To mothers worldwide, Happy Mother’s Day. You deserve it. To say being a mother can be a thankless job merely skims the surface of the realities of the maternal role. It reminds us of another, at times, the thankless job we all know: the ScrumMaster. The similarities between the two roles don’t end there. Here are 4 ways that mothers across the globe prove to us that they are, indeed, the mother lode of ScrumMasters.
1. Reminding Us To Play Nice
As th
e Team’s eyes and ears, ScrumMaster’s see when the Team is working well and when it’s not. When needed, the SM will guide the Team towards better communication, greater collaboration, and more productive interactions. As the family’s eyes and ears, mothers play that same role, realizing that the way to keep feelings from getting hurt and from the same fights recurring takes concrete, actionable steps: ensuring everyone feels heard, talking through problems directly and encouraging respectful interactions.
2. Supporting Us In What We Do Best
The good SM never tells the Team what to do. Rather, the SM guides, encourages and enables the Team to achieve great things. Now, some may argue that all a mother does is tell you what to do, especially if that “some” is between the ages of 12-17. But consider all those moms who cheer hours on end at every little league game, or painstakingly bedazzle dance competition costumes or sit on the end of their child’s bed at the end of a rough day and tenderly share that “it’s going to be okay.”
3. Busting Barriers In One Fell Swoop
The SM is the Team’s barrier remover, clearing the path so that the Team can focus on delivering the highest quality product. And a mother? Who else but a mother instinctively knows the right tool for the job to eliminate obstacles? Case in point – the mother who knows the right stuffed animal that will instantly make any skinned knee feel better.
4. Keeping Our Eyes On The Prize
ScrumMasters work tirelessly to focus their Team on the goals of the current Sprint. Rather than get distracted by shiny, glittery Epics in the Backburner, the SM guides the Team to keep their eyes on the prize. Not that different than the mother who sees her tween daughter make a beeline for the sparkly, flimsy, neon wedge-heeled ‘athletic’ shoes in the shoe store. Instead, guiding her to purchase a supportive, yet colorful, pair of shoes that won’t wind her up with a leg in a cast.
Mothers, we don’t say it often enough. We appreciate all that you do, day in and day out. And ScrumMasters, same goes for you.
Make your Mom proud. Sharpen your ScrumMaster skills.
As Always, Stay Agile.