Concepts
However, there are situations where it is more effective for the Scrum Master not to act as a facilitator. Given below are two such situations as requested, relevant to the advanced certified Scrum Master (A-CSM) examination.
1. Situation: The Team is Highly Self-Organized and Mature
In Scrum, one of the ultimate goals is to develop a self-organizing and mature team. According to the “2020 Scrum Guide,” such a group of individuals should be self-managing, meaning that they internally decide who does what, when, and how.
A mature and self-organizing team doesn’t require constant facilitation as it can resolve conflicts, make decisions, and work collaboratively without heavy intervention. The team can conduct Scrum events like Daily Scrum, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospectives on their own while maintaining the Scrum’s empiricism and values.
In this scenario, the Scrum Master should step back as a facilitator and act more as a coach. The Scrum Master’s focus should shift towards maintaining the Scrum framework integrity, fostering a positive and engaging environment, eliminating impediments that are external to the team, and working with other stakeholders to maximize value delivery.
Comparison:
- Highly Self-Organized Teams:
| Scrum Master as Facilitator | Scrum Master as Coach |
|---|---|
| Micromanaging the events and tasks | Providing guidance only when needed |
| Regular monitoring of task progress | Trusting the team to manage tasks |
| Resolving conflicts and making decisions | Guiding the team to solve conflicts and make decisions on their own |
2. Situation: Presence of Other Skilled and Trained Facilitators
There are instances where an organization or scrum team might have other skilled and trained facilitators. These could be Agile Coaches, Product Owners, or team members who have experience and training in facilitation.
Having a Scrum Master always facilitating can create dependency and may hinder taking other responsibilities like coaching, mentoring, teaching, or working with other stakeholders. In such a situation, Scrum Master needs to step back and let other capable individuals lead the facilitation process.
However, as a Scrum Master, it’s essential to ensure that the scrum principles are not compromised during the facilitation by others. Provide guidance and training to these individuals, if necessary, and be ready to step in if the situation demands.
Comparison:
- Presence of Other Skilled and Trained Facilitators:
| Scrum Master as Facilitator | Scrum Master as Collaborative Team Player |
|---|---|
| Always leading the facilitation | Encouraging and enabling others to facilitate |
| Creating dependency on Scrum Master | Fostering a cooperative and self-organizing team |
| Reduced time for other Scrum Master responsibilities | More time for other Scrum Master responsibilities, such as coaching, removing impediments |
In conclusion, while facilitation is a critical role of a Scrum Master, it is not absolute and etched in stone. Depending on the dynamics of team maturity or the presence of other skilled facilitators, a Scrum Master should be flexible to adapt and serve the best interests of the Scrum Team and the organization.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
True or False: The Scrum Master should always act as the facilitator for their Scrum Team regardless of the situation.
Which of the following situations should the Scrum Master NOT act as the facilitator?
- a) When the team has a conflict
- b) When the team is complacent
- c) When the Scrum Master has a personal stake in the outcome
- d) When the team is newly formed
The Scrum Master should step back from the facilitation role when their own interests are too closely linked to the outcomes.
- a) True
- b) False
Multiple Select: Which of the following conditions suggest that a Scrum Master should not act as the facilitator?
- a) When he/she becomes the decision maker
- b) When the Scrum Master is the product owner
- c) When the Scrum Master cannot be neutral
- d) When the Scrum Master is well acquainted with the team
True or False: The Scrum Master should step back from facilitation role when they are also the Product Owner.
If the Scrum Master may be overly biased towards one solution or can’t provide neutral facilitation, then he/she should not act as a facilitator.
- a) True
- b) False
If a Scrum Master is unable to manage personal bias, what should they do?
- a) Continue the facilitation regardless
- b) Step back from the facilitation role
- c) Discuss team issues with higher authorities
- d) All of above
Multiple Select: Which qualities are essential for a Scrum Master to be an effective facilitator?
- a) Neutrality
- b) Ability to make decisions
- c) Lack of interest in the outcome
- d) Ability to manage conflicts
In what circumstances should a Scrum Master step back from facilitation role?
- a) When they have a conflict of interest
- b) When the team is not listening to them
- c) When they are too busy
- d) All of the above
True or False: A Scrum Master should act as a facilitator even if they end up having a strong personal bias in the decision making process.
Multiple Select: Which of the following situations warrant a Scrum Master’s withdrawal from their facilitator role?
- a) A situation where they become the subject matter expert
- b) When their own interests can influence the outcome
- c) When the Scrum team is performative
- d) A newly-formed Scrum team
If the Scrum Master has a personal stake in the outcome, and supporting specific team members or solutions, they should:
- a) Remain as a facilitator
- b) Assume the role of the product owner
- c) Exclude themselves from the discussion
- d) Recuse themselves from the facilitator role.
Great article! One instance where the Scrum Master should not act as a facilitator is during conflict resolution among team members. It’s often best to let them resolve it themselves or bring in an external mediator.
Thanks for the insights! I also think when the Scrum Master is part of the conflict, they should not intervene as a facilitator.
Good point! Another situation is during highly technical discussions where the Scrum Master may not have the expertise. In such cases, it’s better to let SME (Subject Matter Experts) lead the discussion.
This was a very helpful post!
When large-scale architectural changes are being discussed, should the Scrum Master step aside?
I appreciate the blog post. I learned a lot!
Great post! In my experience, having an impartial facilitator helps keep the meeting balanced.
It’s an excellent point about conflict resolution. Sometimes the presence of the Scrum Master can escalate the issue.