Scrum Master is a "management" position?

The Scrum Master is a mgmt level position, but it is not a "manager" position. In other words, the SM doesn't "manage the team" or have HR responsibility (perf reviews etc.) over the team. Also, they are not there to "drive results" or "drive the team."

However, for them to be effective, they need to be at least at the "management" level of an org. Think of it as someone who is viewed as part of the mgmt team, without being someone who has direct reports.

Thanks Charles. That is true!

In my opinion, the Scrum Master is a management position.

The fact is that it does not manage the teams, but manages the scrum framework adoption (perhaps using a improvement backlog, as Mike Cohn suggests in 'Suceeding with Agile').

Hope it helps.

Àlex Ballarin - PSM I, PMP, DAD Yellow Belt
Agile Coach @ www.itnove.com

It makes sense. But the problem is when we read "Scrum Master is a management position" we immediately think of managing the team not the Scrum framework adoption. I have got this question wrong as I thought of a position similar to the PM in PRINCE2 and I rejected the answer

That's the thing with the PSM assessments, word play at it's finest. It is a management position, but it's a Process management position instead of a People management position. You'll see more questions like this on the assessment that really make you think.

The Scrum master role is not a process management, people management or technical management role.

Its a LEADERSHIP role; more precisely SERVANT LEADERSHIP role.

The Scrum Master is a Servant Leader role, but it is also definitely a management position.

Manjunatha, the question for you is what does the Scrum Master manage?   What are they responsible for?

The Scrum master role is not a process management, people management or technical management role.

Its a LEADERSHIP role; more precisely SERVANT LEADERSHIP role.

All due respect, my friend, I suggest you take a read through the Scrum Guide again in it's entirety. Here is a little excerpt from the Sprint Retrospective section:

"The Scrum Master participates as a peer team member in the meeting from the accountability over the Scrum process." 

If the SM participates in the Retro from the accountability over the Scrum process, that would correlate to a SM being a process manager. Call it a Framework manager or whatever you want. Regardless, if the SM is responsible for ensuring the team follow the Scrum Framework; they are managing the process. 

I am not sure whether SM is practically treated as a "management" position. But it should be a management position if it is not, because he is the person who can influence the management decisions on Scrum adoption, implementation and increasing the effectiveness of the application of Scrum in the organization. He is also accountable for coaching and mentoring the leadership if required support on the implementation of Scrum principles and values is missing. Undoubtedly, he is not responsible for managing the Development team but serving them by removing their impediments and ensuring that Scrum is followed properly in its entirety. A PM is required outside the Scrum framework for supporting and developing SM and Development Team's roles and their decisions to ensure successful delivery of the project.

Look at the definition of "management" in Merriam-Webster dictionary.  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/management

Definition of management

 

1: the act or art of managing : the conducting or supervising of something (such as a business)

2: judicious use of means to accomplish an end

3: the collective body of those who manage or direct an enterprise

Notice how it never once says anything about directing people.  I really like the second definition.  

Is Scrum Master a management position?  In my opinion definitions #1 and #2 are exactly what a Scrum Master does when it comes to helping others understand and appreciate the Scrum framework.

There is a reason the role is called Scrum Master and not Scrum Manager. I would also be careful with calling Scrum a process instead of a framework. 

 I would also be careful with calling Scrum a process instead of a framework. 

I think there is indeed ambiguity in the Scrum Guide around whether Scrum is a process or a framework.   Right off the bat, the Scrum Guide calls Scrum a "process framework", and then in the very next sentence it states that Scrum is not a "process"   

Also, at times in the Scrum Guide, Scrum is referred to as the "Scrum Process", the "Scrum Framework", and the "Scrum Process Framework".   

I personally believe that Scrum is a Framework, and the Scrum Master is a Manager of the Scrum Process.   Perhaps this would be a good discussion in a separate thread?

I love talking about this stuff, personally.

It's called a process framework because it's a framework for anyone's processes. It's process agnostic in that way. Work and do what you need to do but apply it in the framework of Scrum. Here are the required Roles, here are the Events that need to be run, and here are the Artifacts of the framework. But this is just one process framework, the Scrum Process Framework...Kanban is another process framework with different Artifacts and the like.

