“Teams are self-managing. We don’t need a Scrum Master telling us what to do.”
That’s a common misconception. Yes, Scrum is designed for self-managing teams, but self-management is not the absence of structure.
Autonomy exists within constraints—Scrum events, commitments, and organisational needs define the playing field. Without that, self-management turns into chaos.
Scrum Masters aren’t there to micromanage. They ensure the team has clarity, alignment, and accountability. They protect Scrum, not by controlling every decision, but by maintaining the conditions for teams to thrive.
If a team is failing to deliver, struggling with impediments, or ignoring Scrum principles, a Scrum Master doesn’t just “facilitate” and hope things improve. They step in and fix what’s broken.
Self-management works best when balanced with strong leadership.
Where do you draw the line between autonomy and intervention?
If you've made it this far, it's worth connecting with our principal consultant and coach, Martin Hinshelwood, for a 30-minute 'ask me anything' call.
We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.
Flowmaster (a Mentor Graphics Company)
Slicedbread
ALS Life Sciences
Lean SA
Boxit Document Solutions
Slaughter and May
Akaditi
Deliotte
Qualco
NIT A/S
Brandes Investment Partners L.P.
Higher Education Statistics Agency
Genus Breeding Ltd
Workday
Ericson
Cognizant Microsoft Business Group (MBG)
Illumina
Hubtel Ghana
New Hampshire Supreme Court
Washington Department of Enterprise Services
Department of Work and Pensions (UK)
Nottingham County Council
Ghana Police Service
Royal Air Force
Trayport
Boxit Document Solutions
Xceptor - Process and Data Automation
Schlumberger
Microsoft
Graham & Brown