Scrum + Hip Hop: Vol. 9
Ode to the Hype
Oh, the hype man/woman. The often overlooked, but invaluable role in Hip Hop. Like the name implies, they keep the crowd (and song) hype, but they also play a supporting role to the lead emcee. A hype man/woman can be a role always played by the same person, or one that can be traded off at each verse in crews with multiple emcees.
The archetype for the hype man/woman is without a doubt, Flavor Flav of Public Enemy. His quirky style, iconic clock necklace, and obnoxious catchphrase, “Yeah, Boi!” set him apart.
In Scrum, there are several dry, formulaic descriptions for the role of Scrum Master, but I think of it as a hype man, or hype woman. Sure, protect the team from distractions, remove obstacles, coach folks in the ways of Scrum like Yoda…
… but isn’t the most important takeaway “supporting the team?” Like a hype man/woman giving the lead emcee a chance to take a breath by interjecting a well-placed “Yeah, Boi!,” Scrum Masters help teams to breathe too. This is especially important when Scrum Masters coach multiple teams.
One of Agile’s key tenants is for teams to be self-organized, so just like a hype man/woman, Scrum Masters are supposed to let teams take the spotlight, and we hang out back in the pocket. It’s not our job to be center stage— though Flavor Flav released a solo album, and ended up landing his own reality TV show.
I hate the term “servant leader,” but there ya go. That’s what Lao-Tzu came up with, and a term that management likes to throw around like hot garbage. But what does that mean? I see it likened to Ben Linus leading The Others from the shadows.
But here’s what it gets interesting. Some Scrum Masters, especially former project managers who were told that’s their new role, act as enforcers. And after they took a class, or get their certification, hold on to your butts.
“I’m the one who’s certified. I got my CSM/PSM, so I know what’s what, and them’s the rules in the Scrum Guide.”
Scrum is purposefully simplistic. Teams are supposed to do the heavy lifting in figuring out how to apply it to their complex systems. Holding teams to the letter of a single individual’s interpretation is a slap in the face of what Agile is all about — especially if they constantly refer to the Scrum Guide in conversations. Scrum Masters who insist that their word is Agile law, and don’t act as mentors, are the impediments they’re supposed to be removing in the first place. From there, it’s not too many steps away from Abusive Agile.
If Flavor Flav constantly stepped over Chuck D’s lyrics during shows, knocked Terminator-X, or bad-mouthed Public Enemy because they didn’t rhyme enough about clocks, how long do you think it’d be before they asked to bounce? Is your Scrum Master ill, or hype?
