Are you wondering if Professional Scrum Master training is the right fit for you? In this post, I will provide an overview of common reasons people attend Professional Scrum Master training, what they were hoping to get out of it, and what they actually got out of it.
“The New Scrum Master”
“The New Scrum Master” has less than a year of experience (usually less than 3 months) and has yet to attend formal Scrum training. Most have learned what they know about Scrum by searching the Internet, learning from colleagues, or working with an Agile coach.
Reasons for Attending Scrum Master Training
- Solidify their understanding of Scrum
- Gain some insights into how to practically apply Scrum
- Prepare to earn an industry-recognized Scrum Master certification that gives them some credibility
“The Seasoned Scrum Master”
“The Seasoned Scrum Master” typically has more than a year of experience working with Scrum teams and may have more than 5 years. Seasoned Scrum Masters usually share one thing in common – they have been asked to ‘make’ this Scrum thing work for the rest of the teams in their organization. While they often have some experience helping individual teams get started with Scrum, they haven’t had to implement Scrum with multiple teams across an organization. They have typically read at least a few books about Agile or Scrum and have a solid understanding of Scrum fundamentals. They may have even already attended a beginner-level Scrum course.
Reasons for Attending Scrum Master Training
- Confirm their current level of knowledge about Scrum
- Fill in any gaps in their knowledge of Scrum
- Learn how to apply Scrum at an organizational level
“The Project Manager”
“The Project Manager“ that attends Professional Scrum Master courses has typically learned Scrum by doing it, and he or she usually learned from organizations that took a lot of shortcuts with their Scrum implementation. Some have read blog posts, books, or done other research into Agile development and Scrum, and they’re often a bit confused by the different interpretations of Scrum available on the Internet.
Reasons for Attending Scrum Master Training
- Learn how Scrum is ‘supposed’ to be applied and learn how to practically do it without taking shortcuts
- Gain insights into Scrum that their peers may not have to gain a competitive advantage
- Earn an industry-recognized Scrum Master certification to gain some additional credibility
“The Implementing Manager”
“The Implementing Manager” is typically responsible for making Scrum work in their organization but has little to no experience applying it. If they are from a smaller organization, they might also be playing a Product Owner or Scrum Master role in addition to being a manager. If they are from a larger organization, they are often in charge of the PMO or application delivery.
Reasons for Attending Scrum Master Training
“Implementing Managers” usually do not care as much about getting certified as other types of attendees. They usually just want answers to questions that have been keeping them up at night:
- “What did I get myself into?”
- “Is this Scrum thing crazy?”
- “Is Scrum training worth it for my team?”
- “How do I actually make this work?”
- “What is my role as a manager in this Scrum thing? Should I be a Scrum Master? What part do I play in making Scrum successful?”
- “How do I convince other people in my organization to give Scrum a chance?”
What Attendees Actually Learn
Although attendees of Professional Scrum Master training attend for different reasons, they all walk away feeling that their reasons for attending were satisfied. You might be asking yourself, “How can one course satisfy all of those reasons for attending?” Because much of the learning in the course occurs through exercises and conversation, people can get their questions answered and learn what they want. We also have standardized curriculum, so every attendee will walk away from the course having gained the same knowledge about Scrum as every other attendee, and they’ll be prepared to take the Professional Scrum Master I certification assessment (PSM I). More experienced attendees have even jumped right into the Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II) certification assessment after attending Professional Scrum Master training. Don’t just take my word for it though – here’s what David de Corlieu, an experienced project manager and Scrum Master, had to say about one of my recent Scrum Master classes:
“Jordan was able to give me the holistic view of Scrum that I was missing even after working with it for years and having attended other training. I left the class excited and confident in my abilities, which is something that I can’t say that I’ve often experienced after a training class. I suppose the truest endorsement of the progress I made was finally having the confidence to take the PSM-II, which I passed with a 92%. If I wind up conquering the PSM-III, I know I’ll have Jordan to thank.”
What Attendees Don’t Learn
Even though the Professional Scrum Master course is great, it’s not for everyone. Here are some examples of what you won’t learn in a Professional Scrum Master course:
- How to be a great Product Owner
- How to be a great Agile manager
- All of the intricacies of scaled Scrum
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