- It might seem strange
that we're talking about Agile team roles
so late in the course.
A lot of courses would immediately start talking
about Scrum Masters, Product Owners
and the Development Team,
but that actually causes a lot of confusion.
That's because it's difficult to understand
the roles on a team
without first understanding the Agile mindset.
In fact, most people when they look at Agile roles
start to make connections
between roles they already know.
So you might think of a Scrum Master
as an Agile Project Manager,
or you might think of a Product Owner
as an Agile business analyst.
This way of thinking can lead to a lot of problems.
For one, it can move people into these roles
when they may not be the best fit.
And two, it plays into a stereotype
that organizational changes are always step-by-step.
So you might move a Project Manager
into a Scrum Master role,
but remember that Agile roles
are usually radically different
from roles you already have.
I've seen many Agile teams that put the wrong people
in these roles because of this challenge.
Remember that an Agile mindset
is a big change from how most organizations operate.
That means that you'll have trouble
embracing an Agile mindset
if you're unwilling to make these changes.
You can't expect big improvements
when you have the same people in the same roles
working the same way.
So when you're starting with Agile,
you might want to take special care
when you're figuring out
the best person for each role.
You might want to be careful putting Project Managers
into the Scrum Master role.
A Project Manager is used to being
the point person for the project.
People in the organization
will come to them for status updates,
and they're responsible for hiring
and firing people on their team.
A Scrum Master is a completely different role.
Here you'll act as a coach.
Instead of having authority over the team,
you'll be encouraging them
to take on greater responsibilities.
Remember that Agile teams are cross-functional
and self-organized.
So instead of being a manager,
you don't want to encourage the team to self-manage.
If you like having control over your team,
then you'll probably have a difficult time
being a Scrum Master.
You might run into similar challenges
with the Product Owner.
A lot of organizations just see the Product Owner
as an Agile business analyst,
but again, it's an entirely different role.
A business analyst will typically
create project requirements for the team.
Then it's up to the team to deliver those requirements.
So there's a handoff here.
The business analyst will finish their work
and then hand it off to the team.
A Product Owner is a very different role.
Here the Product Owner works with the team
to deliver the product.
They even sit with the team.
They don't just hand off requirements,
instead they own the product.
There's a shared responsibility between the Product Owner
and the Development Team.
You'll certainly want to look for people
already in your organization
when you start your Agile team.
Just make sure that everyone knows their role
and isn't just trying to do the same thing
with a new Agile job title.