Scrum for the people

Around 5 years ago, I read for the first time a book in spanish called Por un Scrum Popular.

Before that moment, I had already started my path as Scrum Master but it was until I read that book that I understood the real power and responsiblity of a Scrum Master. It was the first time I read something like that, it was a breath of fresh air. It showed how noble, people oriented and not at all selfish the profession could be. I was convinced that this was the best choice for me so I continue in the same path.

Unfortunately after 5 years this "movement" appears to have stopped. The authors of the book became more quiet and the Scrum that has gain popularity is the one in which the Scrum Master seems to be only a transitory role to becoming an Agile Trainer, Coach or any other title that allows to train more people and bigger corporations. It seems that the focus is to leave that role as soon as possible instead of growing and developing it. This is not the Scrum role I signed for.

The Scrum Master role I am talking about is the one that cares about people, that understands that there are many ways to reach a goal but the way we do them actually matters. A role that knows that every single person can achieve unbelievable things and we are there to help make it happen. A role that lives in the shadows, because having some light might steal it from the others. A role that knows that we all are imperfect but understands that beautiful things can come from that. A role that is not trying to "fix" things but to experience with the others the creation of new environments. A role in which learning and growing never stops to be exciting. A role of experimentation and discovery of people within the people. This is the role I am talking about and that has made me and still makes me extremely happy when I go for work.

Becoming a Scrum Master for the people requires giving up many things in the present for a future reward. This reward will be knowledge, experience and having a life full of purpose. It will not be money or certifications or fame. In some cases they might come along but never because you were looking for them.

So you should decide if you want to dedicate your life for the people and if you are willing to sacrifice what we described. Are you ready to read and learn daily together with your team? Can you give up on the idea of having all certifications possible and only learn what you really need in a conscious way? Could you imagine working in an environment where everything changes, in which things can not be explained and the future can not be foreseen and be ok with it? Are you willing to commit to a team and stay working with them even if it could require some sacrifice? Do you really want to be a Scrum Master for the people?

You will not need anyone to tell you or any certification. You will know it and you will feel it. And once you have that feeling for the first time you will never go back. It is amazing.

During your daily work you will face some challenges and you will learn from them. Time will make you improve and curiosity will make you learn. But the most important thing to do is to remember that you are there for the people and that's it. The more you help each person and each team, the more possibilites there are to create a new environment, a new world in which each person is aware of their individual contribution and their power to really change it and enjoy living in it.

It is up to you how you want to continue. From my side I was never happy with the way the role of Scrum Master was moving. I tried to get angry, to ignore it, to protest. But the reality is that each person should be able to decide how they want to act. For me, and I know that for many others out there, a Scrum Master is a role for the people, a role that represents a movement against command and control schemes and traditional managerial processes. A role that brings hope and commits to the team. A role that by itself means learning. It doesn't matter if you are starting or you have many years of experience, the role is the same and the purpose remains. It is a role to dream and allow people to dream.

I will continue working on this, to bring it everywhere I work, to share it with my colleagues and the people I know and to write more about it. Perhaps a community will be built? It doesn't matter at least you should know that if you think like this, you are not alone.

Thanks for reading!

I found this video last week, I thought it was going to be a radical one but it wasn't. I agree with many of his points.

In July 2015, I gave a small talk about complexity at up.front. It was a great experience and the people there were excellent. Here are the slides from my presentation about complexity

https://speakerdeck.com/gisasola/dealing-with-complexity

I had yesterday the opportunity to present a game at the meetup Agile Game Lab Berlin.  I have been searching that game for years and once I found it, I wanted to try it. the game is called: Movers and Shapers.