What do you need to become a scrum master?

What is Scrum? Scrum is a framework that is used by software development teams to address complex problems while delivering products of the highest value. Scrum is the most popular subset of the Agile methodology and is used by seventy percent of software teams around the world for project management.  It differs from other agile methodologies because of its specific concepts and practices.

Scrum is a lightweight project management technique that generally begins with a project backlog. There are three important roles in product development, which are product owner, scrum master and Scrum development team. The product owner serves as a medium between the team and customers while the scrum development team works together to create and test the final product.

What does the Scrum Master do?

The scrum master plays a crucial role in this software development process. The scrum master is solely responsible for the entire scrum process. The scrum master holds together the scrum framework and also facilitates the process of organization for the product owner and scrum team.

The scrum master actually plays the role of guiding and managing the entire scrum process. Without the adequate guidance of the scrum master, the entire scrum process is bound to collapse. The Certified Scrum Master^® (CSM^®) certification course  provides efficient knowledge on the role and responsibilities of a scrum master.

Some skills that a scrum master ought to have are as follows:

1. Excellent Scrum and agile skills

The main purpose of a scrum master is to completely manage all the tasks of the scrum team. In order to guide the team in an efficient manner, it is necessary that the scrum master itself is very familiar with the workings of Scrum and Agile. Complete knowledge about all the terms in the framework, as well as understanding about the Scrum working,  is also required.

2. Project management

The scrum master is responsible for the entire scrum development process. They need to oversee the initialization, set deadlines, track progress and make sure that the final product is delivered on time. They need to strictly adhere to every goal set and also ensure that each step is checked thoroughly. The scrum master also needs to keep a tab on all problems that arise in this process and also monitor its rectification.

3. Good communication skills

The scrum master conveys the complete process to the team members and also ensures that they are performed appropriately. They should have good communications skills and must be able to listen to every team member’s opinion. This is necessary because each team member can provide different insights on the issue at hand.

4. Leadership skills

The scrum master needs to inspire the team members to work in a manner that is beneficial to the entire team. For this, good leadership skills are a must. The scrum master must be able to motivate each team member to work to their best abilities in order to reach their targets. The scrum master must also have good leadership skills so that any disagreements in the team can be easily resolved.

5. Partnership with the product owner

Along with the team, the scrum master also has the responsibility of acting as a medium between the product owner and the team and ensuring the entire requirement of the product owner is met.

6. Organization skills

Another important skill the scrum master must have is the ability to maintain a proper organization. They need to ensure that all schedules are maintained properly and all tasks are completed on time. Delays must be prevented and the entire process must be organized.

7. Problem-solving skills

Being a leader for such an important task will definitely require skills to solve problems adeptly. A scrum master must be able to handle and solve complex problems in an  efficient manner.

8. Flexibility

The scrum master must be very flexible so that any change can be adapted to properly. Also, the scrum master should be persistent in order to lead the team effectively.

9. Creativity

To solve product management related issues, the scrum master must have a creative mindset. Also in order to inspire the team to make creative decisions, the scrum master must be ready to take risks and experiment. This will actually help to create products that are more creative and consumer friendly.

10. Empathy and emotional skills

The scrum master must also be able to empathize with each team member and understand their needs. This way, they can actually work well to reach all project management goals.

A Scrum Master is Crucial to the Success of the Project

A scrum master plays a very vital role in monitoring and guiding the entire Scrum process and thereby ensuring that all targets are achieved. Thus, a scrum master is much in demand and a  CSM training will definitely help you boost your career goals.