This can pave the way for increased productivity and boost collaboration within the team while maintaining the agility of the Scrum Framework. For an aspiring Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM), mastering the skills to improve the team’s ability to manage themselves takes precedence.
I. Understanding Self-Managed Teams
A self-managed team refers to a group of cross-functional individuals who, in addition to executing their roles, are given the responsibilities often made by managers. These include decision-making, problem-solving, and general management of the workload. Understand that in Scrum, the ScrumMaster’s role isn’t to order the development team to do tasks or, in general, make decisions for them but to facilitate such decisions so the team can manage themselves effectively.
II. Foster Open Communication
ScrumMasters can encourage the team to express their thoughts and inputs regarding work issues freely. This openness creates an environment where team members feel comfortable offering ideas, acknowledging issues, and resolving problems internally. This can be fostered by the ScrumMaster organizing regular retrospective meetings where the team can openly discuss things that are going well and areas that need improvement within the team.
| Regular Team Communication | Impact |
|---|---|
| Open Discussion | Enhances team transparency |
| Problem Acknowledgement | Enables proactive problem-solving |
| Retrospective Feedback | Boosts continuous improvement |
III. Encourage Self-organization
As a ScrumMaster, your role includes guiding your team to become self-organizing. You may want to create an environment where the team feels confident making decisions about their work. Empower them with clear goals and then trust them with the freedom to plan, monitor their work and adapt accordingly. Scrum encourages self-organization by letting the development team decide how to turn Product Backlog Items (PBIs) into an increment of work during each Sprint.
IV. Enhancing Skill-set
A well-rounded team is more effective at self-management. Encourage your team members to invest in developing their skills apart from their niche expertise—the T-shaped Skill Model advocates for diverse skill sets within a team. Each team member possesses deep knowledge and expertise in at least one domain, represented by the vertical bar of the ‘T’, along with proven competence across multiple related domains, as represented by the horizontal bar of the ‘T.’
| Skill Type | Description | Benefits for Self-management |
|---|---|---|
| Specialized | Deep Knowledge in a domain | Enhances productivity and quality |
| Broad | General Knowledge across domains | Increases flexibility and adaptability |
V. Advocate for Accountability
As a ScrumMaster, you want to encourage every team member to take up a personal ownership value. The Scrum Guide refers to this as being “courageous” — members of your team should not only be accountable for their tasks but also not shy away from dealing with conflicts and voicing their opinions. The Daily Scrum Meetings could be used an opportunity for each team member to state their tasks, progress, and any obstacles they are facing.
VI. Promote Collaboration
Finally, in order to maintain a harmonious atmosphere within the team and allow them to manage themselves effectively, promoting collaboration is indispensable. Encourage the team to share knowledge, collaborate on tasks and foster a sense of collective ownership over the product. Scrum advocates this through pair-programming, code-review sessions, and other collaborative practices.
To wrap up, enabling your team to self-manage isn’t an overnight task. It requires a blend of patience, guidance, and regular feedback. However, once achieved, it can become one of the most rewarding factors of a Scrum team’s productivity and satisfaction, making you a successful Advanced Certified ScrumMaster.
Practice Test
True or False : As an ScrumMaster, promoting self-organization among team members can improve the team’s ability to manage themselves.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The ScrumMaster’s role involves guiding the team towards self-organization, promoting collaboration, and helping the team become increasingly self-sufficient in managing their work.
Which of the following techniques can improve a team’s ability to manage themselves in a scrum environment?
- A) Regular feedback
- B) Individual task assignment
- C) Team building activities
- D) All of the above
- E) A and C only
Answer: E) A and C only
Explanation: Regular feedback helps the team improve and learn, and team building activities promote unity and collaboration. Individual assignment of tasks is contrary to the self-organizing principle of scrum teams.
True or False: Regular retrospectives can help improve the team’s ability to manage themselves.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Regular retrospectives allow teams to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement, thus enabling them to manage themselves better.
What is NOT an advantage of self-managing Scrum teams?
