Hi PM Community -
I am learning about Agile Scrum and work on traditional/waterfall model development. Would like to understand what role a Manager plays in Agile. Any thoughts on this topic will be helpful. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
I can ask based on theory and mainly practice because today in my actual work place we are using Scrum. But I think is better if you take a look to Scrum Guide (https://www.scrumguides.org) or the Agile Practice Guide of the PMI.While the candidate is the Scrum Master role you will find that project manager role description and responsabilities are distributed into more than one role in Scrum. Saving Changes...
Srikana, first and foremost they need to be a servant leader. This differs from the traditional command and control structure of many waterfall projects. There is a real paradigm shift when it comes to management since your teams and resources are self managing and self organizing which basically equates to "don't tell me how to do my job". The servant leader is just that; leads by serving the team to get the work done, by coaching, mentoring, facilitating events, removing obstacles, fending off disruptive stakeholders etc.
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1 reply by Srikana Ray
May 21, 2018 6:14 AM
Srikana Ray
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Hi Sante - Do they take up the role of Scrum Master in Agile projects then?
Srikana, first and foremost they need to be a servant leader. This differs from the traditional command and control structure of many waterfall projects. There is a real paradigm shift when it comes to management since your teams and resources are self managing and self organizing which basically equates to "don't tell me how to do my job". The servant leader is just that; leads by serving the team to get the work done, by coaching, mentoring, facilitating events, removing obstacles, fending off disruptive stakeholders etc.
Hi Sante - Do they take up the role of Scrum Master in Agile projects then?
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1 reply by Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
May 21, 2018 11:03 PM
Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
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They might but generally not. The Scrum Master is a specialized role. I've always said that the Product Owner is the closest thing to a PM, moreso than the Scrum Master.
Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
Sante left a strong comment.
When you say 'Manager', are you actually saying 'Project Manager'? There is no direct mapping from project manager to scrum master, but yes, many times the organization will provide training for the project managers to take on the role of scrum master. Also to note, many organizations will still have traditional projects, so in that case, the PM/SM will hold a dual role within the organization. In a transformation at a clients site, many PM's are now SM's.
All that said, depending on the skillset of the individual, and their background, they could also take on the role of product owner, product manager, or if a SAFe environment, Release Train Engineer.
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1 reply by Srikana Ray
May 21, 2018 7:03 AM
Srikana Ray
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Hi Andrew - In waterfall projects there is generally a Technical manager to whom the team reports. I was wondering which role the technical manager plays for agile projects. When a team adopts agile does the technical manager role still exist?
When you say 'Manager', are you actually saying 'Project Manager'? There is no direct mapping from project manager to scrum master, but yes, many times the organization will provide training for the project managers to take on the role of scrum master. Also to note, many organizations will still have traditional projects, so in that case, the PM/SM will hold a dual role within the organization. In a transformation at a clients site, many PM's are now SM's.
All that said, depending on the skillset of the individual, and their background, they could also take on the role of product owner, product manager, or if a SAFe environment, Release Train Engineer.
Hi Andrew - In waterfall projects there is generally a Technical manager to whom the team reports. I was wondering which role the technical manager plays for agile projects. When a team adopts agile does the technical manager role still exist?
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2 replies by Drew Craig and Joshua Render
May 21, 2018 7:55 AM
Joshua Render
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In Scrum, there are officially only 3 roles - Scrum Master, Product Owner, and the Development team. A Technical Manager role is not defined by Scrum.
A technical manager would either be outside the team and not officially a part of the team and may become more of a consultant, or they may be a part of the development team as a generalizing specialist (but still more of a consultant and not within the Scrum context have a title of technical manager).
Now in the real world, businesses don't always operate that way. What they end up with is a modified Agile version - which is fine if it works for them.
DSDM defines some support roles outside of the core SDT and Project level. A Technical Advisor role in support or on the Project Level there is a Technical Coordinator role that a technical manager could fill.
