Agile guide · Agile roles and teams
What Does a Scrum Master Do? Role, Skills and Responsibilities
The Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team's effectiveness. They help the team, the Product Owner and the wider organisation understand and use Scrum, and they remove obstacles that slow the team down. They lead by serving, not by directing.
Key takeaways
- The Scrum Master is accountable for the team's effectiveness.
- They serve the team, the Product Owner and the organisation.
- Facilitation, coaching and removing impediments are the core of the job.
Responsibilities
To the team:
- Coach the team in self-management and cross-functional working.
- Help it focus on creating high-value increments that meet the Definition of Done.
- Remove impediments to progress.
- Make sure all Scrum events take place, are positive and productive, and stay within their time-box.
To the Product Owner:
- Help find techniques for defining the Product Goal and managing the backlog.
- Help the team understand the need for clear, concise backlog items.
- Facilitate stakeholder collaboration when needed.
To the organisation:
- Lead, train and coach the organisation in its Scrum adoption.
- Help employees and stakeholders understand an empirical approach to complex work.
- Remove barriers between stakeholders and teams.
Key skills
- Facilitation: running meetings that produce decisions.
- Coaching: helping people find their own answers.
- Conflict resolution.
- Deep knowledge of Agile and Scrum.
- Influence without authority.
- Patience and observation: noticing patterns the team cannot see.
A typical day
- Facilitate or observe the Daily Scrum.
- Follow up on impediments raised.
- Coach the Product Owner on backlog refinement.
- Prepare a retrospective format suited to the team's current challenges.
- Work with other teams or managers to remove an organisational blocker.
Scrum Master vs project manager
| Scrum Master | Project manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Team effectiveness and process | Delivering scope on time and budget |
| Authority | Influence; no line authority over the team | Often assigns and directs work |
| Planning | The team plans its own work | Creates and maintains the plan |
| Success measure | A team that improves and delivers value | Project objectives met |
See the Agile project manager for how project management works in Agile settings.
Becoming a Scrum Master
Popular entry-level certifications include Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) from Scrum Alliance and Professional Scrum Master (PSM I) from Scrum.org. Experience facilitating real teams matters more than any certificate. See how to learn Agile.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Scrum Master a manager?
No. The Scrum Master is a true leader who serves the team, with no authority over who does what.
Can the Scrum Master also be a developer?
Yes, in smaller organisations, though it can be hard to do both well. The Scrum Master and Product Owner roles should not be combined.
What does a Scrum Master do every day?
Facilitates or observes the Daily Scrum, follows up impediments, coaches the Product Owner and team, prepares retrospectives and works with others to remove organisational blockers.
What skills does a Scrum Master need?
Facilitation, coaching, conflict resolution, deep knowledge of Scrum, influence without authority and careful observation.
Is Scrum Master a full-time job?
It can be, especially with one or two teams or a new team. In smaller organisations, the role may be combined with development work.
How many teams can a Scrum Master support?
One or two is common. Supporting more usually leaves too little time for coaching and impediment removal.
What is the difference between a Scrum Master and a project manager?
A Scrum Master focuses on team effectiveness and has no authority over the work; a project manager typically plans and directs work to deliver scope on time and budget.
Does a Scrum Master need certification?
Not formally, but certifications such as PSM or CSM are often requested by employers. See how to learn Agile and get certified.
What does "servant leader" mean for a Scrum Master?
The 2020 Scrum Guide calls the Scrum Master a true leader who serves the Scrum Team and organisation, leading by helping others succeed rather than by directing them.
Who does the Scrum Master report to?
Scrum does not specify. In practice, Scrum Masters often report to an Agile coach, delivery lead or engineering manager.
What is an impediment that a Scrum Master removes?
Anything that slows the team's progress that it cannot easily resolve alone, such as a missing decision, a broken environment or a dependency on another team.