A Scrum Master Demands Interpersonal Skills.

A scrum master must have a
moral compass and great interpersonal skills.

The role of a scrum master is a challenging one.  Any given day you are confronted with new challenges, and you always face the pressure to deliver software.  You are pulled from the top by the demands of business leadership.  From below, you are leading your team and helping them improve.  I have been reviewing plenty of career postings on the internet lately, and I have noticed an interesting trend.  Postings have mentioned in passing the need for interpersonal skills.  I want to argue interpersonal skills are the essential part of being a scrum master.

When you look at a job posting for a scrum master you often see references to project management systems, years of experience and relevant industry experience, usually there is a request for certifications from the various accrediting agencies involved with agile.  The final bullet point is the requirement is a request for excellent interpersonal skills.

Being a good scrum master demands interpersonal skills.  You spend time coaching and educating others about agile and scrum.  A scrum master must be able to say no to others without sounding dismissive.  It requires solid interpersonal skills to have empathy for others.  A scrum master also must speak truth to power and have the integrity to back up those words.  All of this requires interpersonal skills, and a scrum master who does not have them is in trouble.  Earning a scrum master certification is straight forward, being able to do the job requires hard work and a growth mindset.  

You cannot check off boxes and have a scrum master arrive to make your team better.  It is a process of trial and error.  A team will take two steps forward and then fail in an embarrassing fashion.  It is not a traditional career path, but it is infinitely satisfying.  The foundation is excellent interpersonal skills.

Until next time.