new Scrum Master

A new Scrum Master’s first job – understand the system before changing it

It is easy to focus only on the team.

The stand-ups.
The backlog.
The sprint plan.

But most of the problems a team faces do not start inside the team.

They come from the system around it.

Starting with a new team creates pressure to act quickly.

You want to improve things.
You want to show value.
You want momentum.

But in your first month, the most effective thing you can do is often the simplest: observe before you act.

Starting as a new Scrum Master can feel uncomfortable.

You arrive with responsibility but very little context. You want to add value quickly. You want the team to see that you are useful…

Over the next few Mondays I will be publishing a short series of practical posts with advice for new Scrum Masters. This is the first.

… that pressure often leads to the biggest mistake new Scrum Masters make: trying to fix the team too quickly.