You are cordially invited to join us for our planned open-hour sessions, where you can ask questions and receive expert answers from industry leaders. We welcome all your inquiries related to project management, including topics like Agile Awareness, Agile Coaching, KanBan, Scaled Agile Certifications, and follow-up queries. We encourage active participation and engagement in our sessions. The details of our open-hour events are shared beforehand, and they usually take place on the second and fourth Fridays at 7 PM IST (+5.5 GMT). Our expert Saket Bansal recently led a Live Open Hour Episode#53 session, which took place on April 14th, 2023. During this session, participants raised several questions about the Scrum Master role, including inquiries about the most appropriate certification or training for career advancement. Mr Bansal provided expert guidance and advice on these topics.
Question: What is the role and responsibility of a Scrum Master?
Question: Why are most organizations not using the term “sunk cost fallacy”?
Question: What is the difference between specifications and deliverables?
Question: What is the difference between transformational and transactional leadership approaches?
Question: What is the first important thing to do to become a successful Scrum Master?
Question: Is it beneficial for a PMP-certified candidate to get a Certified Scrum Master certification (CSM)?
Question: What is the role of a scrum master in the estimation process?
Question: What technique is used by Scrum Master to measure its team’s maturity?
Question: How do we refine the scope of a project, and what tools and techniques are needed?
Question: Can planning be done in any phase of a project?
Question: What are agile games, and how are they played?
Question: What is the role of Scrum Master in Sprint planning?
Question: How are releases planned in Scrum?
Question: What is the PI planning meeting in Leading SAFe.
Question: What is pre-sales, and what does a pre-sale manager do?
Question: What is variance analysis in project management?
Question: Who is responsible for bugs that arise in production even after sign-off?
Question: What could be the growth chart for a Scrum Master in their career ladder?
Question: What is the difference between the Definition of Done and acceptance criteria in Scrum
Question: How do you allocate priority tasks when managing a project with limited resources?
Question: How do you optimize Scrum team velocity to identify improvement opportunities?
Question: Should DevOps be part of the Scrum team or be considered shared resources?
Question: Do you offer one on one coaching?
Question: How can we make Scrum ceremonies time-boxed?
Question: How does a stakeholder register help in identifying stakeholders?
Question: How can one overcome the fear of facing an interview?
Here is the summarized answer given by Saket Bansal for questions asked by participants-
What is the role and responsibility of a Scrum Master?
The role and responsibility of a Scrum Master involve various competencies such as enabling delivery, developing people, developing high-performing teams, supporting value alignment, improving flow, enabling agility, and supporting sprint execution. Although not all tasks are performed daily, a list of 20-30 tasks will get performed at some frequency by the Scrum Master. For example, a typical day of a Scrum Master may involve:
Recently, we wrote a detailed blog on the roles and responsibilities of a Scrum Master. Therefore, we invite all the participants to look at this particular blog, where we have elaborated on this topic in more detail.
How can a Scrum Master assist the Scrum team in adopting agile practices related to technical design?
As a Scrum Master, one of the key responsibilities is to facilitate the overall development and help the team achieve technical excellence. This can be done by helping the team avoid shortcuts, create a better Definition of Done, learn technical practices that reduce rework, and improve the overall quality of work. To assist the Scrum team in adopting agile practices related to technical design, the Scrum Master can help the team to adopt best practices, learn new techniques, and continuously improve the technical design process. In addition, the Scrum Master can assist the team in enhancing their technical skills and building high-quality products through various means such as mentoring, coaching, facilitating technical discussions, and providing training. The Scrum Master also works with the Product Owner to ensure that technical requirements are included in the product backlog and prioritized appropriately.
What is the relationship between a software requirement document and a functional requirement document?
The software requirement document can also be functional, depending on how the organization uses it. There might be overlaps between the two. While a functional requirement document may only focus on the requirement and functionality needed for the overall solution, many organizations call it a software requirement document or a software requirement specification when it becomes specific to software. In this case, it is more related to the implementation.
What is the difference between capacity planning and velocity in a Scrum team, and what is the role of a Scrum Master in this context?
