Before we talk about what techniques could scrum masters use in 2023, we need to remember what the core responsibilities are.
As a scrum master, your main responsibilities are to implement scrum and agile methodology in your projects and among your teams. Agile scrum methodology is applied to project management and is mostly used in software development, but many other spheres started using it, such as marketing, sales, etc.
Work is divided into iterations that consist of two-to four-week sprints. They are designed to build the main features first and develop a deliverable product for a product owner.
The most important qualities of a scrum master are organizational and technical skills.
Without these skills, your career might not advance and develop as you would expect it to.
There are several apps that can help you improve your organizational and technical skills, and we will mention them later in the article.
Why Do Companies Need Scrum Masters?
Scrum Masters are an important part of any company and project. They are needed for any company that wants to implement the agile scrum methodology. Scrum masters are the ones who make sure every team and/or team member agrees with this methodology and works according to it.
Developing a deliverable product requires a lot of planning, organization, communication, and collaboration. However, this can be a very rewarding job when your team members understand and respect the methodology, and you are responsible for that part.
In 2023, scrum masters need to step up their game when it comes to the techniques they use in order to implement scrum methodologies and make sure their team is satisfied with the overall plan.
Best Techniques Which the Scrum Masters Could Use in 2023
There are a few techniques we will suggest to you that you might find useful as a scrum master in 2023. So, what techniques could scrum masters use?
Develop A ”We Are In This Together” Attitude
As a scrum master, you do not want to be a boss, you want to be a leader. People will not react to you as someone whom they should follow if you present yourself as a know-it-all. Let your team respect your decisions and plans by being a part of the team and implementing the idea that all of you are working together for a bigger goal- which actually is the case.
Listen To Your Team
Many scrum masters think that the set plans and ideas are the only way to finish the needed work. It is sometimes better to listen to your team and make your job easier. Why? Because they will give you all the new ideas that actually might help and facilitate the process. Teach AND learn because having a team who feels confident to express their opinion is one of the best assets to have.
Facilitate Conflicts by Setting Boundaries
What techniques could the scrum masters use to facilitate conflicts? There are many instances where your team members do not agree with you or others on many different approaches or plans.
Sometimes, the conflicts might take away from your meeting time and might change the course of your conversation.
It is important to simply set boundaries and explain beforehand that personal conflicts as well as professional ones will not be entertained by you and that your team needs to focus on productivity rather than problems. You will sometimes have to be a psychologist and a judge in these situations, but you need to prepare your boundaries and firmly stick to them.
Work On Your Teaching Abilities
When you are faced with new teams, it is crucial to help them learn all the new work-related issues. They will look up to you as their leader so it is important to know how to deliver your knowledge and teach. Teaching new team members is a perfect opportunity to set the tone and boundaries for all your future collaborations and meetings.
Be open-minded, friendly, and understanding while staying confident in your work and your knowledge.
Do Not Be a Go-To Problem Solver
Many scrum masters think that they are the only ones who can manage and solve problems their team members have. This is an old approach and if you still do this, it is time to change your views.
If you are always the one solving problems for your team, they may tend to always rely on you for every minor inconvenience. This can overwhelm you as a scrum master, so it is important to let your team learn how to solve problems themselves.
This way, if you go on a holiday or a sick leave, your team can be self-reliant and continue working without you.
Pay Attention to Individuals
Being the leader of a team usually indicates working with groups and talking to teams on a regular basis. However, this is not the best approach because your team is made of many different individuals with different personalities.
Knowing the characters and individuals on your team is crucial for a successful scrum master. This determines your work dynamic and how well your communication with your team members will be. Talking to the individuals on your team will result in a better understanding of their wants and needs and this can help you when allocating tasks.
Team members are almost like different pieces of a puzzle. They can help you as long as you study them.
Get To Know Other Scrum Masters
Being a part of the scrum masters community will help you communicate with other people who do the same work. They might give you different ideas and insights about certain topics and approaches. This can be extremely useful for new scrum masters who have not had a chance to get some smart and strong ideas about how to get around their team.
However you engage, online or in person, we are sure you will benefit from these conversations.
Which Coaching Behaviour Should Scrum Masters Use?
