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Scrum Master

Empowering teams to enhance their workflows, drive value, and foster continuous improvement through effective leadership and mastery across key domains.

The Scrum Master is an accountability in Scrum, responsible for enabling the effectiveness of the Scrum Team and fostering continuous improvement across the organisation.

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Overview

The Scrum Master is an accountability in Scrum.

A Scrum Master is a change agent who enables a Scrum Team and its surrounding organisation to improve their system of work and deliver value professionally. Far from a passive facilitator, the Scrum Master is accountable for the effectiveness of the Scrum Team, actively shaping the conditions that enable empiricism, self-management, and sustainable delivery.

Scrum is a social technology for solving complex problems. The Scrum Master ensures it is understood and enacted, not just followed.

To fulfil this accountability, the Scrum Master must teach, coach, mentor, and facilitate—choosing the right stance at the right time to help the Scrum Team, Product Owner, and organisation evolve. This demands more than textbook Scrum. It requires mastery across three critical domains:

1. Technical Mastery

A Scrum Master must understand the domain in which their team operates. For software teams, this includes:

Without technical fluency, they cannot guide the team towards engineering excellence or challenge ineffective practices.

2. Business Mastery

They help the Product Owner maximise value by supporting:

A Scrum Master without business context cannot mentor product strategy or drive real outcomes.

3. Organisational Mastery

Scrum exposes organisational dysfunction. The Scrum Master:

They don’t wait for permission to lead change. They cause it.


The Scrum Master is not a delivery manager, Jira admin, or meeting scheduler. They are a lean-agile practitioner accountable for enabling continuous improvement, empirical decision-making, and value delivery. Their impact is measured in outcomes, not ceremonies.

Without a capable Scrum Master, Scrum risks becoming theatre. With one, it becomes a lever for transformation.

Learn More about Scrum Master

Blog

Great Scrum Masters Need Technical, Business, and Organisational Mastery

Scrum Masters are most effective when they combine leadership skills with technical, business, and organisational mastery to support teams, Product Owners, and change.
Blog

There Is No Such Thing as a "Junior" Scrum Master

Argues that the Scrum Master role requires proven mastery and real-world experience, not entry-level skills or certifications, and should be earned within the team, not assigned.
Blog

The Scrum Master is accountable for Delivery

Explains how the Scrum Master is accountable for enabling effective product delivery, fostering team success, and ensuring each sprint produces a usable, valuable increment.
Blog

Are technical skills required to be a Scrum Master?

Technical skills are not required to be a Scrum Master, but understanding technical, business, and organisational contexts helps Scrum Masters better support their teams.
Videos

The Competence Crisis in Scrum Master Roles: A Call for Excellence

Many Scrum Masters lack essential skills and experience, leading to poor agile outcomes. True competence requires deep knowledge, practical experience, and ongoing learning.
Videos

Redefining the Scrum Master: From Boss to Empowering Facilitator

Explains how effective Scrum Masters empower teams through facilitation, support, and coaching, moving away from authority and micromanagement to foster self-organisation.
Videos

Mastering Scrum: Essential Insights for New Teams from a Scrum Master's Journey

Guidance for new Scrum teams on building strong foundations, embracing empiricism, Scrum values, continuous learning, and the Scrum Master’s role in fostering team growth.
Videos

Understanding the True Role of a Scrum Master

Explains the true responsibilities of a Scrum Master, how to maximise team effectiveness, teach Scrum principles, and address organisational challenges for better outcomes.
Videos

Why Every Scrum Master Needs an Immersive Training Experience

Immersive training helps experienced Scrum Masters deepen practical skills, boost team effectiveness, and develop leadership through hands-on, real-world learning.
Videos

Unlocking Team Potential: The Essential Role of a Scrum Master in Agile Success

Explains how a Scrum Master empowers Agile teams by bridging business, technical, and organisational needs to boost effectiveness, collaboration, and delivery outcomes.
Videos

Redefining the Scrum Master: From Misconceptions to Empowering Leadership

Explores common misconceptions about the Scrum Master role, highlighting the shift from tool admin to empowering leader who fosters team autonomy, growth, and self-organisation.
Videos

Is a scrum master an agile micromanager?

