What is a Scrum Master?

What is a Scrum Master?

Nearly anyone who has heard of Scrum has heard of the term Scrum Master. But what is a Scrum Master exactly? What is their role in a Scrum team? What is the difference between a Scrum Master and a Product Owner? In this blog we take a look at the role of the Scrum Master, their responsibilities, the relationship they have with the Scrum team and what you need to do to become one.

What is a Scrum Master and Why is Their Role Crucial?

The role of Scrum Master is a relatively new one and with that, it is a role which is not universally defined in the exact same way. However, it is possible to describe the most important aspects or characteristics of the role. As you may or may not know, a Scrum team consists of the development team itself, a Product Owner and, of course, a Scrum Master.

The Scrum Master is the person who supports the rest of the Scrum team in their understanding and application of Scrum. Essentially the Scrum Master is in a leadership position where instead of managing the team, they manage Scrum itself. They are a guardian of the Scrum process and ensure it is understood and adhered to by everyone in the team. More importantly, the Scrum Master is a servant-leader:

“The servant-leader is servant first… It beginswith the natural feeling

that one wants to serve, to serve first.” –Robert K. Greenleaf

This aspect is crucial as the Scrum Master is there to guide and enable. This includes removing impediments, coaching team members on how to self-organize, and facilitating Scrum events. Aside from this, the Scrum Master also helps those who work with the team understand which of their interactions are helpful and which are a hinderance to help maximize the business value.

As part of their everyday tasks, the Scrum Master is responsible for facilitating the
various Scrum events. The events are often also referred to as rituals or ceremonies. This includes sprint planning, daily stand up, sprint review and sprint retrospective. One of the most important aspects of this facilitation is enforcing timeboxing. This means ensuring that the agreed time (ortimebox) is kept to.

Being a servant-leader, the Scrum Master often serves their team by supporting them with certain goals. The Scrum Master serves their Product Owner by working with them to maximize ROI and ensure the backlog is managed effectively. On the other hand, the development team is served by the Scrum Master through mentoring or coaching, the fostering of creativity and helping further the maturity of the team through skill sharing. In this respect, the Scrum Master is more focused onensuring the team runs optimally whilst the product owner is more focused on the direction the team is moving in.

Scrum Master vs. Product Owner

In the Scrum framework, the Scrum Master and the Product Owner play pivotal roles, each contributing to the success of the product in unique ways. The Scrum Master focuses on team efficiency by facilitating Scrum practices, removing roadblocks, and ensuring the team adheres to agile principles. In contrast, the Product Owner is responsible for product vision and backlog management, acting as the key link between the development team, business stakeholders, and customers. This distinction ensures that both the team’s processes and the product’s direction are optimized for delivering high value.

The table below offers a detailed comparison of the Scrum Master vs. Product Owner, covering aspects such as their responsibilities, focus areas, and deliverables. By understanding these differences, organizations can enhance team collaboration, streamline workflows, and ensure the product aligns with both business goals and customer expectations. This is essential for achieving success in any agile project management setup.

 

Aspect Scrum Master Product Owner
Primary Focus Inward: Focused on the Scrum team and its processes. Outward: Focused on the product vision, business, and customer.
Role Description A servant-leader who supports the team and ensures Scrum principles are followed effectively. The link between the Scrum team, the business, and the customer. Owns and communicates the product vision.
Key Responsibilities – Facilitates Scrum events (e.g., stand-ups, retrospectives).
– Removes impediments blocking the team’s progress.
– Supports the team in improving efficiency and performance.
– Defines and maintains the product backlog.
– Ensures backlog items are clear, prioritized, and actionable.
– Maximizes the business value of the product.
Interaction with Team Enables and empowers the team by providing resources and resolving challenges. Provides clarity to the team by breaking down user stories and aligning with customer needs.
Interaction with Customer Minimal direct interaction. Focuses on team development. Regularly interacts with customers and stakeholders to gather feedback and refine the product.
Key Deliverables – Effective Scrum adoption and improved team dynamics.
– Clear communication and collaboration within the team.
– Well-prioritized and actionable product backlog.
– User stories with clear acceptance criteria.
Focus Area Processes, team execution, and Scrum adherence. Product vision, value delivery, and customer satisfaction.
Main Goal To help the team deliver high-quality work efficiently and effectively. To ensure the product delivers maximum value to the business and customers.

 

How to Become a Scrum Professional

To become a Scrum Master, you can follow a training or take an exam to get the qualification you need. EXIN Agile Scrum Master has been designed specifically with the scum Master role in mind. It teaches you the guiding principles of agile and combines them with Scrum, the most-used agile methodology, to create a certification with real-world applications. The addition of practical assignments means that you get to practice applying the skills that you’ve learned.This practical approach enables you to get started as a Scrum Master as soon as you complete your certification.