Is the Scrum Master preventing self-organization?
Is the Scrum Master preventing self-organization?
In my daily work with managers and startup founders, I hear this argument so often! Especially in cases where a team without a Scrum Master struggles and the manager/founder dismisses the option of having/growing/bringing/recruiting a Scrum Master in the team based on this argument. It seems that self-organized teams conflict with having a Scrum Master in the team. Is that true? I will address these concerns below.
What is behind this statement? Managers share with me the following arguments:
1) Self-organization is a natural process.
It happens in nature all the time. No need to have a Scrum Master in the team for it. True.
Still, there is a difference between effective self-organization and chaotic self-organization. It often happens that the self-organization in teams occurs like this: you mind your own business, I will mind mine; please don't bother me, and I will do the same on "your part." People are free to self-organize how they want, but it does not mean that they always do it in the team's best interests. Because
no, self-organization doesn't lead to high-performance by itself. A Scrum Master serves the team to self-organize effectively.
2) A Scrum Master becomes "the organizer."
There are real-life examples in which a Scrum Master joined a team, and the team became completely dependent on the Scrum Master, blocked and confused when the Scrum Master was absent. It makes teams weak, non-resilient. Most managers want to avoid this at all costs.
This happens for instance when a junior Scrum Master joins a team and becomes the "organizer," the central point of contact and communication. There is a huge organizational pressure nowadays to be a Scrum Master after the company pays for someone two days of Scrum training. Therefore, the natural tendency is to overprove. The signs of this case are clear: the team stops any practices when the Scrum Master is absent.
The argument that "there are Scrum Masters out there who did..." is not a strong argument to dismiss the service, especially when not knowing the context of those Scrum Masters: what were they asked to do, how they were selected or developed etc.
Good, experienced Scrum Masters will coach the team to build a system of effective self-organization leading to high-performance and improved delivery. They will be active in creating autonomy.
3) There is no Scrum Master in Kanban, so there is no need for one.
I will not jump to a side track discussion of this topic: Scrum vs. Kanban, Scrum, and Kanban, Scrumban, etc. Let's get to the core argument.
Many managers give me concrete examples of "team Star," which is doing great without any formal Scrum Master and that all teams can get there "only by trusting" them.
In my experience, these teams have at least one very experienced professional with deep work experience in growing teams for high-performance. At least one team member is an informal Scrum Master/Kanban Master or even more members. Often, all team members of these teams are themselves high Agile practitioners and informal leaders (Who are the leaders in Agile teams and why?), contributing actively to growing the team.
In high-performing teams, the critical skills of team dynamics are there, in the team, acknowledged formally by a role or not. At least someone in these teams uses these essential skills to build the system for high-performance.
What to do when teams struggle
It is not uncommon for teams to have low periods. Humans make teams; we all have good and not so good days. But when there are clear signs that a team has lost its path to high-performance, the team struggles, then the management cannot avoid the responsibility of creating the right context/system to get the team back on track.
The key point is not that you need a Scrum Master when the team struggles.
Even though, as a manager, I admit that it is a smart way to delegate part of the problem. It is not even about having or not having a Scrum Master role/jobs. Not even about Scrum vs. Kanban or Scrumban etc.
The key point is: effective self-organization requires some critical skills and active usage of these skills.
It does not happen by magic, nor does it contradict with bringing/recruiting/growing a Scrum Master in the team. It is time to acknowledge the core value of Scrum Mastery (Agile Mindset: The goal of a Scrum Master is not Scrum).
I am not even advocating that all teams that struggle lack these skills, and they need someone from outside to help. In many cases, these skills exist in the team but are not activated or not in a constructive way.
If one agrees with this point, then it is up to the Agile Delivery Manager to provide/bring/activate in the team these critical effective self-organization skills.
Sometimes managers decide to develop further these skills in themselves (because even if you have successfully served 20 teams, there still can be a team that triggers a certain blind spot; I know it from own experience) as part of their deliberate Leadership practice and a to engage closer in the team.
Other times, existing team members are supported to receive coaching and step into new responsibilities. Sometimes bringing external help is the best alternative. It is up to management to analyze the situation and make the appropriate staffing or people development decisions.
Conclusion
There is a big difference between self-organization and effective self-organization. To grow a team to effective self-organization requires some critical skills to be actively engaged. When teams struggle, managers help greatly by providing/bringing/activating these skills in the teams. Having a Scrum Master in the team is a viable option. To increase the chances of success, managers can engage the team, ask for support to recruit a competent Scrum Master, learn how to engage with a Scrum Master, etc. But all these actions are unleashed only after dismissing this destructive myth of conflict between having a Scrum Master in the team and self-organization.
A clear understanding of Agile Management and the principles of effective self-organization support managers make informed decisions, grow high-performance teams and improve delivery. I find it highly rewarding when during our 1on1 Agile Leadership Coaching sessions, managers explore their honest questions, raise awareness regarding current assumptions, and challenge me back. Truly uncovering together better ways to lead and serve.
About:
Roxana supports IT Executives to leverage the Agile mindset and the latest management research to achieve Strategic Business Agility. Her fully customized approach includes the right mix of Agile Management Training and Consulting, Executive Coaching, and Mentoring. Read more about the Agile Business Transformation services, focused on Agile Management, Transformational Leadership, and Startup Profitable Growth at MastersWhoCare: Uncovering better ways to lead and serve.
