Scrum Master – More Than Just a High-Paid “Secretary”
There are countless articles out there about what a Scrum Master is and what they actually do. Some consider them as glorified meeting facilitators, Jira task creators, or even as people who just assign tasks and track velocity. Others go so far as to suggest that Scrum Masters merely “pretend” to work while hiding behind their team.
Let’s shake up this myth with real facts and insights that may change the way you perceive the role of a Scrum Master.
Scrum Master – A True Servant-Leader
As someone who started their career as a Scrum Master and genuinely enjoys this role, I have to disappoint those who believe that a Scrum Master is just an administrative assistant organizing meetings and updating Jira workflows. A Scrum Master is far, far more than that.
The foundation of the Scrum Master’s role is servant leadership. This means serving the team, the Product Owner, and the organization to help them become more effective and deliver real value to end users. But beyond servant leadership, a Scrum Master also takes on multiple roles:
- Coach
- Mentor
- Trainer
- Facilitator
- Impediment Remover
- Change Agent
- Manager (of processes, not people!)
Let’s break down what each of these roles actually means.
Scrum Master as a Coach
A coach holds up a mirror, helping individuals, teams, and organizations reflect on their strengths and weaknesses. They don’t provide direct answers but guide the team toward self-discovery.
Think of a professional sports coach. Do elite athletes need someone to teach them how to kick a ball or score a goal? No. But they do need a coach to point out their blind spots, refine their strengths, and help them achieve peak performance.
Scrum Master as a Mentor
A mentor is someone with deep expertise who shares their knowledge to help others develop specific skills. Unlike a coach who guides without direct answers, a mentor actively teaches and advises.
Scrum Master as a Trainer
Training involves hands-on experience and structured learning to help individuals, teams, or organizations develop new capabilities. A Scrum Master should train teams on agile principles, Scrum practices, and how to apply them effectively.
Scrum Master as a Facilitator
Facilitation is a crucial skill every Scrum Master must have. A facilitator remains neutral, guiding teams toward their objectives without imposing opinions.
A great comparison is a soccer referee. A referee doesn’t favor any team—they simply enforce the rules and create an environment where players can perform at their best. A Scrum Master does the same for their team by fostering productive discussions, resolving conflicts, and ensuring meaningful collaboration.
Scrum Master as an Impediment Remover
Before we dive into this, let’s clarify two key terms:
- A blocker is something that prevents an individual from completing their work.
- An impediment is a challenge that affects multiple people, a team, or even the entire organization.
A Scrum Master removes impediments only when the team cannot do it themselves. If they jump in too early and solve every small issue, they risk becoming an obstacle themselves. Instead, they should empower the team to develop problem-solving skills and become self-sufficient.
Scrum Master as a Change Agent
Organizations often struggle with agility because they resist change. A Scrum Master acts as a change agent, helping individuals, teams, and leadership embrace agile values and improve how they deliver value.
This role involves organizing workshops, facilitating discussions, and driving continuous improvement to make the organization more adaptive, customer-focused, and competitive.
Scrum Master as a Manager (of Processes, Not People!)
Wait, what? A Scrum Master as a manager? Yes—but not in the traditional sense.
A Scrum Master does not manage people. They manage processes, team dynamics, conflicts, and obstacles to ensure that the team operates at its highest potential.
Unlike a Project Manager (who drives execution), a Scrum Master is an enabler, creating an environment where agility thrives and teams take ownership of their work.
So, Who Assigns Tasks and Runs Jira?
Now, you might be wondering:
“If the Scrum Master does all this, then who assigns tasks, plans sprints, and records meeting notes?”
The entire Scrum Team.
A well-functioning Scrum Team should be self-sufficient. If the team relies on a single person (Scrum Master or anyone else) to handle these responsibilities, they are fostering dependencies, one of the biggest enemies of agility.
The Scrum Team itself should:
- Create and assign their own tasks
- Plan their own sprints
- Run their own meetings
- Document discussions when necessary
A Scrum Master’s real goal is to help the team become independent so they don’t need constant hand-holding.
Conclusion
Scrum Masters are not just note-takers or Jira admins. They are servant-leaders, coaches, facilitators, and change agents who enable teams and organizations to thrive in an unpredictable and fast-changing world.
If Scrum Masters are only seen as “meeting organizers,” then companies are wasting their full potential. And if you’re a Scrum Master who only facilitates meetings, it might be time to rethink your role.
What are your thoughts? Have you encountered misconceptions about the Scrum Master role in your organization? Let’s discuss in the comments!
