Do Project Managers Make Good Scrum Masters?
We recently asked Agile Mentors Community Members if they think project managers make good Scrum Masters: We asked them to share their experience and group their thoughts into yes, no or it depends. There were a lot of perspectives on this topic, from “no way” to “they can”! This blog summarizes some of the community’s thoughts on this topic.
No Way! Project Managers Make Terrible Scrum Masters!
One members’ initial reaction was, “No! Project Managers make terrible Scrum Masters.” However, he softened his stance by adding, “Now, people who once may have been Project Managers, can potentially be excellent Scrum Masters!”
Another member added that he’s had a bad experience with too many organizations that change their project managers’ business cards to Scrum Master, but still incentivize them with project management roles, responsibilities and values, which can be detrimental to a team trying to adopt agile ways of working.
Another member said, “I think project managers have a difficult time embracing the Scrum Master role, but the Scrum Master may not have as difficult a time transitioning to the project manager role.”
She added that her company is currently converting project managers to Scrum Masters, and it’s been a difficult transition for the teams. Plus, many project managers don’t like the new way of working. The new Scrum Masters are stuck in a waterfall mindset and ask the team to produce test plans and detailed requirements documents.
Yes, Project Managers Can Change Their Ways
A member from the United Kingdom shared how his friend was a project manager for many years when his organization made him work on an agile project with no training. He was frustrated by his lack of knowledge so he started attending the Scrum Master community of practice and asked loads of questions.
After a year he decided to get Scrum Master certification, paying for it himself. He then spent the next two years in a Scrum Master role. Recently he applied for an agile coaching role and was accepted. He has never stopped asking questions, reading books and thinking deeply about agile.
“I think that’s the key; no matter what role you were in before, if you have the curiosity and humility to learn something new then you’ll do fine,” he added.
There are Many Shades of Gray (it Depends)
“Whether a project manager can be a good Scrum Master depends … on the team, the product, the business and most importantly, the people,” commented a member from Texas.
She shared that she had a lot of struggles and frustration going from a project manager to a Scrum Master, until she really grasped the agile values and principles and had that Eureka moment.
“The biggest pain points for me as a project manager were all the things that in Scrum are the responsibilities of the product owner—fighting for budget, release timing, and setting stakeholder expectations.”
She adds, “What I excelled at as a project manager (team building, communication, helping resolve conflicts, leading change to overcome impediments) is the responsibility of the Scrum Master.”
To join the conversation and to hear more comments from team members and leaders around the topic of project managers becoming Scrum Masters, join the Agile Mentors Community. Visit https://www.agilementors.com for more information on membership.