Capacity planning and velocity are two important concepts in Scrum. Capacity planning refers to the available productive hours a Scrum team has to work on a project. At the same time, velocity quantifies the team’s work in a given environment. Velocity is usually measured in story points, while capacity is measured in hours or days. There is a correlation between velocity and capacity, but it may not be very linear. More capacity should lead to an increase in velocity over time, but this may take time. The role of a Scrum Master in this context is to ensure that the team reflects on their velocity and capacity during their retrospective meetings. The Scrum Master should hold a mirror to the team and stakeholders to show them where they are in terms of their progress and ensure that the people who are expected to act on that information take it seriously. The Scrum Master should also expose any patterns in the team’s velocity and capacity and encourage reflection on these patterns to improve the team’s performance. Recently, we wrote a blog that explains the idea of velocity in detail, including four good uses and four potentially not-so-good uses. You can refer to this blog for more details.
Why are most organizations not using the term “sunk cost fallacy”?
It’s difficult to say exactly why some organizations don’t use the term “sunk cost fallacy,” but in general, this kind of vocabulary and high-level decision-making conversations tend to be more prevalent in process-matured organizations where management theories and decision-making are based on facts and processes. In my experience working and training in the product space with manufacturing and mechanical industries, I see the term “sunk cost” being used regularly. However, I see it being used less often when working with IT service-based organizations. It’s important to remember that vocabulary and conversations vary depending on the organization and its context.
What are MVP and MBI in product development, and how do they relate to each other? Is the future state of MVP MBI?
MVP is a minimum viable product used to test a product idea’s viability and get user feedback before investing too much time and money into development. MBI is a minimum business increment, an increment of product functionality that adds some slice of additional business value for the end customer. It’s a way for businesses to deliver value incrementally to the customer without delaying the release. After working on one or two MVPs, you understand where to target your product, correct any mistakes, and deliver incremental value, becoming your MBI. So yes, you can say the future state of MVP is MBI. We have a blog explaining the difference between MVP and MBI
What is the difference between specifications and deliverables?
A deliverable is a complete product or service that helps achieve the objectives, while specifications are the details or characteristics of the deliverable. For example, when buying a laptop, it is the deliverable, and its specifications help understand its features and details.
What is the difference between transformational and transactional leadership approaches?
A transactional approach is a short-term approach based on exchanging something for something else. On the other hand, a transformational approach is a long-term approach that focuses on improving and transforming the team to achieve better results. While these concepts may be important in studying leadership, they are not heavily tested on the PMP exam. It’s best not to get too caught up in terminology and focus on practicing exam questions.
What is the first important thing to do to become a successful Scrum Master?
The first important thing to do to become a successful Scrum Master is to understand the role and responsibilities and ensure that this understanding is reflected in your profile, conversation, and job description. You can gain this understanding by referring to comprehensive blogs that detail the roles and responsibilities of a Scrum Master and also consider what the industry expects from a Scrum Master. Once this understanding is established, the next step is to assess how your current experience and opportunities align with the job requirements. Finally, reflecting on these skills and experiences in your profile or CV is important; for more details about showcasing these skills, please refer to the blog – Scrum Master Profile: Key Strategies for Improving Your Job Prospects. The Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification can provide you with the knowledge and expectations of the Scrum Alliance for a Scrum Master. As a result, it may align well with the requirements of many organizations. On the other hand, we have an Industry Enabled Scrum Master program that can also help you gain an in-depth understanding of Scrum and its applications in real-world scenarios. These programs can help you learn new skills, tools, and techniques and apply them to your work as a Scrum Master. So, by gaining practical knowledge and skills, you can demonstrate your ability to work as a Scrum Master effectively.
Is it beneficial for a PMP-certified candidate to get a Certified Scrum Master certification (CSM)?
