourself. The Agile world is so colorful and Scrum, as its part represents the brightest star in this fantastic Universe.
Have you prepared yourself for something new and extraordinary in your career?
This article is inspired and published on two blogs: www.agileconnection.com and www.agilecoachinginstitute.com Thank you for your inspiration guidelines.