You Can’t Be a True Scrum Master With Only a Certificate Or Training
Don't set your Scrum Master up for failure
Several years ago, I was looking for a new job. I worked as a Project Manager on IT infrastructure projects for a while. It was not my cup of tea and I wanted to return to software development.
To strengthen my position in the job market, I looked at what was in high demand. I swiftly stumbled upon Scrum. Everyone used it. I realized I would not find a job in the software industry without knowing about Scrum. I decided to read a bit about it and came to the naive conclusion that the Scrum Master role was similar to a Project Manager.
I then found there were easy ways to get a Scrum Master certification. One, CSM from Scrum Alliance, required a two-day course. Another one, PSM from Scrum.org, only required me to pass an assessment. The PSM was way cheaper than the CSM and I could do it immediately. Plus I didn’t need to be in a classroom for two days. I would aim to obtain the PSM.
It was harder than I thought and it took me two attempts. But after two days of studying the Scrum Guide and spending $300, I was a Professional Scrum Master.
I still knew nothing about Scrum. I didn’t realize a Scrum Master isn’t the same as a Project Manager. I managed to pass the assessment by memorizing the Scrum Guide. Luckily I didn’t get a Scrum Master role back then. I would have filled the role to the best of my abilities, but I’d most certainly end up being a Project Manager in disguise.
It makes you wonder how many teams work with clueless certified Scrum Masters.
Now I know you can’t be an effective Scrum Master with only a certificate. But two-day training sessions will also not suffice. Only when the Scrum Master is recognized for what it represents, will the organisation have a decent shot at succeeding with Scrum. Otherwise uninformed Scrum Masters may cause havoc. Like I would have if had filled a Scrum Master role after receiving my credential.
Also, informed but unsupported Scrum Masters and their team will lose their hope in true change. Which is perhaps even worse.
The current underappreciation of the Scrum Master is a symptom of the misunderstanding of Scrum as a whole. And this is tragic.
I agree with what you have written. My question is what solutions do you propose to change this situation in the market? Specifically, what solutions do you see are needed to help people interested to be a Scrum Master but they have no opportunities in their current workplace to learn-on-the-job? Learning to be an effective Scrum Master, in my opinion, requires not only a context to practise the theory but also requires being in an environment where it's possible to learn from others who are experienced in this work. Until there exists a large scale coordinated Scrum Mastering training programme like apprenticeships, I don't see how the quality of Scrum Masters in the market will improve.
The good news is that certifications seem to get a different meaning: Not as a proof that you can do it, but as a signal that you have part of the necessary theoretical knowledge.