It depends on the target job roles that the candidate is aiming for. If the job descriptions include a combination of CSM and PMP certifications, then it might be beneficial to have both. However, certification alone does not equate to knowledge or learning, but it does demonstrate the candidate’s commitment to learning and improving themselves. In the IT space, hybrid project management is becoming more common, so having both certifications might be helpful. Also, having a Scrum Master certification and a PMP certification can show potential employers that the candidate can work in multiple ways rather than only in a traditional way. It’s important to note that even though the current PMP exam is also related to Agile & Scrum apart from the traditional way of working, your interviewer may not be aware of it. Having a CSM certification may be an added advantage for the candidate. Recruiters and managers reviewing resumes may need an updated perception of PMP, which is focused on traditional project management methods. Thus, having a Scrum Master certification and PMP can demonstrate that the candidate has knowledge and skills in traditional and Agile project management methodologies. Ultimately, it’s essential to carefully evaluate the job descriptions and industry trends before deciding which certifications to pursue.
What is the role of a scrum master in the estimation process?
The role of a scrum master in the estimation process includes ensuring that everybody participates in the estimation process, making sure that the team understands the objective of the given estimate, ensuring the right amount of discussion happens during estimation, educating about the estimation process, ensuring engagement in the estimation process, getting to the appropriate level of detail as per the goal of estimation, and revisiting the estimation as better information becomes available. The scrum master is responsible for creating autonomy and engagement in the team, which leads to a better team. The role of the Scrum Master in estimation is also explained in the Role and Responsibilities of a Scrum Master blog; kindly refer to it.
What technique is used by Scrum Master to measure its team’s maturity?
The role and responsibility of a Scrum Master are to ensure agility and self-management improvement in their team. While there is no scientific way to measure team maturity, Scrum Masters can use assessment frameworks to help reflect on their team’s maturity level. However, it’s important to remember that the ultimate goal is not just to label the team’s maturity but to use these assessment tools as feedback and reflection. Organizations often have their assessment frameworks, but there are standard assessment frameworks like the Spotify team health check and the Atlassian team health check. For those working in a SAFe context, the Measure and Grow competency matrix can be used to reflect on team maturity. It’s important to remember that the focus should be on reflection and feedback rather than just a numerical measurement. Ultimately, it’s not the maturity level number that matters but how the team can use these assessments to improve their ways of working and become more effective.
How do we refine the scope of a project, and what tools and techniques are needed?
To refine the scope of a project, we need to focus on assessment rather than measurement and utilize tools such as reflection and feedback. In agile project management, the maturity of the scope is measured based on working software, which is the primary measure of progress and feedback. Therefore, our refinements are better if we can create working software incrementally. In the case of a predictive life cycle, we need to ask stakeholders what kind of milestones they want to have and how they measure progress on those milestones. Then, depending on the work’s nature, payment milestones could be attached to completion criteria. There is no standard approach in hybrid project management, a mix of predictive and adaptive models. The recommendation is to create a manageable work breakdown structure and reach a workable level of refinement.
Can planning be done in any phase of a project?
Yes, planning can be done in any project phase. While some project life cycles may have a named planning phase, the planning activity is an ongoing process that can occur at any point during the project. Replanning may be necessary even after establishing a baseline plan due to changing circumstances. Planning should be seen as an activity rather than a phase or a one-time event. In the language of PMBOK 6, planning is a process group that spans the entire project life cycle. While some life cycles may have a planning phase, it essentially involves finishing planning activities and producing specific deliverables before moving on to the next step and planning its activities in detail.
What are agile games, and how are they played?
Agile games refer to gamified discussions and activities that facilitate conversations and increase engagement in the agile way of working. Examples of agile games include planning poker, which is a child’s game used for estimating project efforts, and other facilitation activities like those found in the book and website called Game storming. These games can focus on various areas of project management, such as creating a project charter or brainstorming ideas for a project. Ultimately, agile games are a way to make the process of agile project management more interactive and enjoyable.
What is the role of Scrum Master in Sprint planning?
The core role of the Scrum Master in Sprint planning is to ensure that the team is engaged in the meeting, conversations are focused, and just enough discussion is happening to help arrive at a Sprint goal and Sprint backlog. The Scrum Master also ensures that the team includes a quality perspective and follows the Definition of Done. The Scrum Master’s role is to ensure the team develops a clear plan for their upcoming Sprint. To achieve this goal, the Scrum Master may run the meetings or remain silent if the team is already running it well. If the team is not running the meeting well, the Scrum Master may help guide the team. Additionally, the Scrum Master ensures that the team understands how much discussion is needed to arrive at an estimation. If the team cannot do so, the Scrum Master gets involved in the details.
