Two weeks ago I resigned as scrum master and will soon go back to just doing UX. Ironically I’m not resigning because I don’t care about agile anymore but rather that I care too much. .oO(Does that make sense to anyone but me?)
Anyway, I’d like to share with you my vision of “scrum master-dom”, as long as I can still say “I am a scrum master (and this is my manifesto)” ;):
Scrum Master Creed
I am a scrum master. I enable people to concentrate on their work by removing impediments, be they company structure, missing resources, group dynamics or individual behaviour.
I help people grow, to become better than they were; sound engineers, skilled communicators, considerate collaborators, true teams.
I bring about change, usually in small adjustments. A little and a little and a little and a little and a little and a little and a little and a little and a little and a little… is a lot.*
I lead towards the new order with little power but what people give me, trusting in my competence and good intentions. I optimize the whole, not only a single team or team member.
I am a mirror for others to reflect their behaviour. That’s why I need to be acutely aware of my own behaviour and the emotions that caused it.
I enjoy seeing other people succeed. My work is done, when I’ve rendered myself superfluous. That’s both the beauty and the tragedy.
I never forget that Scrum is a means, not an end.
CC-BY Corinna, 2011
* The “A little and … is a lot”-sentence is a quote that resonated with me, but I can’t recall where it’s from. The number of “and a little”s may vary from the original 
So that’s what I was going for. How do you see the role?
PS: Alternative takes on the role that I know of (and like):
- A ScrumMaster’s Checklist by Michael James
- Die Skills eines guten ScrumMasters by Boris Gloger
(The creed was first published on May 22, 2011 in my old blog.)
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