What is a Scrum Master and how do I become one?

 

What is a Scrum Master?

The Scrum methodology is a methodology which has been designed and created to make the task of managing large software development projects simpler and easier. It has been designed and created by a committee of very intelligent, seasoned, experienced, and wise professionals who possess decades of experience from working in the field of software development.

The Scrum methodology provides several tools and techniques with the help of which team leaders and project managers all around the world are able to lead, direct, and manage their projects in a much better way. As a result, businesses and organizations all around the world have adopted the Scrum methodology fully and whole-heartedly.

A scrum master is one of the members of the Scrum team. In fact, he is the most important member of the Scrum team. He has several important functions, roles, and responsibilities to shoulder in the Scrum team. The first responsibility that he has to shoulder is that of being a servant leader.

A servant leader is the de facto leader of the team but he does not lead the Scrum team directly. Instead, he shows the Scrum team how to behave, how to act, and how to function by his personal example. Thus, he sets an example and the Scrum team members have to follow in his footsteps.

Another very important function that the scrum master performs is the function of monitoring and overseeing all the communication which takes place in between the members of the Scrum team and in between the Scrum team and the rest of the workforce of the business or organization.

He does this by establishing several fixed and regulated channels of communication. He ensures that all the communication which takes place in between the members of the Scrum team and in between the Scrum team and the rest of the workforce of the business or organization is carried out through the medium of those communication channels only and not independently of them.

He also ensures that all the communication carried out through these communication channels is carried out according to the principles and guidelines of the Scrum methodology only. In this way he keeps the team focused on the project vision and project goals and does not let them get deviated by any conversations not directly related to the project at hand.

How to become a Scrum Master?

The process to become a Scrum master is very simple, but it can hardly be called easy. It is no cakewalk to become a Scrum master. One has to put in a lot of hard work and has to have a lot of dedication, patience, perseverance, commitment, endurance, and fortitude.

There are two main steps to becoming a certified scrum master -

1. Take the CSM certification training.

2. Clear the CSM certification exam successfully.

Now we will explain both the steps to the reader one by one. The first step is taking the CSM certification training. This step is mandatory for becoming a scrum master. The CSM certification training consists of a workshop which is 2 days long and has a total duration of 16 hours only.

The learner must register for the workshop with any reputed training institute or educational course provider. They should take special care that the training institute with which they are registering is a CST or a Certified Scrum Trainer.

This is because very often the case is that the training institute is not registered as a CST with the Scrum Alliance and is instead running under its own direction without any official authorization from Scrum Alliance to offer the CSM certification training to the general public.

These unscrupulous elements try to take advantage of the general public by offering the CSM certification training without any authorization from Scrum Alliance. Their scrum master certification courses tend to be low-quality, incomplete, inaccurate, and overpriced. As a result, the general public who go to these training institutes are cheated out of their hard earned money.

The second step, which is clearing the CSM certification exam successfully, needs no elaborate explanation other than that the learner will have to study very carefully and conscientiously.

Are there any eligibility requirements for taking the workshop?

There are absolutely no eligibility requirements for taking the workshop. This is one of the many good things about the world of the Scrum methodology. There are no advanced and sophisticated educational requirements for becoming a certified scrum master. Anyone from any background or any walk of life can take the scrum master certification course and change their life for the better.

With what mentality should I take the workshop?

The learner should have a very serious and studious mentality while taking the scrum master certification workshop. The workshop is only 2 days long and has a total duration of 16 hours only. This means that the entire Scrum methodology syllabus will be condensed by the instructors into 16 hours of fast-paced learning.

Therefore, the learners are advised to bring their full attention to bear during the workshop and are also advised to take copious notes of whatever they are taught so that they can review the material at will later on.