How are releases planned in Scrum?
Scrum does not provide a specific prescription for release planning. Teams need to figure out their own release strategy and cycle based on factors such as the stage of the product, market conditions, and customer acceptability. Teams can opt for scope box releases, where a release is planned when a certain amount of work is finished, or time box releases, where a release is planned at a specific time interval, such as every three months or one week. Multiple releases can also be done during a Sprint, or a few Sprints can be taken before releasing to the business. The recommendation is to plan frequent releases as soon as possible.
What is the PI planning meeting in Leading SAFe?
In the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), work is planned in two-time boxes: the planning interval and the iteration. The planning interval is a larger time box of 8-12 weeks, also known as the Program Increment (PI). During the PI planning meeting, the entire Agile Release Train (ART), a group of agile teams, collaboratively plans for the upcoming PI. The focus is on establishing a common purpose, balancing demand and capacity, and identifying interdependencies among multiple teams. The meeting involves multiple steps and activities, which are explained in a series of seven videos that can be found on iZenBridge YouTube Channel. You can begin by watching the first video in the SAFe® PI Planning series, titled “Program Backlog Readiness – 1 of 7”. This video will provide an introduction to the series and set the stage for the subsequent videos.
What is pre-sales, and what does a pre-sale manager do?
Pre-sales refers to providing technical and/or business support to potential customers before a sale is made. The pre-sales team, usually made up of sales and technical experts, helps bridge the gap between sales and technical teams by providing technical expertise in a sales context. They work to understand the needs of potential customers and offer customized solutions to meet those needs. A pre-sales manager is responsible for managing the pre-sales team, ensuring they effectively support the sales team and potential customers. They oversee the pre-sales process, from initial customer engagement to the finalization of the sale, and work to optimize the process for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
What is variance analysis in project management?
In project management, variance analysis refers to identifying the gap between what was expected or committed to stakeholders and a project’s actual performance. This gap is known as variance, which can be positive (i.e., better than expected) or negative (i.e., worse than expected). The purpose of variance analysis is to determine the causes of the variance and the corrective and preventive actions that can be taken to mitigate its impact. This includes adjusting project plans and timelines, allocating resources differently, and communicating with stakeholders to manage expectations. By conducting variance analysis, project managers can ensure that their projects stay on track and achieve their goals as planned.
Who is responsible for bugs that arise in production even after sign-off?
The responsibility for bugs in production after sign-off depends on the contractual agreement between the customer and vendor. The contract’s terms will define the party responsible for addressing the bugs. For example, if the vendor has already received payment and the warranty period has expired, they may argue that their obligation is over. However, if contractual obligations are still in place, the vendor will be responsible for handling and addressing any defects. Therefore, reviewing the contract to understand how defects will be handled, who will estimate the cost of addressing them, and who will pay for the work is crucial.
What could be the growth chart for a Scrum Master in their career ladder?
The growth chart for a Scrum Master in their career ladder can vary depending on various factors such as their organization, industry, and their own personal aspirations. In the past, the typical career ladder for a Scrum Master was to move towards a coaching or mentoring role or to transition to an Agile coach or an Agile project manager. However, as Agile approaches have become more mainstream and many organizations have adopted them, the role of a Scrum Master has also evolved. Currently, the market is shifting towards Scrum Masters who have secondary skills and cross-functional expertise. For example, a Scrum Master with project management skills can move towards a hybrid role of a Scrum Master and a project manager. Similarly, a Scrum Master with technical expertise can become a technical Scrum Master or a Scrum Master for a technical team. Another growth path for Scrum Masters is to become multi-team Scrum Masters. In organizations with large-scale projects, a Scrum Master may be responsible for managing multiple teams and ensuring their alignment with the overall project goals. In addition to developing secondary skills and cross-functional expertise, Scrum Masters can also grow in the leadership space. For example, they can become Agile coaches, mentor other Scrum Masters, or become a Scrum Master lead. Overall, the growth chart for a Scrum Master depends on the organization’s needs and their aspirations. It is essential to continuously develop new skills, stay updated with the market trends, and be open to new opportunities to grow in their career.
