How to Onboard a Scrum Master in 7 Weeks
Imagine That..
You’re bringing in a legendary quarterback. Their arm strength and game sense are unmatched, but without learning your team’s strategy and building trust with their teammates, they won’t win championships. That’s the essence of onboarding a Scrum Master.
It’s not just about filling a gap. It’s about strategically integrating their expertise into your team and supercharging their performance.
This 7-week guide provides a roadmap to get your Scrum Master up to speed, ensuring they become a valuable asset from day one.
Week 1: Welcome & Introduction
This week focuses on getting your new Scrum Master settled in, feeling comfortable with the company culture, and introducing them to the team they’ll be working with.
Company & Culture:
- Welcome & Intro: Meet the team, learn the company story, mission, and values. See how these values guide daily work and the Scrum Master’s role.
- Team & Structure: Understand the company structure and how the Scrum Master interacts with different teams.
Become a Team Player:
- Meet the Squad: Get introduced to teammates, their roles, and specialties. Build connections through one-on-ones and informal interactions.
- Project Dive: Access project docs (reports, backlogs, roadmaps) and have dedicated walkthrough sessions with the team.
By Week’s End:
⚡ Your Scrum Master will have a strong grasp of the company culture and values, along with a clear understanding of how these values translate into daily work and their role as Scrum Master.
Week 2: Your Team’s Ways of Working
This week is all about understanding how the team operates and finding ways to work better together.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work:
- Team Dynamics: Explore the team’s communication styles, collaboration preferences, and conflict resolution techniques.
- Roles & Responsibilities: Uncover the roles within your team, their responsibilities, and how they work together to achieve shared goals.
- Shadowing Sessions: Observe team members in their daily routines to gain a firsthand understanding of their workflows and challenges.
Mastering the Processes:
- Process Breakdown: Explore key company processes (communication, approvals, product development) and how the Scrum Master fits in. Explain how these processes interlock and contribute to successful project delivery.
- Tool Time: Explore the essential tools your team uses (e.g. project management platforms, communication tools). Focus on features relevant to their role and provide hands-on practice.
- Case Studies: Analyze real-world examples of how your team tackled previous challenges or achieved success using your established processes.
Integrating with the Team:
- One-on-Ones & Team Meetings: Participate in scheduled one-on-one meetings and team gatherings and start building relationship and understanding with your team members.
- Knowledge Sharing: Encourage your new Scrum Master to share their prior experiences and expertise with the team.
- Feedback Loop: Schedule regular feedback sessions to ensure your new team member feels supported and has a clear understanding of expectations.
By Week’s End:
⚡ Your Scrum Master now understands team dynamics, roles, and processes. Equipped with essential tools and valuable insights, they’re ready to support the team and drive project success.
Week 3: Shadowing and Observation
This week, we’ll dive deeper into the project by closely observing workflows and actively engaging with stakeholders.
Project Immersion:
- Review Project Documents: Dive into key documents like backlog items, sprint plans, and roadmaps. Identify past challenges, recurring issues, and areas where they can contribute.
- Meet the Stakeholders: Schedule meetings with key players (product owners, managers, clients) to understand their roles, interests, and expectations. Create a visual map to connect stakeholder roles and priorities.
Shadowing in Action:
- Observe the Team: Shadow the existing team members in their role by attending daily meetings and witnessing their communication patterns.
- Scrum Events: Observe team meetings (sprint planning, reviews, retrospectives) to gain a practical understanding of the Agile workflow.
- Identify Improvement Opportunities: With a better understanding of the team and project, identify potential areas for improvement and begin brainstorming solutions.
By Week’s End:
⚡ Your Scrum Master becomes a project insider, armed with knowledge from docs, stakeholders, and team events. They’re ready to collaborate and begin implementing improvements.
Week 4: Collaboration & Contribution
This week, your Scrum Master transitions from observer to collaborator, working with the team to establish shared goals and identify their most effective contribution.
Team Synergy:
- SMART Goals for Impact: Work together to set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) that define the new team member’s impact within a specific timeframe. These goals could focus on improving team communication, implementing new practices, or tackling identified challenges.
- Open Discussion: Encourage an open discussion to address any concerns or questions from the team, fostering transparency and building trust.
By Week’s End:
⚡ Your new Scrum Master will have a clear roadmap for success. They’ll have collaboratively defined their priorities, set SMART goals, and established a strong foundation for collaboration with the team.
Week 5: Experimentation & Impact
This week, your Scrum Master puts knowledge into action, leading events and implementing improvements.
