Did you ever fail as a Scrum Master? What was it like?
Yes. I expected to implement change despite not having authority to implement change.
It depends how you define failure. If you inspect, adapt and it doesn't deliver the results you want, is that failure, or an opportunity to inspect again, or both?
As with any initiative it can be best to demonstrate failure as early as possible. The issue is not failure itself, but how well you establish transparency and control over it.
Thanks Alex, Simon, Ian.
I wanted to clarify - Failure of the team in Sprints, otherwise called as 'learning' is ok. What about the failure in the role Scrum Master? For example, she is not able to build a culture of continuous improvement within the team?
A corollary is - When should the Scrum Master be fired?
When should the Scrum Master be fired?
Whenever the other Scrum Team members think best. They'd be advised to have clear evidence that the root problem lies with their Scrum Master, that the situation cannot be resolved by any better team action, and that another person is available who can do a better job.