In the past few years, coaching approaches have changed in every sphere of work since many members of teams work remotely now. However, there are a few fundamental coaching techniques and strategies that scrum masters could use.
Whether you coach your team online or in person, it is a challenge to teach people if your own teaching abilities are not to par. That is why the already mentioned advice on teaching abilities is highly recommended to keep in mind. So, what techniques could the scrum masters use to coach better in 2023?
Ask questions
This coaching technique might sound interesting since your main role as a scrum master is to teach. Try to show your knowledge by asking questions and letting your team members think about everything for themselves. Then, the best answer might win a reward or a simple ‘Bravo!’ for their effort and good thinking.
This is called a student-oriented approach where your team members look for the answers themselves and you are there to approve their ideas.
This approach will motivate your team to always look for answers themselves and have a problem-solving approach.
Teach your team when and how to use certain strategies
It is important for your team to learn when and how to use different approaches and strategies. As a scrum master, your role is to teach your team members to know the differences as well as strengths and weaknesses of each approach or strategy. They need to learn how to be more effective in any context, especially Agile.
Observe your team
When coaching your new hires, it is crucial to observe each one of them and see which part of the puzzle each could fit. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses which can be used for teamwork. This will help you decide which tasks to allocate to which members.
Teach your team to focus on value delivery
When working with clients or product owners, you have to know which values are important to them and what is valuable for their business. This has to be your goal as a team no matter what. Some team members may have their opinions on different topics but you have to stay firm in requesting valuable delivery.
They have to always keep in mind that you are all a part of someone’s vision.
Scrum Board Best Practices
When using a board, there are a few things you should keep in mind in order to implement scrum practices. These boards can be shared with your whole team, and you can implement the agile methodology within them.
Easynote can help you add more boards/columns instead of only the three popular ones: to do/doing/done.
The best way to use your boards and include the scrum practices is:
- Sprint planning– this is very important because it will decide your direction of work, who does what, and how much time is needed for each task.
- Daily scrum– a quick everyday meeting that helps your team follow the process and give updates, as well as bring up potential problems.
- Identify scrum roles– it is crucial to know who is in charge of what (scrum master, developer, product owner) and to assign things accordingly.
- Prioritize user stories even before your project gets started– your team has to be ready and have a clear overview of how your project will develop even before it starts. This will save you a lot of time later on even if there are a few changes because you will present potential changes beforehand.
- Have sprint retrospective meetings– a good scrum master always goes over the already done projects in order to talk about what was done correctly, what was not, and what strategies to implement in future projects. This gives your team great insight and makes them learn from their mistakes.
- The organization is your priority– use the best time and task management software and apps that can help you organize everything and have access to all your data very quickly since your plans may change from time to time so it is crucial that you get all the notifications about potential changes right away.
Best Apps for Scrum Masters
Some of the best apps to use as a scrum master who needs to implement the agile methodology are:
Easynote is a 5-in1 Ai-powered tool that facilitates all scrum master’s work. The ultimate dashboard is one of the most powerful on the market since it makes your daily meetings, notes, collaboration, and tracking easily accessible.
With Easynote, you can track your team member’s progress, assign tasks and follow important deadlines and dates, all in one app.
Meetings are also done through the app since it integrates meeting apps in itself. It also syncs all your calendars, so it is easy to track both your professional and personal plans. Also, there are many useful templates that you can personalize to fit your needs. It is really an ultimate scrum master tool.
Trello is also one of the popular apps that are very easy to use. Trello’s kanban board makes it easy to follow your team members’ progress and assign other tasks that can include you or other team members.
Monday is another useful tool for scrum masters and it can be used for marketing managers, project managers, and business owners as well. It offers a great task management feature as well as many useful templates, especially for HRs or new hires who might need help figuring out how to write their first reports or similar documents.
Be The Scrum Master You Would Like To Have
So, what techniques could the scrum masters use in 2023? Whichever of the mentioned techniques you choose to implement, do not forget your own factor. It is important to stay confident, consistent, and friendly, but you also need to think about the abilities and qualities you would like to see in a person if YOU had a scrum master. You can even write down some qualities that come to your mind and always remind yourself of them.
This will give you a great insight into what qualities you need to work on yourself because chances are, others need them too.
