Can a Scrum Master be a manager? Let me start this semi-controversial topic by first separating the “can” from the “should”. Of course, they can. As of the November 2020 version there is no rule written in the Scrum Guide that says who should or should not play the accountability of a Scrum Master. The better question is should they be a manager? Well, that depends… and that’s really where I’d like to focus the rest of this writing.
The Difference Between a Manager and a Leader
Let’s also take apart “manager” from “Leader”. Leaders have followers or they’re not leaders. You may or may not also have management responsibilities as a leader. Leaders and managers can be quite different but also have a lot of overlap. High-level: leaders blaze the trail while managers ensure the trail is maintained, properly staffed, complies with regulations, etc. In the real world, there are many managers who are also leaders and leaders who are also managers.
With that separation out of the way, the specific responsibilities of a manager in any organization might differ a lot. Some will manage large budgets. Some can make hire/fire decisions all by themselves. Some even resemble the pointy-haired boss from the Dilbert cartoons. For all three of these might-dos, some might not. However, there are a few skills a manager needs to be successful in an organization. The ability to influence without authority is high on the list. If you cannot influence your boss, your peers, or others without direct authority, your ability to manage a team of knowledge workers will be very low. You must also be a good gardener. And by a gardener, I mean the kind that can grow a team.
If you want a strong team that delivers, it needs to be resilient, capable, equipped, mature, and self-managing. Your team must also be free of impediments to maximize its ability to deliver value. You can’t force a rose to be red any more than you can make a subordinate team member be successful. However, you can create an environment in which they can succeed.
What Makes a Good Scrum Master?
Before we unpack the responsibilities of a Scrum Master, let’s also separate what a Scrum Master should be from what you have seen in your organizations. The two can sometimes be VERY different and not in a good way so let’s focus on the intent of the Scrum Master accountability.
What should a Scrum Master really do? From the 2020 Scrum Guide: “The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization. The Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team’s effectiveness. They do this by enabling the Scrum Team to improve its practices, within the Scrum framework. Scrum Masters are true leaders who serve the Scrum Team and the larger organization.
The Scrum Guide goes on to say that a Scrum Master may coach, train, help, facilitate as needed or requested and cause the removal of impediments. If you read carefully, you’ll likely see that a Scrum Master uses influence without authority to ensure the team is effective at delivering maximum value while using the Scrum framework to manage risk. The accountability doesn’t include writing requirements, managing schedules, or dealing with team member performance management. If they’re doing all the tactical work they’re missing the real opportunity to add value at a strategic level.
Yes, A Scrum Master Can Be a Manager
A good manager and a good Scrum Master might look very similar. Especially if both are people-focused, results-focused, a good mentor, can influence without authority, and a leader who serves their team. So yes, in my humble opinion a manager can be a Scrum Master and a darn good one at that if they have all the above skills. A Scrum Master role might lead to a people management role. And a people management role might lead to a Scrum Master role. I’ve seen it work with my own eyes while working with a client.
But on the Flip Side……
Now, the elephant in the room here is this: What about a manager that performs annual performance reviews, salary adjustments, and can fire a team member without asking for a lot of permission? Can/should they be a Scrum Master? This is tricky but yes, of course, you can still do what you want according to the Scrum Guide. The Scrum Guide is silent on the topic of Scrum Master selection. If you do have a manager with this power over a team, you must manage the risks to self-management of the team and to focus, openness, commitment, courage, and respect…the Scrum Values. If self-management or the Scrum values are broken on a Scrum Team, expect weird results. Expect disengagement and suboptimal performance.
TLDR; Yes, a Scrum Master can be a manager as the skills required to be successful have a ton of overlap but the risks to self-management and the Scrum Values must be carefully managed to still get the benefits Scrum can provide to product development.