Migration Scrum- Master

By participating in various discussions on the processes of software development can be seen that Scrum is constantly in the spotlight, causing much debate and discussion.
Interestingly, the field for the debate is still huge, despite the already very advanced age Scrum process. For me, it means that Scrum is growing, evolving and improving, that would help us to solve new problems and find better solutions to old.

Together with the process of evolving interpretation of the roles and tools Scrum, we have a new look at the interaction between team members, new practices for the successful resolution of emerging issues.

Let us turn to the canonical definition of Scrum- Master. So, here is his duty:.

1. 
   Address any (external and internal) obstacles to the goal of the team sprint and release.
   


2. 
   Monitor the adherence to the process.
   


3. 
   Conduct fasalitatsiyu (well, the word. ) meetings.
   


4. 
   Maintain a team spirit and focus on common goals.
   

And while that is important, Scrum- master must be a ' pig ' and not ' chicken ', that is, simply put, a member of the team! . Therefore, it is usually a izrazrabotchikov. That's where the fun begins. Let's look at the area of ​​responsibility SM and try to determine what traits a person must possess in order that would be successful with this spravlyatsya:.

1. 
   purpose.
   


2. 
   Organization and, to some extent, the pedantry.
   


3. 
   communicative.
   


4. 
   non-conflictual.
   


5. 
   Lack of interest in the subject - for rallies.
   


6. 
   Desire to help.
   

Immediately it becomes clear the vulnerability of such a determination SM - after all, not all programmers have good communication skills (often vice versa). Lack of interest in the subject matter is also a problem, since the SM- programmer also occasionally participates in meetings as an active participant and then have to pass the facilitation of someone else 'on time'. Well, and non-contentious people, unfortunately, not so much in this world as it would like. And as ' maintaining team spirit and focus on common goals ', that is team-building - it is generally a fairly complex subject, which usually involved managers and Lida.

In general, the idea of ​​SM from primary sources has a right to exist, but it can be applied in a very limited number of cases - usually when a team is established, everything in it are structural and process ustakanilos. But since that would create a team of talented individuals in a complex crisis in the project - there really thank you! .

As I understand it, to a similar thought came not one I. Therefore, the farther into the forest, the more difficult it becomes the role of scrum -master. The more he needs to know and do things that are not related to programming. And if the skills and abilities SM has gone from technical to administrative, social, and therefore change the requirements for SM. In the real world, where an exceptional situation requiring intervention SM occur every day, and the risks (especially undiagnosed ) tend to come true, labor SM on Scrum and the team are very significant and it becomes increasingly difficult to perform while still programming tasks.

Another problem - it is self-development. When I was a programmer, I tried to hang out at the technical conference, read Knuth, Stroustrup and the Gang of Four. When I became engaged in project management, I switched my focus to the Project Management, Coaching, team building, Requirements Engeneering and planning. Develop simultaneously on multiple vectors, and are able to do this effectively the unit! . Here's a cool mediocre programmer and SM- quite real. Or are programer inferior and divine SM - can also be.

But while the attention of the question - why a good inferior team programmer? . He is not developing as porgrammist and does not know the new technology. He does not know how to do Dependency Injection and writing Curves Unit- tests. Do you think it will help to establish druzhestkoy and constructive environment in the team?.

It turns out that except for a few gurus, to realize the canonical definition of SM in reality almost no one is able to. And that is why some teams have come to the idea of ​​a dedicated Scrum- Master. A person who is not engaged in programming and in fact, is no longer a ' pig '. A man who is just engaged all the time just because it helps the team to defend its rights before the PO and kastomerom, holding rallies to her, revealing the conflicts and helping to solve them, using such practices, such as coaching. A man who engaged in control, even following process will be the most delicate and will not ' build' command for the delay in the Daily Standup. Anyone you do not like?.

It's XP- shny coach! .

to be continued.

P. On. By the way, that's inspired by this discussion:. http://www. infoq. com/news/2010/06/technical-scrummaster.