How can a Scrum Master deal with a Product Owner who regularly changes requirements even in the middle of the Sprint?
The Scrum Master’s role is first to clarify the consequences or loss caused by the regular changes to requirements. They need to understand the reason behind this behavior and identify whether it’s due to the person or the environment. If the requirements cannot be planned or identified for two weeks, the Scrum Master should stop doing Scrum and move to a flow-based system or reduce the Sprint cycle. The Scrum Master’s role is to make the impact visible in a fact-oriented manner, expose or understand the causes, and collaboratively work to determine what can be done about it. Sometimes, the system itself is faulty, and a change in the system is required.
What kind of suggestions can a Scrum Master give to a Product Owner when prioritizing the product backlog?
As a Scrum Master, part of the role is to educate the Product Owner about various prioritization techniques, help split user stories, and identify acceptance criteria. This is all part of the Scrum Master’s responsibilities outlined in the Scrum framework. The Scrum Master can suggest prioritization techniques such as MoSCoW, the Kano model, or Cost of Delay. Additionally, the Scrum Master can facilitate backlog refinement sessions to help the Product Owner, and the team split user stories into smaller, more manageable pieces. By understanding where the struggles are, the Scrum Master can help the Product Owner prioritize the product backlog in a better way. Overall, the Scrum Master’s goal is to explain the concepts and assist the Product Owner in improving their prioritization practices.
What is the difference between the Definition of Done and acceptance criteria in Scrum?
Acceptance criteria are associated with each user story and elaborate the user story requirement in more detail, whereas the Definition of Done is usually associated with the overall solution. Acceptance criteria ensure that the requirements of a user story are met before it can be marked as done. On the other hand, the Definition of Done is a set of criteria a product increment must meet before it can be considered complete. The first line of the Definition of Done is to ensure that acceptance criteria are met, and additional criteria may include things like ensuring no level one defects are open. It is important to meet both acceptance criteria and the definition of done for each user story to ensure the successful completion of a sprint. For more details, kindly refer – Acceptance Criteria and the Definition of Done
How do you allocate priority tasks when managing a project with limited resources?
When managing a project with limited resources, it’s important to prioritize tasks based on urgency, importance, and impact. Prioritization criteria may vary depending on the project, but the severity of issues and production issues should be prioritized first. For example, if a project has severity one, two, and three issues, severity one issue should be prioritized above all else. It’s also important to consider the cost of failure and whether a task can wait. Finally, remember that everyone works with limited resources, and prioritization is key to making the most of them.
How do you optimize Scrum team velocity to identify improvement opportunities?
As a Scrum Master, the role is not to optimize the team’s velocity but rather to help the team become high-performing and effective. Instead of focusing on optimizing the velocity, the Scrum Master should show the facts and patterns to the team and work together with them to identify improvement opportunities. The Scrum Master should also help remove impediments and follow their role as explained in the roles and responsibilities of a Scrum Master blog. The primary focus of the Scrum Master should be to help the team become self-organized and high-performing. Suppose the Scrum Master is still thinking about improving the team’s velocity. In that case, it is an indication that the Scrum Master’s role is not yet mature, and they need to learn the technique of making the team engaged in identifying and resolving their problems. The Scrum Master’s primary role in velocity improvement is to remove problems from the team’s path, ensure open and fast communication, and promote knowledge sharing, which leads to better development and releases.
Should DevOps be part of the Scrum team or be considered shared resources?
Whether DevOps should be a part of the Scrum team or as shared resources depend on how the teams are organized in the organization. The culture of sharing accountability should be emphasized regardless of how the teams are organized. In terms of taking care of opportunities, the accountability of delivery should be shared. In personal observation, DevOps personnel who facilitate configuration management and deployment are usually shared resources rather than dedicated Scrum team members.