May 21, 2018 9:44 AM
Drew Craig
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Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. Joshua pretty much summed it up.
Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Srikana, my recommendation is taking a close look to Scrum Guide. If you do not follow it then you are not using Scrum. Scrum Guide does not stated the how because Scrum is a framework. You have to fill it up with the how that best fits to your environment. Scrum has roles well defined. Just to comment, in my actual work place, the same person is assigned to lead more than one initiative at the same time where some of them is using Scrum and others are using non-agile approaches. The important thing is that person can perform the role without problems. That demands to your organization clearly define what the organization expect for a project manager. There is not a project manager role defined into Scrum. That is not the same into others Agile based methods like DSDM. Saving Changes...
Joshua RenderProduct Owner| CognizantHarrisville, Ny, United States
May 21, 2018 7:03 AM
Replying to Srikana Ray
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Hi Andrew - In waterfall projects there is generally a Technical manager to whom the team reports. I was wondering which role the technical manager plays for agile projects. When a team adopts agile does the technical manager role still exist?
In Scrum, there are officially only 3 roles - Scrum Master, Product Owner, and the Development team. A Technical Manager role is not defined by Scrum.
A technical manager would either be outside the team and not officially a part of the team and may become more of a consultant, or they may be a part of the development team as a generalizing specialist (but still more of a consultant and not within the Scrum context have a title of technical manager).
Now in the real world, businesses don't always operate that way. What they end up with is a modified Agile version - which is fine if it works for them.
DSDM defines some support roles outside of the core SDT and Project level. A Technical Advisor role in support or on the Project Level there is a Technical Coordinator role that a technical manager could fill.
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1 reply by Srikana Ray
May 21, 2018 8:38 AM
Srikana Ray
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Hi Joshua - Thank you. Now that kind of explains why organizations with traditional projects find it difficult to adopt to Agile because these roles may no longer be needed.
In Scrum, there are officially only 3 roles - Scrum Master, Product Owner, and the Development team. A Technical Manager role is not defined by Scrum.
A technical manager would either be outside the team and not officially a part of the team and may become more of a consultant, or they may be a part of the development team as a generalizing specialist (but still more of a consultant and not within the Scrum context have a title of technical manager).
Now in the real world, businesses don't always operate that way. What they end up with is a modified Agile version - which is fine if it works for them.
DSDM defines some support roles outside of the core SDT and Project level. A Technical Advisor role in support or on the Project Level there is a Technical Coordinator role that a technical manager could fill.
Hi Joshua - Thank you. Now that kind of explains why organizations with traditional projects find it difficult to adopt to Agile because these roles may no longer be needed.
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1 reply by Sergio Luis Conte
May 21, 2018 8:43 AM
Sergio Luis Conte
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Just to comment, the problem is not that. As I mentioned in my actual organization the same person is assigned to multiple projects with differents approaches. The problem is culture and inside it you can find that organizations do not clearly define what a project manager is and do not understand what project management is. In fact, if you ask in this forum about that you will surprise with the answers including some of them from certified people.
Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
May 21, 2018 8:38 AM
Replying to Srikana Ray
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Hi Joshua - Thank you. Now that kind of explains why organizations with traditional projects find it difficult to adopt to Agile because these roles may no longer be needed.
Just to comment, the problem is not that. As I mentioned in my actual organization the same person is assigned to multiple projects with differents approaches. The problem is culture and inside it you can find that organizations do not clearly define what a project manager is and do not understand what project management is. In fact, if you ask in this forum about that you will surprise with the answers including some of them from certified people. Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
May 21, 2018 7:03 AM
Replying to Srikana Ray
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Hi Andrew - In waterfall projects there is generally a Technical manager to whom the team reports. I was wondering which role the technical manager plays for agile projects. When a team adopts agile does the technical manager role still exist?
Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. Joshua pretty much summed it up. Saving Changes...
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