ScrumMaster is a strong leader with the right to shoot
Today I want to discuss one of the cornerstones in the Agile world - by what visual and olfactory features to choose an effective leader of the Agile team working, for example, according to Scrum, among the many two-day self-taught things that can lead the team and projects to chaos.
First, let us recall the differences between the traditional management system - repressive, from the humane and creative Agile model.
In principle, everything revolves around it “giving money” and receiving it, which turned out to be “less fortunate” and assertive in order to create their own company. He pays and will "get up" with employees himself or through "servants" whatever he wants. Most of the money ... is needed, everyone is silent and ... fighting each other - blaming responsibility for the weaker and slow and substituting it when necessary.
Everything is permeated by the atmosphere of the struggle for power and influence, possession of resources, talents and good specialists, methodically calculated and raped before death. They tell you openly or secretly - either work according to our rules, or go out. Motivating factors of employees are money, influence, honor. Actively used information hiding and outright lies. Middle Ages with the smell of bodies burning on bonfires.
The model, of course, is very effective at short and medium distances. Still - recall Fascist Germany, its rapid growth and development. But ... the model has jambs, because “He who sowed the wind shall reap the storm” (what the lord of the Sith and his followers ends with, we know :-)).
In this model, although the same goal is pursued - development and profit, however, especially in intellectually intensive areas, where everything is much more complicated than digging the Belomorkanal, it is much easier to achieve success - if YOU DEVELOP AND MOTIVATE PEOPLE, create conditions for their self-realization.
Moreover, the principles of mutual benefit (Win-Win) go beyond the boundaries of companies, because cooperation on the principles of honesty and professionalism is beneficial not only in the short term, but also contributes to the development of long-term business relations. Companies and people find themselves ... need each other.
In a repressive management model, the leader will, as a rule, select employees either more stupidly than himself, or those whom he can “hypnotize” or blackmail in one way or another. They are looking for "dogs" that are easy to control and easy to poison. The idiotic instructions coming down from above will be proxied down without changes, and those who can proxy them below will survive, the rest will burst.
In Agile, and especially in Scrum, on the contrary, you need to select ... the smartest, most independent and independent, the most gifted, hardworking people who can often easily send a recruiter at an interview for w ... poo or even further for immodest questions :-) Probably, the key point here will be the person’s ability to tell the truth in the eye, not be afraid of either the company or the circumstances. In short, they are looking for "tigers."
As a result, you get a team of very independent, independent, often vibrant and bold personalities. (All of them, of course, are potential especially dangerous trolls, so they need a “right” leader)
You know, I sometimes hear that everyone can be a leader in a Scrum team and this right is rotated, say, once a month. I do not believe. Such a strong and freedom-loving team needs an experienced and strong leader with great self-control.
In no case should ScrumMaster become a “cast-iron lid” that limits the intellectual impulses of team members from above - it’s worth it to argue at least once with colleagues on a topic in which he is not knowledgeable, recalling that he is their manager - and for the rest of the days behind him label "stupid bastard."
ScrumMaster promotes communication, encourages peers to express their opinions verbally or in writing. Particularly important - encourages OPEN discussions of issues in retrospect. Yes, it allows me to say that I am not satisfied with working with uninteresting technologies, that the project will soon be bent, that the admins are stupid, and ScrumMaster is foolish, that I want growth and development, etc. ... It is very difficult to tell the truth yourself and encourage others to say objective things :-) But then it will be easier to identify the causes of the problems (Root Cause) and work systematically to eliminate them. And the project will move faster and more direct to the goal.
Of course, it is recommended to use modern tools for collaboration and communication, various boards like Twiddla , wiki like Confluence ,corporate portals and document exchange systems , sharpened for Agile environments , etc. - google it.
ScrumMaster most of the time - removes the obstacles facing the team:
- communicates with system administrators about server freezes
- creates and improves communication tools: brainstorming boards, buys books and builds the team library
- performs other routine work to ensure team progress: updates progress graphs (Burndown), preparing for demonstrations or evaluations (PlanningPoker), etc.
- often ScrumMaster needs help if the task cannot be solved at its level and the help of a higher manager is needed. This is important - support him!
ScrumMaster is awesome motivating people ... a personal positive example, working the most, the desire to help and a good cheerful mood :-).
Attention. If ScrumMaster turns out to be a weak person, depressed, colleagues will feel it and intuitively will use it as toilet paper. This is a very dangerous situation for the project team, as outwardly everything will look good, but - the team will increasingly direct its efforts in the wrong direction, leaders will appear and wage war with each other, etc. People will start self-pumping at the expense of the company, hang out, PR and relax. Be careful and monitor this risk factor.
If you managed to choose such an Agile team, expect high efficiency in achieving the project goals due to the synergy (1 + 1 = 11, not 2) of the abilities of the team members, constant work on mistakes, high motivation and positive. Doing projects with such a team is a pleasure. Fair. This is a real, genuine, highly efficient Scrum-core reactor with a graphite core inside - ScrumMaster. :-)
Nature is structured as follows :-) that the "dark side of power" can sometimes take hold of one of the team members and instead of project goals that are shared by all team members:
- independence
- responsibility
- professionalism and self
- development - mutual assistance
- openness, honesty
- achieving the goal by the shortest a
colleague will want to hide “in a house for personal masturbation”, begin to lie, transfer responsibility from himself to others, look for the guilty, panic, sort things out, humiliate colleagues openly or invisibly to others.
In this case, ScrumMaster will try to return the sinned colleague to the system, or, if it doesn’t help, use its ... “right to shoot” and go to a higher manager. And the troll will be shot.
And sometimes, the "dark side" takes over ... ScrumMaster - in this case, you need to use the right to shoot :-) Good luck in building an effective Agile team!
