A mistake is an error in judgment, action, or process that can lead to undesirable results. In Scrum, errors occur when teams aren’t able to attain proper knowledge of the framework, fail to attend important meetings, or don’t communicate effectively. According to Scrum Alliance, 8 out of 10 teams have difficulty implementing agile adoption. In addition, unclear roles can cause delays in almost 1 out of three projects. This can lead to negative consequences, such as not meeting deadlines, poor quality work, inefficient efforts, and dissatisfied customers.
We will look at the top 10 mistakes that are made when playing the role of scrum master and ways to avoid them.
Top 10 Scrum Profession Mistakes & How to Avoid These:
Skipping Sprint Review Talks (Retrospectives):
What is retrospective: The retrospective is a meeting at the end of a sprint where the team talks about what went well and what could be improved.
The Mistake: The team decides to skip a meeting because they are busy or tired from a long sprint.
Example Case: The “Website team” has just rushed to launch a new feature, working through the night. They are exhausted, so they skip the retro and jump straight into the sprint. The same chaos will occur again because they didn’t discuss the chaos.
How to Avoid: Never skip the retro. This meeting should be protected. Even a 20-30 minute chat can be valuable. Ask specific questions, such as “What is one thing we should stop doing?” What should we do? What should we do? Teams can only improve by doing this.
Poor Sprint Planning
What is Sprint Planning? Sprint planning is when the team decides what work it can do next.
The Mistake: Taking on too much or not breaking work into small steps.
Example Case: A team may agree to “build the login” page without mentioning all the small tasks (e.g., design the button, code the password field, test the security). They get stuck quickly and cannot finish.
How to Avoid: Help your team break down large goals (called user stories) into small, specific tasks. Make sure everyone is on the same page and that they agree with the sprint goal. A good plan will set the team up to win.
Too Much Control Instead of Trusting the Team
Who is a Scrum Master? The Scrum Master is a coach and servant leader. Not a traditional manager. You are there to serve your team, not to command them.
The Most Common Mistake: Micromanagement and lack of trust. This kills motivation and creativity.
Example Case: Each developer is given daily tasks by the Scrum Master, who tells them what and how to code.
How to Avoid: Instead of commenting, trust your team. Ask them powerful questions to remove obstacles and to create a safe environment for them to work. They can find their own solutions if you guide them. Encourage the team to become self-sufficient.
Daily Standups Used as Status Updates, Not Teamwork Talks
What is the Daily Standup? The Daily Standup is a quick 15-minute meeting to plan the day with your team.
The Mistake: Everyone only speaks to the Scrum Master and tells him what they did yesterday. No team communication or collaboration.
Example Case: Each developer sends their updates to him directly. No one helps a developer who is struggling with a particular problem.
How to Avoid: To fix this, encourage conversation. Answering three questions: “What did I do? What will I do? Are there any blockers?” Team members should offer each other help. The Scrum Master’s role is to listen for blockers and facilitate the discussion, not to lead it.
Messy or Unclear Product Backlog
What is the Product Backlog? A Product Backlog is an Agile team’s to-do list for building a product.
The Mistake: The backlog has been disorganized or is filled with large, vague items. Or, it has not been prioritized. The team is unsure of what they should be working on next.
For Example, the backlog may include items such as “Make app better” and “Improve User Experience.” The team doesn’t know where to begin or what it means.
How to Avoid: While the Product Owner is responsible for the backlog (which is DEEP, or Detailed Appropriately Emergent, Estimated, and Prioritized), the Scrum master must guide them in keeping it DEEP. Help to ensure that backlog items are small, clear, and sorted by importance.
Wrong Person Acting as Product Owner
Who is a Product Owner? They represent both the business and the customer.
The Mistake: A developer, project manager, or someone else without the power to make decisions acts as Product Owner. It can cause massive delays because they are unable to answer questions or prioritise effectively.
Example Case: An organization is appointed as the Product Owner. However, he is busy with his technical work. They never clarify the requirements to the team, which causes work to stall.
How to Avoid: Place a single empowered Product Owner. This person should have the authority and be available daily to the team to answer questions about the product.
Team Not Trained Well in Scrum and Agile
What is Agile Scrum Training? Agile Scrum training teaches teams to build projects using an Agile framework called Scrum.
The Mistake: Assuming that everyone understands Scrum. Meetings are held without any understanding of the purpose.
Example Case: The team has a Daily Standup, but does not collaborate afterward. They view Scrum as a rigid set of rules that they must follow and not a framework for them to use.
How to Avoid: Your primary role as a Scrum master is to teach. Educate the team, as well as the organization, on Scrum rules, theory, and practices. Explain the purpose of every event or artifact.
Slow to Remove Blockers or Problems
What are Blockers in Scrum? Any issue or obstacle that prevents a team member or the entire team from making progress on their current tasks.
The Mistake: If the scrum master is not proactive when it comes to identifying and eliminating impediments that slow down the team.
Example: A developer is waiting for a decision to be made by another department. The Scrum Master does not follow up on the issue raised in the standup. The blocker is still there for days and halts progress.
How to Avoid: Remove obstacles as your number one priority. Listen for obstacles in each meeting. Take immediate action. Talk to other departments. Elevate issues. Do whatever you can to make the road clear for your team.
Team Depends Only on the Scrum Master to Talk for Them
What is Stakeholder communication? The process of interacting with individuals and groups who have an interest in a project to keeping them informed, gathering their feedback, and building trust.
The mistake: if a Scrum master acts as a protector, shielding the group from questions and outside conversations. This leads to a bottleneck, and the team is prevented from self-managing.
As an example, a stakeholder may ask the Scrum Master to provide a progress report during the Sprint Review rather than talking directly with the team. The Scrum master answers the question instead of facilitating the discussion.
How to Avoid: Encourage stakeholders to provide feedback directly to your team. It is your role to facilitate these discussions, not to be solely a communicator. Create an environment that allows the team to speak for themselves.
Following Scrum Steps but Not the Real Agile Mindset
What is an Agile Mindset? An Agile mindset means being open to change, working together, and always looking for better ways to get work done.
The Mistake: The team performs all Scrum events (Planning, Standups, and Retro), but does not embrace the Agile core values of collaboration, flexibility, and customer focus.
Example Case: A team produces a “potentially shipping” product increment, but the code is full of bugs because they were focused on finishing tasks and not building quality.
How to Avoid: Scrum is built around the Agile Mindset. Focus on values that are behind the rules, such as individuals and interactions; working software; customer collaboration; and adapting to changes. Encourage your team to start with quality and work closely with the product owner (the customer) from the beginning.
As an aspiring Scrum Professional or Practicing Scrum master, you want to promote true agility. Consider registering for the Certified Scrum Master Certification Training, which builds strong Scrum knowledge, helping you avoid mistakes, guide teams, and solve problems.
Final thoughts
Remember, everyone makes mistakes; it’s about how we learn. The key is to be aware of these common pitfalls. Your goal as a Scrum Master is to serve the team, protect the process, and encourage an environment of trust, communication, and continuous improvement. Don’t just be a process manager; be a true leader who helps your team do the best work.
