Scrum Master Anti Patterns: Beware of Becoming a Scrum Mom

Disclaimer

Of course, this post is in no way intended to be gender-specific. To my experience, there are as many Scrum pops as Scrum moms. This post is all about Scrum helicopter parenting.

TL;DR: Beware of the Scrum Mom

Trying to be supportive and do good, is most of the time a honorable thing. This is particularly true in your capacity as a Scrum master. However, doing too much good can quickly have the opposite effect. It’s a known Scrum anti pattern, often referred to as the Scrum mom syndrome.

Read on to learn more about its manifestations, and the damage to your team caused by being overly protective.

Scrum Master Anti Patterns

By common understanding, Scrum’s host of ceremonies — the Scrum master — is a leadership role. Wielding no real authority, she can inspire, coach, mentor, and lead by example to further her team’s progress to become fully self-organized.

However, if you observe how this role is lived in practice, you can often identify two anti patterns: the Scrum manager and the Scrum mom. While the Scrum manager is easily identifiable by the teacher-like, patronizing attitude, the Scrum mom is more tricky to spot. What is (still) beneficial for the team, and what is just overly protective?

Scrum Mom’s Characteristics

The Scrum mom is generally shielding the team from the cold and cruel world, creating a safe & happy agile bubble. Some manifestations are:

• Scrum mom deals with all impediments personally, although practically any other team member could act, too.
• Scrum mom filters feedback from stakeholders, particularly any negative feedback. Often, she does so by not merely restricting access to the team, but basically shutting it off.
• Scrum mom is pampering the team, for example by running errands, or being the team secretary, sometimes bordering on the helper syndrome.
• Scrum mom is also preventing the team from failure whenever possible. This even applies, if failing would be easily fixable and wouldn’t be really damaging. (Remember: If you’re not failing, you’re not pushing hard enough…)
• Scrum mom is not really challenging the team. She seems to be content, once a certain level of proficiency is achieved.
• Scrum mom maybe setting boundaries, but is rarely enforcing them. She tends to tolerate damaging behavior from team member in the (futile) hope, the culprit will be insightful and improve over time.
• Scrum mom likes all her team members, but there will be often a favorite among them.
• Scrum mom’s motto: “Right or wrong, my team!”

Please hit the “heart button” 💚 below, if you found this post useful–it would mean a lot to me!

If the topic resonates with you, you may be interested in the following links, too:

• Ben Linders: Why Scrum masters shouldn’t be the one solving all impediments
• Mia Horrigan: Confessions of a Scrum Mum

Download a List of the Most Common Scrum Anti Patterns

You can download a list of the most common Scrum anti patterns besides the Scrum mom as a PDF and simultaneously subscribe you to our weekly hand-curated newsletter. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

⬇️ Download the Agile Anti Patterns List now… ⬇️

We respect your email privacy at all times.

Conclusion

A Scrum master’s good intentions can become an impediment for the Scrum team’s progress. This is particularly true in the case of the Scrum mom, when her shielding of the team prevents its members from learning by failing.

In the end, failure is not the opposite of success, but a necessary stepping stone towards success. Like parents, I believe, Scrum masters need to let go. They need to challenge and support their teams when those are venturing out into the big world on their own.

How is a Scrum team otherwise supposed to be become self-organized?

Related Posts

20 Questions a New Scrum Master Should Ask Her Team to Get up to Speed

Agile Failure Patterns In Organizations

Hiring: 38 Scrum Master Interview Questions To Avoid Agile Imposters

This post first appeared on Age of Product.

Want more like this? Follow me on Twitter and read more on my Age of Product blog.

Want this as an email in your inbox? Join 2,662 peers and sign-up for my weekly newsletter…