Scrum Parent

I have been thinking a lot about the role of a Scrum Master. What I know is that I do not want to fill the role mechanically, as learned from a book. There is much more to it: I want to be a parent of a team. Emphasis is on “parent“ and on “team“.

Obviously, each parent has a different parenting style. Young parents have to find themselves in their role, some do what their parents did (and they hate themselves for flipping back to the old style but can’t help), others try several parenting styles in a more or less agile way (they receive lots of feedback from their kids and external stakeholders such as schools). Eventually, we all find our feet - and hope for the best.

What makes me qualified to write about parenting in relation to Agile? I have four children between 7 and 15. So, I think that by now I am a fairly experienced dad. And over the years, I have refined my own parenting style. I want my kids to be open, responsible, self-reliant and all-in-all happy people. I am proud of my children, they are wonderful. Ask them and, hopefully, they will report the same about their parents (Mum is also the best, of course!)

The next word is „team“. I have a lot of skin in the game. I am part of the team, I am hovering above. As in all teams, there are stages of maturity. In the beginning, I am there as carer and teacher. Later on, I am a mentor and coach. If I earned it, I am a trusted advisor to my older children, hopefully for the rest of their lives.

This is how I also want to fill the role of the Scrum Master: As a trusted and respected team member who deeply cares; as a servant leader who understands what the team needs when — and who knows when to shut up or step back to offer them the opportunity to fail and to learn. My goal is to empower my team, to see them grow, smile and excel — in business and in my family.