Scrum is a strong agile method that enables teams to work together, produce good work, and always improve. Scrum actually prescribes three kinds of roles like Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team Member. Although these roles are theoretically nicely defined, it is difficult for most firms to map them onto current job titles. You don't have to change job titles to effectively employ Scrum.
Let's know what each Scrum role is and how to introduce them into your team without purchasing new business cards.
Scrum Roles vs. Job Titles
It should be noted that Scrum roles are not titles. They establish responsibilities, not titles. This implies that an individual with the title of Business Analyst, UX Designer, or QA Engineer can occupy any of the Scrum roles depending on their responsibilities. The three Scrum roles from a lightweight process that facilitates empiricism, self-management, and continuous improvement—key characteristics of agile teams.
Development Team Members
The Development Team includes the people who perform the work in a Sprint. Though it is named as a "Development Team," it does not specifically mean only coders. Under Scrum, a "developer" might be a designer, author, tester, UX professional, or someone capable of bringing the product increment to delivery. Their primary task is to create a potentially shippable product increment at the end of each sprint. Attending the Daily Scrum (stand-up meetings) to communicate and realign their work. Self-organizing to determine the optimal means of delivering sprint objectives without micromanaging.
Product Owner
The Product Owner is the voice of the customer and the company. He or she maximizes value for the product through the management and prioritization of the product backlog according to business objectives and customer needs.
Major responsibilities include maintaining the product backlog and making it visible, transparent, and understandable. Prioritizing the features to gain the highest business value.
Sustaining stakeholder management and making product-related decisions as per organizational objectives. Working with the development team so that everyone gets priorities.
Scrum Master
Scrum Master is a servant leader and makes the Scrum Team effective. They roll out Scrum values and allow the team to become more effective. Key duties are ensuring the smooth functioning of the Scrum events and making them effective. Increasing transparency, empiricism, and self-organization. Eliminating impediments causing obstruction to team progress. Facilitating the teaching of the Scrum practices and agile values including courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness.
Getting Scrum Roles to Fit your Organization
You don't need to change the entire structure of your team in order to adopt Scrum. A fast cheat sheet for role selection follows like if you wish to create and bring value to customers, then become a Development Team Member. If you prefer handling customer demand, product direction, and working with stakeholders, become a Product Owner. If you prefer facilitation of teams, coaching people, and boosting teamwork, then become a Scrum Master.
The three Scrum roles, Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team Member are the building blocks of a successful Scrum team. Although they establish distinct responsibilities, they are flexible enough to align with current team structure and job functions. By implementing and interpreting these roles correctly, your organization can realize the full potential of agile development and develop a high-performing team culture that is collaborative.
