Is your Scrum Master shaping the right environment for success?
According to the Scrum Guide, “The Scrum Master fosters an environment where…” But what does that actually mean?
Notice the Guide doesn’t say the Scrum Master fosters the team members or stakeholders—it emphasizes the environment.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines “environment” as “the conditions that you live or work in and the way they influence how you feel or how effectively you can work.” In this context, “conditions” are “all the particular things that influence someone’s living or working environment.”
In other words, the environment refers to everything that shapes how your team works and learns—tools, practices, policies, and even cultural norms.
A mentor once told me: “You can’t change individuals, but you can change the environment to enable them to grow.” This sums up the Scrum Master’s role beautifully—changing conditions so the team can thrive.
What are the conditions influencing your team? Here are some examples:
• Team-Level: Tools, collaboration practices, sprint planning, retrospectives, policies, office location, etc.
• Organization-Level: Budget cycles, procurement processes, appraisal systems, hiring policies, etc.
As a Scrum Master, how are you shaping these conditions to empower your team and make them more effective? Are you addressing obstacles at both the team and organizational level?
What challenges have you encountered while fostering an environment for success? I’d love to hear your thoughts—please share in the comments below!
I hope you find value in these short articles and if you are looking for more clarifications, feel free to take contact.
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Wishing you an inspiring read and a wonderful journey.
Scrum on!