A Scrum Master empowers teams by facilitating, mentoring, and supporting—not micromanaging—fostering trust, collaboration, and continuous improvement in Agile environments.
Videos

Unpacking the Scrum Master Role: Moving Beyond Misconceptions to True Accountability

Explores common misconceptions about Scrum Masters, clarifies their true accountabilities, and highlights the importance of principles, competence, and organisational impact.
Videos

Unpacking the Scrum Master Myth: Why Servant Leadership is Key to Team Success

Explains why the Scrum Master is a servant leader, not an authority figure, and how this approach empowers teams, encourages autonomy, and dispels common misconceptions.
Videos

Unlocking Greatness: How the Right Scrum Master Transforms Teams and Organisations

Explores how an effective Scrum Master drives team success by fostering team fit, addressing organisational barriers, and building relationships to enable lasting change.
Blog

Why Most Scrum Masters Are Failing and What They Should Know

Many Scrum Masters lack core Scrum knowledge and technical skills, leading to poor team support. Learn key competencies needed for effective, measurable impact.
Videos

The Problem with Incompetent Scrum Masters: Why Lack of Skills in Team Context Results in Poor ROI

Incompetent Scrum Masters reduce team performance and ROI by lacking key skills. Learn how to measure their impact using innovation, usage, and delivery metrics.
Videos

The Crucial Role of Competence: How Knowledgeable Scrum Masters Drive Team Success

Scrum Masters with deep knowledge and competence enable teams to deliver better products, drive business outcomes, and foster real improvement in software development.
Videos

Where Agile Went Wrong: Understanding the Competence Crisis

Explores how early assumptions about competence led to Agile’s current skills gap, highlighting the need for continuous learning, better hiring, and deeper expertise in teams.
Blog

You are doing Scrum but the Scrum Master tells the team what to do!

Discover why a Scrum Master shouldn’t dictate tasks to the team. Empower self-organization and enhance accountability for better project outcomes.
Course

Professional Scrum Master

Our Professional Scrum Master Training Program features PSM Training from Scrum.org, delivered as an Immersive Learning Experience. It combines live, instructor-led sessions with additional offline exercises, covering the principles of the Scrum framework and the Scrum Master role. This multi-week format integrates real-world applications, encouraging continuous improvement through practical assignments.
Blog

Balance of Leadership and Control in Scrum

Explores how Scrum Masters and Product Owners balance leadership, authority, and team autonomy to ensure accountability, effective self-management, and organisational alignment.
Blog

The Role of Agency in Scrum: Why Self-Management Without Agency is a Lie

Explains why true Scrum requires real team agency, not just self-management in name, and how lacking agency leads to ineffective, ritualistic Agile practices.
Videos

What are the top 3 things a Scrum Master needs to bear in mind when adopting the coaching stance?

Summarises the top considerations for Scrum Masters adopting a coaching stance: building trust, understanding team context, and leading through influence, not authority.
Videos

Is a Scrum Master an Agile micromanager?

Explains why a Scrum Master should facilitate and empower agile teams, not micromanage, highlighting the importance of trust, autonomy, and effective team dynamics.
Blog

Hiring a Professional Scrum Master

Covers key responsibilities, skills, and requirements for hiring a Scrum Master, including leadership, coaching, facilitation, and fostering effective Scrum teams.
Videos

Why the Concept of a "Junior Scrum Master" is a Misguided Myth

Explains why the Scrum Master role requires experience and competence, debunking the myth of a “junior” Scrum Master and highlighting the need for proven skills in Agile teams.
Course

Professional Scrum Master Advanced (PSM-A) with Certification

Professional Scrum MasterTM II (PSM II) course is a 14h advanced Scrum Master class designed to support Scrum Masters in their professional development. The PSM II course is intended for Scrum Masters with at least one year of experience who are looking to grow their knowledge and abilities as a Scrum Master. This course is one step in that journey.
Videos

Why the Scrum Master’s True Power Lies in Influence, Not Authority

Explains why a Scrum Master leads through influence, not authority, focusing on building trust, fostering team effectiveness, and supporting agile collaboration.
Videos

How does a Scrum Master or Agile coach motivate a Scrum Team?

Explains how Scrum Masters and Agile coaches boost team motivation by setting clear goals, fostering engagement, recognising achievements, and promoting continuous improvement.
Videos

Unlocking the Scrum Master's Potential: Embracing Broader Responsibilities for Agile Success

Explores how Scrum Masters can expand their impact by embracing wider organisational responsibilities, challenging outdated practices, and fostering agile team growth.
Videos

Is Your Scrum Master Struggling? Discover When to Choose an Agile Process Simulation Workshop

Learn when to use an Agile Process Simulation workshop to support struggling Scrum Masters, improve team dynamics, and foster collaborative, effective Scrum adoption.
Blog

Should the Scrum Master always remove impediments?

Explains when a Scrum Master should remove impediments, focusing on team self-sufficiency, true impediments, and supporting team growth within Scrum practices.
Videos

One critical skill for a Scrum Master and why?

Teaching is the key skill for Scrum Masters, enabling teams to understand Agile principles, embrace change, and achieve deeper engagement and lasting transformation.
Videos

Is a PSM II certification validation of your skills, or does it develop your skill and capability as a Scrum Master?