Leading the Scrum Cycle:
- Daily Syncs: Guide your new team member through planning and leading their first daily sync meeting, ensuring clear and focused communication.
- Sprint Planning, Retro & Sprint Reviews: Assist in preparing for their first meetings. Watch them confidently work with the Product Owner and team to set the goals.
- Workload Management: Coach them on facilitating discussions to agree on a realistic and achievable sprint workload, ensuring the team is set up for success.
Implementing Change:
- Actionable Improvement: After the retrospective, brainstorm with your new team member to identify small, actionable improvements that can be implemented quickly.
- Detailed Action Plan: Support them in creating a detailed action plan with timelines for these improvements, ensuring clear ownership and accountability.
Continuous Growth:
- Self-Assessment: Encourage your new Scrum Master to reflect on their onboarding experience through self-assessment. This helps identify areas where they feel confident and areas for further development.
- Feedback for Growth: Guide them in gathering constructive feedback from the team. This input will help them to refine their leadership approach.
By Week’s End:
⚡ Your new Scrum Master will be confidently leading key Scrum events, actively implementing improvements, and becoming a valuable asset to the team.
Week 6: Reflection & Refinement
This week, your Scrum Master reflects on changes and refines their approach based on feedback.
Continuous Improvement Loop:
- Retrospective Revisited: Facilitate a retrospective session with your new Scrum Master and the team. This time, the focus is on evaluating the effectiveness of the recently implemented changes.
- Success & Challenges: Guide the discussion to identify successes achieved through the changes, as well as any challenges encountered. Encourage open dialogue and honest feedback.
- Refine & Adapt: Based on the team’s feedback, encourage your new Scrum Master to adapt their approach for leading Scrum events or implementing improvements. This allows them to continuously iterate and optimize their impact.
Empowering Leadership:
- Independent Facilitation: As the new Scrum Master gains confidence, gradually step back from facilitating meetings and allow them to take the lead more independently. Offer support and guidance as needed.
- Sharing Expertise: Encourage your new Scrum Master to share their learnings and expertise with the team. This helps to keep a collaborative environment and empowers them to champion Agile practices within the team.
By Week’s End:
⚡ Your new Scrum Master will be well on their way to becoming a confident and effective leader. They’ll have a solid foundation in leading Scrum events, implementing improvements based on team feedback, and building a culture of continuous improvement.
Week 7: Continued Growth & Integration
This week focuses on supporting your new Scrum Master’s ongoing development and success in the role.
Continuous Learning Journey:
- Skills Development: Maintain targeted training on relevant skills (communication, technical expertise) to enhance their impact and address any identified gaps.
- Buddy System: The buddy system remains valuable. Encourage continued knowledge sharing and mentorship from their experienced colleague.
- Community Engagement: Reinforce the importance of participating in online forums or communities. This allows them to connect with other professionals, share experiences, and stay updated on industry trends.
Feedback & Integration:
- Individual Feedback: Schedule a one-on-one feedback session between the Scrum Master and their manager. This allows for focused discussion on performance, challenges, and areas for further growth.
- 360° Feedback: Facilitate a 360-degree feedback session where team members provide constructive feedback on the Scrum Master’s impact. This approach helps them understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
- Goal Review & Planning: Work collaboratively to review their initial goals and set new goals for ongoing development. This ensures their development aligns with both individual and team objectives.
By Week’s End:
⚡ Your new Scrum Master will gain confidence in their role and develop a roadmap for continued growth, all thanks to targeted training, mentorship, and feedback. They’ll be fully integrated and ready to lead the team.
Looking Ahead (Beyond Week 7)
This is just the first chapter! Here are some strategies to ensure your Scrum Master’s long-term success:
- Mentorship: Assign a senior Scrum Master as a mentor to provide ongoing guidance and support. This experienced leader can offer valuable insights and help navigate challenges.
- Engage with the Community: Join Agile and Scrum forums, conferences, and meetups to connect with other professionals, share knowledge, and stay at the forefront of the Agile movement.
- Stay Updated: Develop a habit of reading books, articles, and research papers on Scrum and Agile to stay current with industry best practices.
- Advanced Training: Encourage enrollment in advanced Scrum and Agile courses to deepen their knowledge and expertise.
Key Takeaways
In just seven weeks, your Scrum Master will make a significant impact, leading Scrum meetings and driving project improvements. However, the true magic lies in ongoing learning. Mentorship, community, and extra training will make them a Scrum Master superstar, and your team unstoppable. Good luck! 🍀
We are ACTUM Digital and this piece was written by Petra, Delivery Coach Lead of Apollo Division. If you seek help with your project or initiative, just drop us a line. 🚀
