Tracking Scrum Master Performance


#1

Source:

I was recently interviewed by Dave Prior from Leading Agile for his blog on projectmanagment.com

I responded to a recurring student question “How can I track the performance of a ScrumMaster using metrics which are different form the ones I use to track the performance of the team?”

Using the LeanAgile Intelligence tool I co-authored, I walked Dave through a few options that can be used to collect data that could provide clarity on performance of an individual ScrumMaster.

For more information on LeanAgile Intelligence: https://www.leanagileintelligence.com/

You can follow Dave Prior on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mrsungo

Also check out www.leadingagile.com for great agile blogs, podcasts, and training.


#2

@zachbonaker was just tweeting about performance ‘metrics’ and was wondering if he was “missing something” by not necessarily subscribing to the idea that performance metrics were - needed? helpful? good? (for Coaches or Scrum Masters)

My take on this - is why not?

For the coaches out there: How can we help scrum masters get better? Especially if you have a scrum master who thinks they are awesome, and they are actually struggling? Is there something we can use to demonstrate measureable progress?

For the coaches out there: How do you measure your performance as a coach? Is it a reflection of the teams you are coaching? How do we create growth plans and mentor each other?

I will post my answers to these questions next week. I love the idea that @andycleff posted in our slack channel about a Net Promoter Score for SMs. More on that next week too.

I can appreciate the “You know it when you see it” perspective, but how is that helpful to budding scrum masters that are looking to improve?

I do not think there needs to be a “manage by metrics” mantra - and as @JayHorsecow has pointed out many times “what gets measured gets managed”.

Hopefully this thread is seen as “coming from a good place” and not the proverbial stick we use to crush colleagues and tell them what horrible people they are. Dunning-Kruger effect is real beyond teams. And who knows…maybe we help @troy and @mccallam2 with options for Lean Agile Intelligence tool??


#3

I’m contemplating an adaptation of Spotify’s Team Health check to my current organization (see http://www.andycleff.com/2015/05/agile-team-health-check-models/ )

A quarterly look at a number of factors that are leading indicators of a team’s performance.

My theory is that a good scrum master / coach will be a positive influence on the health of the team they serve - by influencing both stuff “inside the team’s fence”, moving the fence, and in the “neighbor’s yard.”

And that will be reflected quarter over quarter in health checks.

Another layer of information to the SM NPS :slight_smile:


#4

Guess whats in LAI :grinning:

I always customize assessments there with questions from Spotify health check included. have also done one that was only Spotify health check in LAI