In the waterfall technique, an idea is conceived, then analyzed, then designed, then built, then tested, and finally released. Each step is completed before work flows to the next step. If the waterfall is a step ladder, agile is a circle. It allows us to treat each unique project as its own story, one that we can craft and edit with our clients in a collaborative, real-time process.
Despite the fact of working with Scrum, many companies do not hire a Scrum Master. Many times, I hear the sentence “Scrum Master is such a useless role” Companies tend to say that Scrum Master is not needed because the team is aware of how to do Scrum and they are already self-organized, therefore is no need for a position to facilitate it. For sure, also the company will save a little money by not hiring a Scrum Master. Before we question the need for a Scrum Master, we should understand deeper what this role is all about.
Let’s look at what the Scrum Guide says about the role of the Scrum Master.
Scrum Masters are not only the guardians of the Scrum Framework, but they help the companies and the team to get the best of Scrum. They need to ensure that the principles are followed: transparency, inspection, and adaption.
The Scrum Master is responsible for promoting and supporting Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. Scrum Masters do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory, practices, rules, and values.
In short, it is not possible to enjoy the full benefits of Scrum without a Scrum Master. It is like a football team without a coach; it becomes a mess. Getting the benefits of Scrum, requires a tremendous amount of effort, time, and mindset changing, e.g., Product Owners must focus on delivering value instead of features, developers should focus on solving problems instead of closing tickets, and so on. There are plenty of useful articles about this role; So, in short, we cannot underestimate the importance of a Scrum Master.