What are the different metrics at a Team level, ART level, solution level in the Scaled Agile Framework?
In the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), there are different metrics at various levels such as team level, ART level, and solution level. SAFe emphasizes measuring and tracking performance to continuously improve and deliver value. At the team level, some common metrics include sprint velocity, sprint burndown, and defect density. These metrics can help teams measure how efficiently they are delivering value and identify areas for improvement. At the ART (Agile Release Train) level, some common metrics include Program Increment (PI) objectives achieved, PI burndown, and release confidence. These metrics help measure the progress of the ART in delivering value and achieving program goals. At the solution level, some common metrics include business value delivered, solution quality, and solution time-to-market. These metrics help measure the overall effectiveness of the solution and its impact on the business. It’s important to note that these are just some examples of the metrics that can be used in SAFe. SAFe provides a wide range of metrics that can be used based on the specific needs of an organization. It’s essential to select the right metrics that align with business objectives and track progress towards achieving those goals.
Do you offer one on one coaching?
We do it on a case-by-case basis. As of now, my colleagues usually handle it instead of me. However, if you drop us an email at sales@izembridge.com, we can see if it can fit into something.
Is there an upper limit for a Scrum Master role, and how can one progress in their career as a Scrum Master?
There is no fixed upper limit for a Scrum Master role as it depends on the organization and their expectations from the role. Different organizations have different expectations from Scrum Masters, and salaries also vary across different organizations. However, generally, the Scrum Master role is associated with team leadership. After 15-plus years of experience, a person may move away from the Scrum Master role because it may lead to multi-team management rather than a single-team leadership role. However, this is just an observation and can change depending on the organization’s requirements. To progress in their career as a Scrum Master, it’s essential to develop secondary skills to help them identify their future roadmap. For example, if a Scrum Master has project management skills, they can transition into a project manager role or take up leadership roles in Agile Transformation initiatives within the organization. It’s also crucial to keep up-to-date with the latest Agile practices and attend relevant training courses and conferences.
Should I take a Scrum Master class, and where can I learn more about topics like velocity and sprint burn-down charts?
Taking a Scrum Master class can be a good idea if you want to learn more about Agile approaches and become a certified Scrum Master. There are many resources available online, including free resources and paid courses, where you can learn more about topics like velocity and sprint burn-down charts.
How can we make Scrum ceremonies time-boxed?
Making Scrum ceremonies time-boxed is all about facilitation. As a facilitator, you must create an environment where everyone understands the importance of time-boxing and agrees to follow it. While you don’t always have to make everything a hard stop, there are times when it’s necessary to enforce time-boxing. This can be achieved through various facilitation techniques. One such technique is to set a clear agenda and ensure everyone knows it. This helps to keep the discussions focused and avoid wasting time on irrelevant topics. Another method is to use a timer to keep track of the time and signal when it’s time to move on to the next agenda item. Additionally, encourage the team to respect each other’s time and avoid getting sidetracked. By implementing these techniques, you can make Scrum ceremonies time-boxed and ensure they are efficient and effective.
How does a stakeholder register help in identifying stakeholders?
A stakeholder register helps identify stakeholders by providing a comprehensive list of all stakeholders involved in a project, along with their contact information, roles, interests, and level of involvement. But the stakeholder register will typically categorize stakeholders at a high level, but it may need to provide details on the activities they are expected to perform. For example, you may need to use a RACI chart or another tool that details roles and responsibilities. So, while the stakeholder register is essential in identifying stakeholders, it may provide only some of the information you need to engage with them fully.
How can one overcome the fear of facing an interview?
One way to overcome the fear of facing an interview is to practice by giving mock interviews. You can find friends or colleagues to help you by taking mock interviews. This will help you get used to the interview format, build your confidence, and identify areas where you need improvement.
We hope you could have related to some of these questions, and they might have helped you in some way.
To get more assistance, you can connect with the iZenBridge Team.
📧Email us at (sales@izenbridge.com)
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For more such insights and a lot of interaction with the industry experts, stay tuned for our next “Live Open Hour” which is conducted Every second and fourth Friday at 7 PM IST on
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