Hello, Scrum Masters! Not only current SM, but all who want to have a significant career milestone in Agile universe. And this is one huge step. Let’s remind this important fact: The World Economic Forum has named the Scrum Master as one of the top three emerging job roles in Product Development (source: Jobs of Tomorrow 2020).
In previous articles, we talked about some useful coaching tips for all Scrum Masters and how one Scrum Master can improve productivity of one Scrum team.
But what about Practice?
We are witnesses that the demand for skilled and certified Scrum Masters is seen to be growing across industries including IT, telecommunications, education, retail, oil, finance & banking, insurance, consulting and government. Also, in order to become a real Scrum Master Sensei you need to consider Scrum Master Certification that is nowadays mandatory by many companies.
”In study, which appeared in Psychological Science in 2014, researchers analyzed the results of 88 different studies of practice and performance in numerous areas including business, music, sports, education, professions, and games. All of these studies involved looking at people who were acquiring a new skill.
The researchers assessed factors including how much the people practiced and how good they eventually became at the new skill. Just how big of a role did practice really play? Not surprisingly, practicing a new skill does have an important role in the learning process.’’
So, for all Scrum roles, but mostly for Scrum Masters and their upgraded colleagues Advanced Scrum Masters it’s crucial to say – learning while you’re doing. Most of the Scrum Masters, freshly certified have these common problems:
#1 Don’t know how to deal with real problems
Team and organizations face challenges at all phases of their Agile implementations, from team-level execution and delivery to higher-level strategy and leadership. It is of sufficient interest for an organization to achieve Agility that people at all levels understand Agile principles and be educated about Agile processes like Scrum. In this process, it is very important to have a Scrum simulation.
#2 Don’t know how to do a proper Retrospective
For the success of the Scrum implementation, a quality Retrospective is a necessary element that often does not get enough attention. And this step is as well as important as other Scrum events.
#3 Don’t know how to deal with Teams
And we say that Coaching is a very useful discipline, but mostly – mindset through the whole process. A great Scrum Master is an authentic Coach where he/she understands the fundamental psychological concepts that help understand and transform individual behavior such as emotional intelligence, mindset, and empathy.
Best ways to practice during your Scrum Master career and after finishing Certified courses?
Whether we’re talking about Scrum simulation, Retrospective (or other Scrum event) or Coaching – these challenges can be solved through proper practice.
But how:
- Spend time early on becoming familiar with the process and tools you need to perform the skill.
- Vary your practice sessions early on to help maintain interest and enjoyment.
- Be courageous and don’t be afraid to make mistakes; research has shown that optimal learning often requires making errors.
- Remember that exploration is an important part of learning any new skill.
While practice might not necessarily make your skills perfect, it certainly is still an important piece of the learning puzzle.
But, what if you are a Scrum Master and you’re thinking about the next step?
Let’s say that 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, we’re all growing and pushing our 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. Especially if you’re working with Certified Trainers. 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.