7 Powerful Questions to Ask Yourself If You Are a Scrum Master

Socrates famously said, "Know thyself", and it still holds true today.

The journey of self-discovery is a crucial step towards personal growth, self-awareness and a deeper understanding of our place in the world.

This self-awareness becomes critical in a world rocked by the en masse layoffs of agile roles at Capital One, which has triggered an intense debate on the value that agile roles bring.

Even before others judge our value, we must do the necessary self-introspection of the value we, as scrum masters, bring to our teams, products and organisations.

“The unexamined life is not worth living” — Socrates.

This quote rings especially true for Scrum Masters, who must continuously engage in self-introspection to remain relevant and effective. Regular self-reflection helps Scrum Masters assess their own performance, identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to serve their teams and organisations better.

This introspection, in turn, helps Scrum Masters to stay aligned and remain relevant in the ever-evolving agile landscape amidst today's dynamic work environment.

The questions you ask yourself ultimately shape your contributions and your career.

We must practice what we preach, or as the saying goes — Eat our own cake.

This essentially is a story of personal growth — knowing where we are today, learning where we want to go and figuring out what steps are needed to get there.

Without proper reflection and a clear strategy, do not be surprised if, one fine day, you struggle to demonstrate and articulate the value you add — what is it that you bring to the table?

By asking yourself the following questions again and again, you will better equip yourself for the changes that will happen and be more prepared for them —

Am I Solving the Same Problems?

A lot of us started as scrum masters by either leading our own team or by taking a beginner's scrum master certification course.

Have you been a Scrum Master for your team for a few years now? Are you just coaching your team on essential Scrum and related practices? Or maybe you only coach in a specific product or domain?

If we want to improve as Scrum Masters, we need to tackle new challenges and experience different situations that will help us grow.

Do I Understand the Why?

Are we blindly copying practices and techniques we learn in the courses, hear from our colleagues or read on social media with only a rudimentary mechanical understanding?

Deming famously said:

Experience teaches nothing. In fact there is no experience to record without theory… Without theory there is no learning… And that is their downfall. People copy examples and then they wonder what is the trouble. They look at examples and without theory they learn nothing.

Unless you spend time understanding why things are the way they are, how will you know when and how to adapt the practices to the context? The Guidebooks become like religious manuals with no room for adaptation or debate, and that is not how it should be.

You need to understand the why. 

Do I Continue to Gain Skills?

Have you just been a social media butterfly, with most learning coming from social media posts and reels? Have you taken the time to do structured learning using books and courses? Structured learning to build skills you don't have takes time and effort.

Structured learning provides a systematic and organized approach to acquiring knowledge and skills. Those provide a more reliable and consistent source of information than informal sources such as social media and allow for a much deeper understanding of the subject matter.

If you are just getting started, here is my recommendation of 7 books you can read about agile.

What is My Unique Contribution?

This one is significant because it has two questions inside one —

Am I really contributing to my team’s success with a skill/experience that is unique to me in my team or group.

Am I able to showcase and articulate distinctly my contribution to the team’s success.

Sometimes, you've got to toot your own horn to get noticed. Doing great work is essential, but it doesn't do much good if you don't let others know about it. So, it's a balance of putting in the work and making sure people see it and understand your value.

No need to go overboard and come off as arrogant, but a little self-promotion can go a long way in helping you get recognition and opportunities. Just make sure you're actually delivering the goods too!

What Do I Do Next?

If you are a scrum master in a large enterprise, you might often face challenges regarding career growth. The corporate environment can be rigid, with limited opportunities for advancement.

In addition, there may be conflicting expectations between being a Scrum Master and taking on additional responsibilities, such as delivery or management. Making those choices often demand a trade-off between staying true to the profession and advancing on the corporate ladder.

Independent consultants may not have that challenge.

However, not everyone is suited to become an independent consultant, and it takes a certain level of experience, confidence, and business acumen to succeed.

Furthermore, being an independent consultant may not provide the stability and benefits of a corporate job, such as health insurance, retirement benefits, and paid time off — those are considerations to ponder unless you are already a globe-trotting highly paid consultant.

You, as a scrum master, need to weigh the pros and cons and determine what works best for your individual career goals and lifestyle. There is no right or wrong about it.

Are you making healthier choices from a longer-term career perspective regarding your new assignments? Many of us choose to stay in our comfort zone or sometimes make choices for short-term gains, such as picking up a not-so-great new job or assignment because it pays more.

Our choices shape our future, so be mindful.

How is My Network?

Having a support system of peers and mentors is essential for personal and professional growth. As a scrum master, they help you avoid the echo chambers of social media, make sense of the diverse and often confusing viewpoints (like the scrum vs agile debate), challenge your views, and inspire you to be your best. As the saying goes,

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

A mentor, in particular, probably a more seasoned scrum master, an agile coach or even a delivery leader, can provide guidance, feedback, and a fresh perspective on several aspects. They can be a sounding board for your ideas and help you navigate the challenges of current assignments and even your career.

How does this network look for you?

Is it a vast one with thousands of LinkedIn connections but no meaningful conversations or a small group of like-minded people who you can actually talk to?

Building a network requires effort — and is so much worth it.

How Do I Feel?

Are you charged up on a Monday morning to go to work and change the world? Maybe not change the world, but at least get into the office (or the zoom call) with a smile.

Self-motivation is the driving force behind a successful scrum master. A scrum master with a strong sense of self-motivation can tackle any obstacle and continuously strive for personal and professional growth.

By inspiring your team and leading by example, you become a catalyst for success, driving the team towards greater achievements.

Self-motivation and drive to create an impact are critical to unleashing your full potential as a scrum master!

You are responsible for motivating not just your team to succeed but yourself too. And if you don't feel that way, kick your @ss and still get going !!

Do the five why's on yourself, figure out the root causes and fix them.

As the famous motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said,

Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going.

Get into a habit of staying motivated and getting things done!

The Wrap

You may find some of these questions difficult or even discomforting. Honest answers to those might provide you with an objective mirror to your strengths and areas of improvement.

Like with all powerful questions, the answer is secondary; the thinking that it triggers is the most important thing.

That is exactly why it's not a one-time exercise. You will need to ask yourself these questions time and again at regular intervals.

May these questions illuminate your path and serve their purpose !!