For any project to be successful it is important to select appropriate Scrum Master(s) and identify relevant Stakeholders. In some projects, there may have been pre-conditions stipulating certain team members and their roles.
When there is flexibility in choosing the Scrum Masters, the following are important Selection Criteria:
- Problem-solving skills—This is one of the key criteria to be considered while selecting Scrum Masters. The Scrum Masters should have the necessary skills and experience to help remove any impediments for the Scrum Team.
- Availability—The Scrum Master should be available to schedule, oversee, and facilitate various meetings, including the Release Planning Meeting, Daily Standup Meeting, and other Sprint-related meetings.
- Commitment—The Scrum Master should be highly committed to ensure that the Scrum Team is provided with a conducive work environment to ensure successful delivery of Scrum projects.
- Servant Leadership Style— The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.
When identifying the Stakeholders, it is important to remember that stakeholders are all the customers, users, and sponsors, who frequently interface with the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Scrum Team to provide inputs and facilitate creation of the project’s products. The stakeholders influence the project throughout its lifecycle.