- A) Increased productivity
- B) Lower project costs
- C) Unsupervised team members
- D) Faster delivery times
Answer: C) Unsupervised team members
Explanation: While self-managing teams should be empowered and trusted, they are not completely unsupervised. The ScrumMaster and Product Owners play integral roles in guiding and supporting the team.
True or False: Conflict resolution is NOT a necessary skill for a ScrumMaster.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Conflict resolution is a critical part of the ScrumMaster’s role. Good ScrumMasters are capable of mediating conflicts within the team to ensure a healthy and productive work environment.
Which of these is an effective technique to improve communication within a Scrum team?
- A) Daily stand-up meetings
- B) email communication
- C) Monthly meetings
- D) Team chat channels
Answer: A) Daily stand-up meetings
Explanation: Daily stand-up meetings, also known as daily Scrum meetings, improve communication by providing the team with a regular opportunity to sync and discuss progress.
The ScrumMaster should direct the team in decision making. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The ScrumMaster’s role is to facilitate the team’s decision making process, but not to direct.
Cross-functionality within a team contributes to self-management. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: A team with cross-functional skills can manage themselves better as they can handle various tasks, thus speeding up the project delivery and ensuring smooth operations.
What role does trust play in a self-managing team?
- A) Improves team dynamics
- B) Reduces the need for supervision
- C) Enhances team performance
- D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Trust inadvertently impacts team dynamics, reduces the need for constant monitoring and enhances team performance.
Non-violent communication among team members can lead to improvement in self-management. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Non-violent communication promotes open, respectful, and effective communication, which boosts team cohesion and self-management.
Interview Questions
What is an effective technique to foster self-management within a Scrum team?
One technique is a daily stand-up meeting where each team member reports what they did yesterday, their plan for today, and any hurdles in their way.
How does establishing working agreements support team self-management?
Working agreements provide a set of guidelines that the team formulates and follows, promoting shared accountability and decision-making.
Can a ScrumMaster enforce decisions on a self-managing team?
No, a ScrumMaster’s role is to coach and facilitate, not to enforce decisions. The team should make their own decisions through consensus.
How does a ScrumMaster aid with conflict resolution in a self-managing team?
A ScrumMaster facilitates constructive communication in the team, allowing them to resolve conflicts themselves. If the team cannot resolve the conflict, the ScrumMaster steps in to mediate.
What role do retrospectives play in cultivating self-managing teams?
Retrospectives allow teams to reflect on their behaviour, learn from mistakes and successes, and make commitments to improve, which supports self-management and growth.
Why is transparency vital for a self-managing team?
Transparency means all information is openly available to all team members. This helps in fostering trust, improving decision-making, and enabling the team to self-manage effectively.
Can the Product Owner or ScrumMaster assign work to team members in a self-managing team?
No, in a self-managing team, the team members themselves decide who will do what work and when.
How can pair programming help improve self-management in a team?
Pair programming can improve knowledge sharing, collective ownership, and collaboration among team members, fostering a sense of self-management.
Why is a Definition of Done key to a self-managing team?
A clear Definition of Done ensures the team understands what is expected and can self-manage the workflow to meet these expectations.
How does a ScrumMaster support skill diversity within a self-managing team?
A ScrumMaster can encourage cross-skilling and pair programming for knowledge transfer, enabling the team to handle different tasks and become less dependent on specific individuals.
What is the importance of respecting team members’ boundaries in a self-managing team?
Respecting boundaries helps maintain a healthy work-life balance, which in turn increases productivity and the team’s ability to self-manage.
How can the Scrum values of commitment, courage, focus, openness and respect enhance a team’s ability to self-manage?
These values foster a trustful and respectful environment where team members feel empowered to make decisions, share ideas, overcome challenges, and commit to their work, enabling effective self-management.
How can a shared vision contribute to a team’s ability to self-manage?
A shared vision provides a clear direction, enabling the team to make decisions and prioritize tasks that align with it, promoting self-management.
How does regular feedback and coaching from a ScrumMaster foster self-management?
Regular feedback and coaching help the team continuously learn and improve, enhancing their ability to self-manage.
What role does trust play in a self-managing team?
Trust within the team encourages open communication, collaboration, and empowerment, all of which are essential for a team to effectively self-manage.
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