First 30-60-90 days as a Scrum Master
What to do in the first 30, 60 and 90 days after joining a new team as a Scrum Master?
👋 Hello,
I’m Vibhor, and welcome to my weekly newsletter, the “Winning Strategy.” Every week I answer one question from you about agile, product, roles, processes, frameworks, career growth, working with humans and anything else that’s stressing you at your office. Send me your questions here, and in return, I’ll offer actionable, down-to-earth, and straightforward advice.
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On to this week’s questions!
Q: Hey, Vibhor! Greetings from Sweden. I am all set to start as a Scrum Master with a new company. Though I have 3 years of experience, I have always struggled to set the right tone with my teammates from the get-go. Can you provide some guidance?
This is a great question.
The analogy I use to think of any new addition (be it a new Dev, QA, BA or a Scrum Master) to the existing team is that of a new flatmate/roommate moving into your apartment.
Even though you’ve interviewed them and done extensive reference checks, you’re still a little skeptical. You are still uncertain whether it’s safe to trust them with the keys to your home.
As they settle in, you expect to know their true nature, their character, their attitude, their working habits, their routines for using shared appliances, their cleaning habits, and their washroom etiquette just so you can rest assured that their presence won’t disrupt your normal living and lifestyle.
And what happens when they don’t meet your criteria? Unless you’re desperate to keep them, you won’t renew their contract for the next month.
The same happens when you join a new team as a Scrum Master or an Agile Coach. Your team judges you for “reliability,” “competence,” and “compatibility.” They are looking for signs that will help them decide whether to trust you and form a strong, collaborative relationship or to get rid of you. Harsh but true.
So, to make the best impression as a SM joining a new team, here’s what I would focus on during the first 30, 60 and 90 days or 2, 4 and 6 sprints of joining the team. I call it the TiPS™ framework.
During the first 30 days (2 sprints) — focus on building TRUST
Ask questions. But not just any questions. Questions that will help you learn about your team, the product that the team is handling/building and the business value that product is generating. Make sure they know what your role is. Make sure you know what their expectations are from you. Watch the video below to learn more about “expectations” and why they are crucial for the success of your role.
Know about your org. chart. Let’s face it. We live in a world where knowing who’s who is more important than “what they do.” So learn about the managers the members of your team report to. If possible, take them out for coffee. Make relationships.
Know about the end-user of the product. This massively improves the quality of your questions while helping the team write user stories. See if the team already has a persona made for the key customers. If not, one of the training you can provide your team (in future) can be on “Agile Persona Building.”
Inquire about the impediments your team is facing right now. Find 2-3 quick wins that can make the lives of your team better. This can be unblocking a blocker, helping the team resolve a lingering decision, or improving an annoying process.
Here’s a list of questions (from my personal backlog) that you can ask your team on various occasions or during your retrospectives.