What Is The Role Of A Manager In An Agile Or Scrum Team?
When making the switch to Agile or Scrum, many people struggle to find their role in the new structure. Especially if it’s not well-defined. Often times managers are uncomfortable with Scrum or Agile, especially when they don’t hold the role of Product…
When making the switch to Agile or Scrum, many people struggle to find their role in the new structure. Especially if it’s not well-defined. Often times managers are uncomfortable with Scrum or Agile, especially when they don’t hold the role of Product Owner or ScrumMaster. Real-life project or organizational situations often dictate a project structure, and a team finds itself with a person who is neither but has some other “manager” title.
If this is you, it’s easy to wonder, “Am I relevant? What’s my role? How do I help my team?” I’d like to help you address some of these questions.
Do’s and Don’ts
I read this great article from the Harvard Business Review about how larger teams make managers better, and it got me thinking: can Scrum teams help managers become better? Scrum is designed to empower the individual team member and flatten the organization, so micromanaging and superfluous “help” are not welcome. That is to say, your mere existence could seem like a threat to team productivity!
Regardless of your role, I thought I would offer a few Do’s and Don’ts for managers working with Agile or Scrum teams to help you make your Scrum team more productive, help your team deliver a better product, and start the process of letting your team make you a better manager.
- Don’t be the team’s impediment
- Don’t micromanage
- Don’t feel like you need to review every web page or piece of functionality
- Do help build up your team as technical leaders and experts
- Do foster an environment where your team can engage directly with each other to solve problems
- Do communicate upward
- Do communicate outward to stakeholders, peers, or clients
- Do review your overarching project risks and be the person who’s thinking about what others are not thinking about
- Do help set a consistent, exciting, and achievable vision for the team, the product, or the organization
- Don’t let your team build the Winchester House
And most importantly,
- Do become a strategic thinker
What other do’s or don’ts do you have for managers of Scrum or Agile teams?
Want to hear more about how to make your Agile adoption work for you? See our ebook!
You Might Also Like
How to Deliver Impactful Software with Doguhan Uluca and Keith Mealo
In case you missed it, Excella Principal Fellow, Doguhan Uluca, and Senior Engagement Manager, Keith...
Burton White Announced as a 2023 WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards Finalist
“Excellians are Passionate About Making the Tech Community More Diverse” – Burton White. WashingtonExec announced...
The Shift Left and the Future of Tech with John Gilroy and Jeff Gallimore
In case you missed it, Jeff Gallimore, Excella’s Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, joined long-time...