Question #7

We need to have regular internal training for our SCRUM Masters so that we are always at least a little better than the clients we do business with.

Scrum masters do not get better with training – that is a misnomer that the world is still catching onto. Scrum masters get better with experience. When you stop having delivery responsibility it becomes really easy to excuse unsuccessful situations as the fault of other forces or individuals involved. However, in many cases, there will be times where the scrum master might choose a different path if they have responsibility for the delivery as well as the process. Those are the times and the areas that need to be investigated. Without the responsibility, you lose your edge (but inversely you increase your hourly rates – go figure!).


Our internal resources are always better than the client’s because we will have pulled them from the experienced part of the industry, rather than those folks who have merely taught the skills. I want people on my team who can say “something like this happened to me and this is what I did and why it worked or didn’t” I don’t want someone who will say “the book suggests that we do this, I can call author and ask for clarification if you want, but…” People whose only reference is the advice and direction of a book or teacher, no matter how good the book or the teacher, will be one dimensional. As my mom used to say, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, but until you see a village consumed with e-coli, you don't really understand why you should catch those flies. Anti-patterns are hugely more valuable than patterns for teaching. I want my coaches to know the anti-patterns so that when the teams start falling into them it can be realized quickly and they can be hauled out before disaster strikes.