Scrum Master was a favorite profession of many in the software industry. And nowadays, when online and telecommuting are becoming more common, the Scrum Master role is part of every team.
As a result of COVID-19 and the ensuing crisis, the organized trips I have been involved in so far have become less frequent and difficult to guide due to the anti-epidemic measures imposed in different countries.
The pleasure of previous work is quickly tested and the desire to organize and lead groups abroad has decreased. Reference: “Scrum Master instead of project manager“, https://60yearsnato.info/scrum-master-instead-of-project-manager/
However, the experience gained in the organization of people and the overall goal to achieve during each trip gives me a reason to believe that I can handle project management, be they in the field of technology.
The choice of the field itself is based on the fact that since the beginning of the pandemic, the IT sector is the only one that has remained politically and financially stable and independent, compared to everyone else in the world.
What do you expect to be a Scrum Master?
Entering a new environment implies new horizons for development. I want to improve my skills in managing people through projects and finally see the result of the joint work in customer satisfaction. Reference: “Scrum and Kanban: similarities and differences“, https://www.policymatters.net/scrum-and-kanban-similarities-and-differences/
What are the things that worry you the most at this stage?
I come from a field that, in theory, only partially overlaps with upcoming activities. The world of technology requires education in certain areas, which I do not have at the moment, but I am convinced that the difficulties will eventually be overcome and will be worth the effort. Based on the fact that I have worked (albeit briefly) in the field of cybersecurity and I am still in the early stages of entering the world of programming, I know that the challenges will be great. Reference: “Why apply Scrum to your company projects“, https://www.worldforgemagazine.com/why-apply-scrum-to-your-company-projects/
What problems do you think you will have in your work?
Although working with people is not easy, I will have fewer barriers to communication than with the essence of technology. Awareness and understanding of customer requirements, as well as the transmission of information to the team afterward, will be the most difficult thing I have to deal with in a similar position in the future. Reference: “Why use Scrum for your projects?”, https://medfd.org/why-use-scrum-for-your-projects/
Scrum or Kanban
Scrum has sprints and roles (Scrum Master and Product Owner).
At Scrum, at the end of each sprint, the dashboard is cleaned and restarted. New tasks are added, which remain there until the end of the sprint. They are also often in columns and have the appropriate status. The number of “cards” (tasks) is planned by you and your team during the Sprint Planning meeting. Reference: “Why do organizations not use the Scrum framework intentionally?“, https://agileprogramming.org/why-do-organizations-not-use-the-scrum-framework-intentionally/
There are no sprints or roles in Kanban.
Kanban is a way of working in which there are no “sprints”. This is a flow of work that is constantly going on.
Kanban dashboard is used continuously throughout the life cycle of product development, simply by changing the cards
The Kanban dashboard, or board, is an Agile project management tool designed to visualize work, limit work in progress, and increase efficiency.
Kanban boards use maps and columns to help teams commit to the right amount of work for them.
In software engineering, Kanban is mainly used with the idea that reducing and limiting the tasks that teams work on should reduce the number of defects and reduce the distraction of teams, which in turn should increase their productivity.
At Kanban, we do not have regulated standard events where everyone has specific themes and goals, which means that teams need to be even more self-organized and disciplined than at Scrum.
Benefits of Kanban and Scrum
Kanban is an Agile project management tool designed to visualize work, limit work in progress and increase efficiency.
Scrum offers continuous improvement through its events (Daily Scrum, Retrospective, and Review) as inspection and adaptation opportunities that take place at regular intervals, giving the team information on what they are doing well and what areas of their performance can be improved. Reference: Muzonet.com
Negatives of Kanban and Scrum
At Kanban, the flow of work is constant and teams may feel exhausted over time. The lack of some periodicity, some cycle, and repeatability, often brings the feeling of endless and endless work. Energy and motivation may decrease
Scrum offers sprints. These are equal intervals of time, which psychologically bring the feeling of a beginning and an end. Reference: “Why use Scrum for your projects?“, https://medfd.org/why-use-scrum-for-your-projects/
What must be done? Create new teams Scrum, Kanban, and Agile (Scrum, Kanban) teams to work on its integration.
Why can you integrate Scrum into your company?
Inspection is the first reason. The Scrum team checks the artifacts it creates and its progress towards its goal. Reference: Why Organizations Should Use Scrum and Agile Methodologies and When They Don’t Use Scrum, scrumtime.org, https://scrumtime.org/why-organizations-should-use-scrum-and-agile-methodologies/
The review is conducted throughout the Sprint, and if a member of the Scrum team has any concerns and encounters any obstacles, he or she uses the opportunity to share them with other team members at the Daily Scrum and Retrospective meetings during the Sprint Review. Reference: “Why do you want to be a Scrum Master?”, https://www.libraryofmu.org/why-want-to-be-scrum-master/
The Scrum Team consists of all product developers, Scrum Master, and Product Owner.
Adaptation
When obstacles arise as a result of inspections, the Scrum team adapts its way of working to remove them.
The popularity of Scrum
It attracts valuable employees who prefer and love this idea. From an image point of view and to attract new staff, some organizations already include this process, even if it is not always necessary. Reference: “Scrum framework: Questions and Answers“, https://www.kosovatimes.net/scrum-framework-questions-and-answers/
Scrum offers continuous improvement through its events (Daily Meetings, Retrospectives, and Reviews) as inspection and adaptation opportunities that take place at regular intervals, giving the team information on what they are doing well and what areas of their work they can to be improved.
Possible unexpected problems or costs related to Scrum
We can only win because Scrum offers sprints. These are equal intervals of time, which psychologically bring the feeling of a beginning and an end. Reference: “Why use Scrum for your organization’s projects”, https://customessaysonline.net/why-use-scrum-for-your-organizations-projects/
The only difficulty you might expect when implementing Scrum is that following Scrum and its rules and ideas can be difficult if you don’t realize that experience and your own ability to improve and develop are the criteria for overall success.
Scrum Master is part of the Project Manager team, but if you wish, I can offer you the most suitable candidate.