Explains how the PSM II course focuses on developing advanced Scrum Master skills, facilitation techniques, and accountability, rather than just validating knowledge.
Videos

How will a PSM II course challenge your assumptions the most?

Explores how the PSM II course challenges common misconceptions about Scrum Masters, emphasising advanced skills, team empowerment, and evolving Scrum practices.
Videos

Transform Your Scrum Master Journey: Key Insights from the Advanced PSM Course

Discover how the Advanced PSM course helps Scrum Masters shift from admin tasks to empowering teams, supporting Product Owners, and tackling organisational challenges.
Videos

Unlocking Your Potential: Transformative Training for Aspiring Scrum Masters

Comprehensive Scrum Master training offering interactive workshops, practical activities, community support, and assessment to build Agile skills and foster continuous improvement.
Guides

The Scrum Guide

Discover more about The Scrum Guide and how it can help you in your Agile journey!
Videos

Transform Your Career: How to Become a Confident Scrum Master Through Real-World Learning and Community Support

Learn how practical training, real-world application, and community support help you build confidence and skills to succeed as a Scrum Master in Agile environments.
Videos

#1 tip for a new Scrum Master

New Scrum Masters should start by thoroughly reading the Scrum Guide to understand Scrum principles, roles, and practices, forming a strong foundation for Agile success.
Videos

What is the difference between a newbie scrum master and a professional Scrum Master?

Explores why the distinction between ’newbie’ and ‘professional’ Scrum Master is misleading, emphasising the role’s responsibilities, professionalism, and value in Agile teams.
Videos

The Truth About Newbie vs Professional Scrum Masters: Bridging the Experience Gap

Explores the real differences between new and experienced Scrum Masters, challenging common myths and highlighting the importance of accountability, value, and mindset.
Videos

The Power of Immersive Learning: Elevating Scrum Mastery in Your Organization

Explains how immersive learning helps Scrum Masters apply knowledge through real-world practice, feedback, and collaboration, leading to lasting skills and team improvement.
Videos

Unlocking the Power of Double-Loop Learning: Transform Your Scrum Master Journey with Immersive Training

Explore how immersive, double-loop learning in Professional Scrum Master training helps Scrum Masters apply theory, reflect, and collaborate to solve real-world challenges.
Videos

What will you learn on the professional scrum master course?

Gain practical skills and deep understanding of the scrum master role, scrum theory, empiricism, team dynamics, and delivering value in agile product development.
Videos

Part 2: Common Mistakes that Scrum Masters Make

Explains why Scrum Masters should avoid taking on administrative tasks, highlighting the importance of focusing on team effectiveness rather than acting as a team secretary.
Videos

5 tools that Scrum Masters love. Part 1

Discover how Scrum Masters use liberating structures to boost team engagement, improve meetings, and drive effective collaboration in Agile and Scrum environments.
Videos

Immersive Learning in Scrum: Why Theory and Experience Must Go Hand in Hand

Explores how combining theory and hands-on experience in Scrum training leads to deeper understanding, critical thinking, and continuous improvement for Agile teams.
Videos

Empowering Agile Teams: The Transformative Power of Teaching the "Why"

Explores how teaching the reasons behind Agile practices boosts team engagement, collaboration, and continuous improvement, helping teams adapt and thrive with Scrum.
Videos

Transform Your Scrum Team in 90 Days: Strategies for Continuous Delivery and Empowerment

Learn practical steps to help Scrum teams achieve continuous delivery, clarify business value, integrate feedback, and build empowerment within 90 days for lasting agility.
Blog

Pragmatism crushes Dogma in the wild

Explores how practical use of Scrum fosters adaptability and resilience in teams, highlighting the value of flexibility over rigid rules in complex product development.
Blog

If your backlog is not refined then you are doing it wrong

Explains why regular backlog refinement is essential in Scrum, how to make backlog items ready for Sprint Planning, and ways to measure effective refinement.
Blog

Can the Definition of Done change per Sprint?

The Definition of Done can evolve to improve quality but should not be weakened or vary per backlog item. Consistency ensures transparency and reliable product increments.
Blog

I do continuous deliver, why should I Sprint?

Explains why Sprints are valuable even with continuous delivery, highlighting benefits for planning, feedback, communication, and predictability in Scrum teams.
Videos

Focusing Beyond "Agile": Building True Capability in Organizations

Explores why building organisational capability, competence, and continuous learning is more effective than focusing solely on Agile roles, frameworks, or labels.
Videos

What is the hardest part of working with a brand-new scrum team?

