The 9 stances of terrible Scrum Masters
Your Scrum Teams deserve better.
Can the Scrum Master accountability be any more misguided, misinterpreted, and misapplied?
“We have to get our points.”
“That’s not what the Scrum Guide says. See, it’s called the Daily Scrum, not a standup.”
“We have no choice; we’re part of the system. It’s the way we do things here.”
“Team, you need to have a stretch goal this Sprint.”
“I don’t know what the team is working on.”
“We need to get good at output before we focus on outcome.”
“Even though the developers are not speaking up, I can speak for them. They can do it. I believe in them.”
— Real, cringe-worthy Scrum Master statements
It pains me to admit these statements are from real Scrum Masters. This unfortunate reality underscores how off-track Scrum Masters can get.
In my experience, many companies treat Scrum Masters as an afterthought or give them no thought at all. And if Scrum Masters finally come into the picture, they often lack or have the wrong experience. Many only have a certificate, a training course, a new team, and a smile.
