Scrum Master Checklist
This checklist provides a concise overview of key responsibilities and activities for a Scrum Master, focusing on serving the Scrum Team, Product Owner, and Organization, and fostering an environment where Scrum can thrive.
The Scrum Master is a servant-leader for the Scrum Team. The Scrum Master helps those outside the Scrum Team understand which of their interactions with the Scrum Team are helpful and which are not. The Scrum Master helps everyone change these interactions to maximize the value created by the Scrum Team.
This checklist serves as a guide and a reminder of the diverse facets of the Scrum Master role. It is not exhaustive but covers essential areas.
- Coaching in Self-Management:
- Help the team organize and manage their own work without external direction.
- Encourage the team to make decisions collectively.
- Support the team in resolving internal conflicts.
- Coaching in Cross-Functionality:
- Guide the team in acquiring necessary skills to deliver value each Sprint.
- Promote collaboration and skill-sharing within the team.
- Focus on High-Value Increments:
- Help the team understand the importance of creating a "Done," usable Increment each Sprint.
- Ensure the team focuses on the Sprint Goal.
- Impediment Removal:
- Actively identify and work to remove obstacles hindering the team's progress.
- Escalate impediments when the team cannot resolve them independently.
- Ensuring Scrum Events:
- Ensure all Scrum events (Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective) occur and are productive, positive, and within their timeboxes.
- Teach the team the purpose and value of each event.
- Adhering to Definition of Done:
- Ensure the team understands and conforms to the Definition of Done.
- Facilitate discussions around improving the Definition of Done.
- Effective Product Goal Definition:
- Help the Product Owner find techniques for clearly defining and communicating the Product Goal.
- Support the PO in breaking down the Product Goal into actionable steps.
- Effective Product Backlog Management:
- Help the Product Owner with techniques for effective Product Backlog ordering and refinement.
- Ensure Product Backlog items are clear, concise, and understood by the team.
- Empirical Product Planning:
- Help the Product Owner establish empirical planning for complex environments (e.g., using forecasts based on past performance).
- Facilitating Stakeholder Collaboration:
- Assist the Product Owner in collaborating with stakeholders as needed.
- Help manage stakeholder expectations regarding the product and the Scrum process.
- Leading Scrum Adoption:
- Champion Scrum principles and practices within the organization.
- Help employees and stakeholders understand and enact an empirical approach.
- Planning Scrum Implementations:
- Advise the organization on how to implement Scrum effectively.
- Removing Barriers:
- Work to remove barriers between stakeholders and Scrum Teams.
- Help the organization understand how to interact with Scrum Teams to maximize value.
- Training and Coaching:
- Provide training and coaching to employees and stakeholders on Scrum theory and practice.
- Facilitate Events:
- Guide the team and stakeholders through Scrum events, ensuring objectives are met.
- Create a safe and collaborative environment for discussions.
- Coach Individuals:
- Coach team members, the Product Owner, and stakeholders on applying Scrum principles and values.
- Help individuals improve their understanding and practice of Scrum.
- Coach the System:
- Observe interactions and processes to identify areas for improvement in how the team and organization use Scrum.
- Guide the team and organization in making those improvements.
The Scrum Master role is dynamic and requires continuous learning and adaptation. This checklist highlights the core responsibilities across different levels of the organization. A great Scrum Master focuses on enabling the team and the organization to become more effective and agile over time.
Remember, the ultimate goal is to help the Scrum Team create valuable, useful Increments consistently.
Learn and explore the Scrum Master role by joining our upcoming online workshop
