A day in the life of scrum master

Ever wonder what a day in the life of a scrum master looks like? It is easy to imagine them as facilitators, scrum event organizers, and problem solvers. However, in reality, the role of Scrum Master has many layers and changes based on team and project needs. They use their unique skills to navigate the complexities of the project and drive the team toward achieving the product goals. 

If you’re interested in becoming a scrum master and want to learn more about this role and its responsibilities, you are at the right place. In this article, we will have a look at the Scrum Master’s role and what a typical day in the life of a scrum master looks like. 

So let’s get started!

What is a Scrum Master?

A Scrum Master is a key role in agile project management, specifically in Scrum Framework. He is a guide, servant leader, and facilitator who helps the team implement the scrum framework. He ensures that the team scrum sticks to scrum principles, values, and practices throughout the project lifecycle. 

Unlike a traditional manager, a Scrum Master doesn’t “boss people around.” Instead, he encourages the Scrum team to become self-organizing, independent, and cross-functional so they can deliver high-quality increments. He focuses on removing blockers, promoting collaboration, and creating a cohesive working environment where everyone can do their best. 

What does a Scrum Master do during the day?

Since the primary purpose of a Scrum Master is to support the development team, the Product Owner, and stakeholders, their daily activities naturally revolve around these roles. However, one of the critical characteristics of a Scrum Master’s role is its unpredictability. Every day is different for scrum masters. Some days might revolve around planning for the upcoming sprint while others on coaching the team and vice versa. 

Let’s have a look at the typical day of the scrum master:

Morning: Setting the Tone

Check Scrum Boards: The Scrum Master starts his day by checking the emails and status of work items on the Scrum boards. He takes a look at the tasks completed by the team and the work in progress. 

Daily Stand Up: The Scrum Master facilitates the daily scrum where the team answers the three typical questions: What did I do yesterday, what will I do today, and what are the impediments? This helps the scrum master review the team’s progress, plan their agenda, and identify blockers. 

Identify Blockers: During the daily standup, the Scrum Master takes note of the blockers flagged by the team and prioritizes urgent issues that need imme.

Midday: Collaboration and Problem-Solving

Addressing the Blockers: Scrum Master collaborates with the development team, stakeholders, and higher leadership to address the issues related to requirements, resources, and deadlines. This may involve clarifying requirements, re-prioritization, or managing dependencies. 

Afternoon Check-in: The Scrum master interacts with individual team members to assess their progress and resolve any potential conflict or impediments that the team is facing. 

Refine Backlog: The product owner and scrum master then work together to refine the backlog items to ensure the most important work items are at the top. They also ensure that work items have clear acceptance criteria and DOD.  

Facilitate Scrum Events: Depending on the day, the scrum master may facilitate the scrum ceremonies such as sprint planning, review, or retrospectives. These events are crucial for setting the sprint goal, reviewing progress, and continuous improvement. 

End of the Day: Reflecting and Preparing

Checking In with Stakeholders: By the end of the day, the scrum master may update the stakeholders regarding the team’s progress, risks, and upcoming deliveries. This ensures transparency and keeps the stakeholders engaged. 

Updating Documentation: Scrum master may also work on updating the project-related documents.

Characteristics of a Good Scrum Master

A successful scrum master possesses a unique set of skills, attributes, and traits to efficiently support the development team, product owner, and stakeholders. Here are some of the critical skills and characteristics a good scrum master should have: 

Problem-Solving: A scrum master must be good at solving complex problems. He should face challenges with courage and address problems as quickly as possible. 

Communication: The Scrum master acts as a bridge between stakeholders and the development team. He needs to interact with stakeholders and leadership to discuss progress and plan for the future. Hence, he should have excellent communication and negotiation skills. 

Critical Thinking: The scrum master needs to address various problems and challenges every day. He should have efficient analytical skills to find the best possible solutions for the team.  

Time Management: A scrum master needs to facilitate the scrum events and ensure that team remains focused and on track throughout the meeting. To ensure this, he needs excellent time management skills. 

Commitment to Continuous Improvement: A scrum master fosters a culture of continuous learning by adapting the scrum process according to the team’s needs and project requirements. 

Patience and Preservation: A good scrum is always patient and committed to supporting the team, even in the face of resistance and blockers. 

Coaching and Mentoring: A good Scrum Master doesn’t just guide the Scrum team, he coaches the team on Scrum values, events, and principles. 

Become a Successful Scrum Master With Scrum Slate

One of the critical aspects of the Scrum Master role is his ability to efficiently use project management tools to enhance the team’s velocity and project progress. 

Scrum Slate is an advanced agile project management that enables the team to efficiently plan, execute, and deliver the product increment. This excellent tool comes with features tailored for the team following the scrum framework. 

Here are the key features of the Scrum Slate that agile teams can use to streamline their project management processes:

Backlog Management 

Scrum Slate comes with an advanced backlog planner that allows you to create multiple task lists in the backlog. This means you can categorize the work items into different task lists based on priority, sprint goals, and functionality. 

Sprint Management

The advanced sprint tracker allows you to plan your sprint and track the team’s performance with advanced charts, graphs, and metrics. You can identify the trends from sprint velocity charts and adapt your approach to effortlessly reach the sprint goals. 

Progress Board

The advanced kanban board allows you to get a comprehensive view of the work items for better understanding and planning. You can effortlessly drag and drop the work items to sort them based on their status.  

Calendar

Scrum Slate comes with an advanced calendar, that allows the Scrum Master to keep track of the tasks, sprints, and delivery due dates. 

Dashboard

Scrum Slate has an advanced dashboard for each project so that you can keep track of your teams in a more comprehensive way. Each dashboard comes with a wide range of reports such as a velocity chart, backlog activity, sprint activity, task distribution, and more. These reports provide a detailed insight into your team activities and project progress. 

Start Your Journey as a Scrum Master

Scrum Master is a critical role in the scrum framework that drives the scrum team toward success. For scrum masters, each day is full of challenges,  collaboration, and learning opportunities. Becoming a scrum master might be tricky but tools like Scrum Slate can be your great companion on this adventurous journey. 

Scrum Slate is an exceptional tool with features that can help you to become a successful scrum master. So, start your trial on Scrum Slate today and enjoy unlimited access to all the premium features free.