First, let us recall the differences between the traditional management system - repressive, from the humane and creative Agile model.
Repressive management model
In principle, everything revolves around it “giving money” and receiving it, which turned out to be “less fortunate” and assertive in order to create their own company. He pays and will "get up" with employees himself or through "servants" whatever he wants. Most of the money ... is needed, everyone is silent and ... fighting each other - blaming responsibility for the weaker and slow and substituting it when necessary.
Everything is permeated by the atmosphere of the struggle for power and influence, possession of resources, talents and good specialists, methodically calculated and raped before death. They tell you openly or secretly - either work according to our rules, or go out. Motivating factors of employees are money, influence, honor. Actively used information hiding and outright lies. Middle Ages with the smell of bodies burning on bonfires.
The model, of course, is very effective at short and medium distances. Still - recall Fascist Germany, its rapid growth and development. But ... the model has jambs, because “He who sowed the wind shall reap the storm” (what the lord of the Sith and his followers ends with, we know :-)).
Humane Management Model, Agile
In this model, although the same goal is pursued - development and profit, however, especially in intellectually intensive areas, where everything is much more complicated than digging the Belomorkanal, it is much easier to achieve success - if YOU DEVELOP AND MOTIVATE PEOPLE, create conditions for their self-realization.
Moreover, the principles of mutual benefit (Win-Win) go beyond the boundaries of companies, because cooperation on the principles of honesty and professionalism is beneficial not only in the short term, but also contributes to the development of long-term business relations. Companies and people find themselves ... need each other.
Putting a Scrum team - “dogs” and “tigers”
In a repressive management model, the leader will, as a rule, select employees either more stupidly than himself, or those whom he can “hypnotize” or blackmail in one way or another. They are looking for "dogs" that are easy to control and easy to poison. The idiotic instructions coming down from above will be proxied down without changes, and those who can proxy them below will survive, the rest will burst.
In Agile, and especially in Scrum, on the contrary, you need to select ... the smartest, most independent and independent, the most gifted, hardworking people who can often easily send a recruiter at an interview for w ... poo or even further for immodest questions :-) Probably, the key point here will be the person’s ability to tell the truth in the eye, not be afraid of either the company or the circumstances. In short, they are looking for "tigers."
As a result, you get a team of very independent, independent, often vibrant and bold personalities. (All of them, of course, are potential especially dangerous trolls, so they need a “right” leader)
Leader in the Agile Team, ScrumMaster
You know, I sometimes hear that everyone can be a leader in a Scrum team and this right is rotated, say, once a month. I do not believe. Such a strong and freedom-loving team needs an experienced and strong leader with great self-control.
Vertical transparency
In no case should ScrumMaster become a “cast-iron lid” that limits the intellectual impulses of team members from above - it’s worth it to argue at least once with colleagues on a topic in which he is not knowledgeable, recalling that he is their manager - and for the rest of the days behind him label "stupid bastard."
Communication promotion
ScrumMaster promotes communication, encourages peers to express their opinions verbally or in writing. Particularly important - encourages OPEN discussions of issues in retrospect. Yes, it allows me to say that I am not satisfied with working with uninteresting technologies, that the project will soon be bent, that the admins are stupid, and ScrumMaster is foolish, that I want growth and development, etc. ... It is very difficult to tell the truth yourself and encourage others to say objective things :-) But then it will be easier to identify the causes of the problems (Root Cause) and work systematically to eliminate them. And the project will move faster and more direct to the goal.
Of course, it is recommended to use modern tools for collaboration and communication, various boards like Twiddla , wiki like Confluence ,corporate portals and document exchange systems , sharpened for Agile environments , etc. - google it.
Obstacle removal
ScrumMaster most of the time - removes the obstacles facing the team:
- communicates with system administrators about server freezes
- creates and improves communication tools: brainstorming boards, buys books and builds the team library
- performs other routine work to ensure team progress: updates progress graphs (Burndown), preparing for demonstrations or evaluations (PlanningPoker), etc.
- often ScrumMaster needs help if the task cannot be solved at its level and the help of a higher manager is needed. This is important - support him!
Motivation and positive atmosphere.
ScrumMaster is awesome motivating people ... a personal positive example, working the most, the desire to help and a good cheerful mood :-).
Turning into toilet roll
Attention. If ScrumMaster turns out to be a weak person, depressed, colleagues will feel it and intuitively will use it as toilet paper. This is a very dangerous situation for the project team, as outwardly everything will look good, but - the team will increasingly direct its efforts in the wrong direction, leaders will appear and wage war with each other, etc. People will start self-pumping at the expense of the company, hang out, PR and relax. Be careful and monitor this risk factor.
Nuclear reactor
If you managed to choose such an Agile team, expect high efficiency in achieving the project goals due to the synergy (1 + 1 = 11, not 2) of the abilities of the team members, constant work on mistakes, high motivation and positive. Doing projects with such a team is a pleasure. Fair. This is a real, genuine, highly efficient Scrum-core reactor with a graphite core inside - ScrumMaster. :-)
Right to shoot
Nature is structured as follows :-) that the "dark side of power" can sometimes take hold of one of the team members and instead of project goals that are shared by all team members:
- independence
- responsibility
- professionalism and self
- development - mutual assistance
- openness, honesty
- achieving the goal by the shortest a
colleague will want to hide “in a house for personal masturbation”, begin to lie, transfer responsibility from himself to others, look for the guilty, panic, sort things out, humiliate colleagues openly or invisibly to others.
In this case, ScrumMaster will try to return the sinned colleague to the system, or, if it doesn’t help, use its ... “right to shoot” and go to a higher manager. And the troll will be shot.
And sometimes, the "dark side" takes over ... ScrumMaster - in this case, you need to use the right to shoot :-) Good luck in building an effective Agile team!