Scrum Mastering is a journey. There are some traps that can snare you while coaching Organizations. Watch out for the following:
- I have to make a difference in every events: You do not. This is a pressure to perform and will get in the way of coaching teams. You will make a difference in every event; you can make a difference in every opportunity. You do not have to. Nor can you control the difference you make, because only your teams will realize that.
- The Scrum Team has to like me: No they do not. Many teams will like you; many might become your friends in other circumstances. But they do not have to like you. What is needed between Scrum Master and Team is trust.
- I have to keep control of the Scrum Framework: You cannot keep control of the scrum process framework, so do not even try. The team has the control, you are there to show the value of each element of the framework, coach the teams persuasively. However, control is not a very good way to think about it anyway. It is a mechanical metaphor and coaching the teams is about human beings trying to understand each other with the best intentions. There can be no control. Helping your teams realize the value will gravitate the teams towards professional scrum.
- I must always try to influence someone: Need not. You have to start with trust and rapport. You may not be able to influence anyone unless you had established trust and rapport. Be patient and try to look for bright spots around you, that will enable you to gain unconscious competence to be patient and challenge the status quo.