The biggest challenge with new scrum teams is overcoming misconceptions about scrum and shifting focus from process mechanics to core agile principles and empirical learning.
Videos

Navigating Team Conflict: From Healthy Disagreement to Agile Harmony

Explores recognising and managing team conflict in Agile, outlining stages from healthy disagreement to destructive “war” and offering practical de-escalation strategies.
Videos

Why do you trust Joanna to deliver Scrum.Org classes for NKD Agility?

Discover how Joanna’s technical expertise, clear teaching, and real-world Agile experience make her Scrum.Org classes at NKD Agility essential for mastering Scrum and Agile.
Blog

How do you handle conflict in a Scrum Team?

Guidance on resolving conflict in Scrum Teams, including facilitation techniques, escalation steps, and the Scrum Master’s role in fostering healthy team dynamics.
Videos

Navigating Team Conflict: How Scrum Masters Can Prevent 'War' in Agile Projects

Explores how Scrum Masters can identify, manage, and prevent destructive team conflict in Agile projects, promoting healthy collaboration and effective communication.
Videos

Why is the Professional Agile Leadership - Essentials course a natural evolution for an experienced Scrum Master?

Explains how the Professional Agile Leadership – Essentials course helps experienced Scrum Masters gain leadership skills, understand organisational challenges, and broaden their impact.
Videos

What would you advise a scrum team to do in their first 4 weeks?

Guidance for new scrum teams on establishing effective practices, learning from experience, experimenting, and improving during their first four weeks with scrum.
Videos

How does the APS course help people apply scrum effectively?

Explains how the APS course uses practical exercises and simulations to help people understand, apply, and improve scrum practices in real-world organisational settings.
Videos

How to Tackle the Challenge of an Ineffective Product Owner in Agile Teams

Learn practical steps for Agile teams to address ineffective Product Owners, including support, education, relationship-building, and fostering team excellence for better outcomes.
Videos

Reasons to do a PSM II Course in 60 seconds

Discover how the PSM II course deepens Scrum Master skills, boosts team performance, supports product owners, and advances agile careers with practical, real-world benefits.
Videos

Worst trait in unskilled scrum masters?

Highlights the most damaging traits of unskilled Scrum Masters, such as micromanagement and bossiness, and contrasts them with effective, facilitative Scrum leadership.
Blog

Are Scrum Masters agents for change?

Explore how Scrum Masters drive change in organizations. Learn the importance of effective Scrum implementation and the value of Professional Scrum Master training.
Blog

Adventures in Scrum: Lesson 1 – The failed Sprint

Explore the challenges of Scrum in ‘Adventures in Scrum: Lesson 1’. Learn from a failed Sprint and discover key insights for effective team collaboration.
Videos

What is your best advice for becoming a Scrum Master outside software engineering?

Practical guidance on becoming a Scrum Master outside software, covering certification, skill development, validated learning, and applying Scrum principles in any field.
Videos

Why Azure DevOps is the Ultimate Game Changer for Scrum Masters and Agile Teams

Explains how Azure DevOps streamlines agile workflows for Scrum Masters and teams, offering simplicity, integrated tools, real-time insights, and improved collaboration.
Videos

Hardest part of becoming a professional Scrum Master?

Explores why embracing true professionalism is the hardest part of becoming a Scrum Master, highlighting the importance of deep understanding, mastery, and continuous learning.
Videos

Why Many Scrum Masters Stall at PSM1: The Crucial Role of Passion in Professional Growth

Many Scrum Masters stop at PSM1 due to lack of passion. Ongoing learning, genuine interest, and active engagement are key to advancing and excelling in the Scrum Master role.
Course

Applying Flow Metrics for Scrum

Elevate Your Scrum Mastery with ‘Applying Flow Metrics for Scrum’: Transform your Agile practices with our immersive, hands-on course. Dive deep into the world of flow metrics and emerge with the skills to enhance your team’s efficiency and delivery. Join us for a journey of practical learning and real-world application – it’s time to turn data into action!
Course

Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills (PSFS) with Certification

Develop proficiency in facilitation skills to help your Scrum Team better solve problems, create a shared understanding, and foster transparency. Learn how to become a better facilitator to improve Scrum Team, stakeholder and customer interactions.
Course

Professional Scrum Master and Product Owner (PSMPO) with Certification

Scrum Teams flourish when the Scrum Master and Product Owner accountabilities are well fulfilled. The 3-day Professional Scrum Master and Product Owner (PSMPO) course combines the key learning objectives from both the Scrum.org Professional Scrum Master (PSM) and Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO) courses.
Course

Applying Professional Scrum (APS) Course with Certification

Enables all members of the Scrum Team to learn Scrum while doing it, experiencing what it is like to deliver products using the Scrum framework
Videos

When is an APS course appropriate for a scrum team?

Explains when an Applied Professional Scrum (APS) course benefits Scrum teams, helping identify and remove ineffective practices to improve authentic Agile delivery.

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