Member-only story
A Tough Reminder About Being A Scrum Master
Series: Why Explaining Scrum Shouldn’t Be This Hard
Monday was… intense.
Even though it was Monday, it already felt like Friday. Not because the week flew by, but because I’ve already burned through a week’s worth of energy in a single day.
I had 16 meetings. Sixteen. I bounced through chats, aligned plans, handled good news, bad news, concerning news, and really concerning news. It was a full-blown emotional rollercoaster, the kind that leaves you wondering if you dreamed it all.
But one moment stuck with me. One that left me thinking long after I closed my laptop.
I started my day bright and early, coffee in hand, ready to interview a senior Project Manager. He’s applying for a Senior Scrum Master position, and I was genuinely looking forward to the conversation. I kicked things off with a simple question, one I’ve used many times:
“Imagine you’re a Scrum Master joining a brand-new team and organization. What do you focus on at the beginning of the project? What about halfway through? And at the end?”
It’s my go-to question because it reveals more than just knowledge — it gives me a peek into their mindset, their storytelling, and their experience in action.
He smiled and nodded, and then proceeded to answer in a very structured, bullet-point style. In fact, I asked him to write his thoughts on a Miro board to help him connect his ideas. And here’s what he said:
At the beginning:
- Get to know the team personally and understand their technical strengths
- Run team-building activities
- Calibrate the first two Sprints to measure the team’s real velocity
- Involve client stakeholders in the project’s dynamics
Midway through the project:
- Evaluate team members’ behavior dynamically
- Give motivational feedback to help them grow
- Listen to team suggestions
- Collect client feedback regularly
At the end:
- Evaluate the business impact of the deliveries