As a Scrum Master, I avoid being called a Manager at all times. I don't manage people, projects, processes, or the level of success of the Scrum Team. I'm in a Leadership role.

As a servant-leader, I focus primarily on the growth and well-being of people (not resources) and the communities to which they belong. I share power and put the needs of others first and help people develop and perform as highly as possible.

By coaching Agile Values and Principles into the execution of Scrum, the whole team can identify what makes themselves successful and what doesn't. I work to remove those impediments so they have the opportunity to maintain their success. If they are, that's a win for us all.

Hardly any credit comes back to the Scrum Master. I can only be successful when the rest of the team is, and they can only be successful when they own their working processes. For example with the Dev Team, they own and write the DoD, Working Agreement, and the level of detail they need in their Sprint Goals but I help coach to them the intent of each item so they best reap the benefits of them. 

It's through servant-leadership that any change is possible. It's what gives me the credibility to be taken seriously when speaking with others in Management and Leadership about the needs of my Team. 

I believe IF I were Scrum's Manager, everything would be different and none for the better.

• I'd end up making the Retrospective pointless cause I would just tell everyone what to do and fix, and the accountability of their success would fall to me.
• Pardon the dev-talk but I'd end up becoming the API for the team in which all communication would be sent to me and I'd be translating and delivering progress updates and the like, to everyone else.
• I'd be ensuring the backlog was in-line so that I can do the brunt of Sprint Planning and Dev Team would just approve my plan.

What would the benefits of managing Scrum even be?

Oh jeez. I just realized the OP was in 2014. I hope the content for that assessment has been updated.

Hi All,

Scrum Master, it is management positions you are not, as a SM, the manager of the teams, that's for sure as she/he is not a project manager but a SM is accountable for Scrum framework implementations for the team/s AND organization, the Scrum framework performance ownership belongs to SM so she/he needs to manage that actually

I recommend to re-read Scrum Guide, and go for https://www.scrum.org/resources/scrum-pulse-webinar-becoming-agile-leader for further understanding of Agile leadership its just great :)

Good luck!

Lol.

A Scrum Master is a manager because they manage a process? How about the developer who manages code, the BA who manages business requirements, or the QA analyst who manages tests?

Give me a Scrum Master who thinks it's important to be called a "manager" and I'll give you an ineffective Scrum Master who just believes they can direct people to say how effective they are.

In my opinion a Scrum Master is a servant leader member of the team. They are not and should not be considered a manager in any normal sense of the word. The singular term "manager" carries connotations of managing people in everyday usage, and this is the opposite of what Agile teams are supposed to practice.

So now I will "manage" this post because I am a "post manager". Lol.

Scrum Master IS NOT a ROLE from MANAGEMENT. 

Managing something does not need a label of management. He is a MASTER  (remember Pai Mei ?) of SCRUM and is more of stewardship role. 

Hence the answer is false. 

its a bit embarrassing for SCRUM that its not even able to define whether or not a role is a leader or not.

@Lars, you are commenting on something from 2014 which as greatly evolved through the years.

Is it correct to say that Scrum Master is equivalent to PMO?

The original question is from 2014. What's the current state. I came across the same question at volkerdon, however, I didn't observe it in the open assessment yet here at scrum.org.

From the perspective of the PSM certification: is scrum master in 2021 viewed as a management role or not?

The Scrum Master manages the Scrum Framework, which means managing people's understanding of it, and how it might best be implemented by them in their context.

I think this question walks a slippery slope.   As a former scrum master and a current member of a scrum team I fear that many a scrum master takes this (if you answer yes) to let it go to their head and overstep their bounds thinking their role is more "manager" than facilitator of the scrum team so I hesitate to say "manager".   Also scrum is a SELF MANAGED TEAM so by that respect the scrum master is not the manager.   Refer to https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/scrum-team-self-managing.      I can only hope that this rewording is further accepted  to remove the perception by many of thinking "I am a manager and therefore I must manage" either the team, the team processes, etc.

As I said, the term 'manager' is a very slippery slope and should be defined very clearly what it is implying. 

No, it is not. Scrum Masters are process-oriented. They focus on streamlining and improving the processes that enable teams to achieve their goals. They take an agile approach to management, viewing themselves not as managers but as members of the team.