There is one frequent question that I encounter in
my workshops. There is a piece of information that is missing in the Scrum
Guide. Interestingly, It is regarding the managers. Where is the role of
Manager in Scrum? The missed-out information makes many organisations confused
if they have a similar place and adopts Scrum or present an Agile
transformation.
While there are apparent intermediate paths present
for the managers and other senior leadership position holders, the unclearly
defined middle managers often question the roles in official Scrum they fill.
What are they? Are they product owners? Or a scrum master? Or developers?
It can be a challenging leadership problem and
problematic to resolve. However, there is no direct and clear answer to the
query. For clearing the dilemma, I have to recall the elementary difference
between a project and a product.
Project Vs
Product
As you can notice, agile product owner
certification in Bangalore focuses directly on products; thus, you
have a Product owner. In traditional project management, the success of the
project gets measured against scope, time and cost. Thus, the process leads to
lesser value management and focuses on task management.
In contrast, the product mindset gets derived from
the outcome, and the project mindset is activity. In traditional management,
all three variables get managed by the project manager.
In a product environment, all the variables receive
collaborative management.
For example, the scope and time get handled by the
Scrum team, while the cost is by the product owner. In such cases, the
confusion lies in the manager’s role.
Role Mapping
Direct one-to-one mapping is the way out for most of
the executives of the organisations. We are following the Agile transformation.
Thus, all these people will get a role in Scrum, and the rest of the group will
get another position in Scrum. Among all these, I encounter a common idealogy
in one-to-one mapping: taking the project management office and turning them
into scrum masters and taking the business analysts to enrol them in product
ownership roles. But, as per my point of view, it is not a great solution.
Is there a
superior approach?
A “try scrum” entity identifies how to determine and
focus on the individual strengths of each employee. It is very crucial while
undergoing an Agile transformation. If you know who will fit best for each of
the roles, acquiring success gets easier. Also, considering the individual’s
passion helps in redefining the new responsibilities.
Now, let me get back to the original doubt.
Where is the
role of Managers in Scrum? Do we need them?
There is no direct answer to this. My answer to this
question will be; it depends on the organisation. Considering my experience,
managers can play enablers. Although there is no buzz about Management in
Scrum, managemental aspects are present in Scrum.
According to the Scrum Guide, Scrum looks after the
existing effectiveness of the management, environment, and functioning ability
to improve them. In other words, it challenges the way that the Organisation
works to create value.
Scrum is not a methodology. It deliberates gives the
choice-making to the management. It allows the business to get structured
rightly and organise itself to get better. Considering from my viewpoint,
managers are certainly enablers and can perform varied responsibilities.
Leading in a
Hybrid World
Every middle manager may not be suitable for the
role of product owner or scrum master role. It leaves the scopes of
uncertainties. But you need not worry. Despite having no role as a Scrum
manager, it does not imply requiring them. Instead, it signifies that their
role and responsibilities vary.
We primarily work in an environment that got created
on traditional, plan-driven, and top-down principles. We are gradually
transforming towards a self-organised and empirical environment. It gets
designed for the complex domain. Leading an Agile team refers to making the
people more successful with dynamicity. It is one of the major responsibilities
of a manager. Among the many responsibilities of a manager, the following are a
few significant ones:
·
Developing an
environment for the growth of the Agile team
·
Work towards and
organisation and scrum teams as a serving leader
·
Reconstruct the
obstacles that hamper the growth
·
Proactively work
on continuous improvement, self-improvement, feedback, adaptability.
·
Helping the team
to succeed.
Conclusion
To conclude, Scrum does not have a role of a
“manager”. It certainly does not imply we do not necessitate one. Ultimately,
capitalising on individual strengths for transforming them to accomplish the
new roles helps the organisation and individuals equally and leads to success.
Resource: https://www.tryscrum.com/blogs/what-is-managers-role-in-scrum/
