Your most burning questions about leading 2 teams as Scrum Master (2023)

LEAD 2 TEAMS AS SCRUM MASTER

Hello, everyone! This time I want to open a discussion on a very hot thread: How to manage 2 teams as a teamScrum-Master! In my career asScrum-MasterI have worked in many different companies and some of them I had to take over two teams. To be honest, this experience can be very hard and challenging. In this article, I want to answer the most burning questions about leading 2Teams asScrum-Master.

Leading 2 teams

In some companies there is a strong belief that theScrum-Mastershould the second team take over to be 100% utilized. Other companies simply cannot afford othersScrum-Master, and they decide to assign him to the second team. There are many other reasons why organizations make such decisions. The reason why I consider this topic important is that it has far-reaching consequences for the team, the Scrum Master and the organization that should not be ignored. I want to raise awareness of this thread so companies and Scrum Masters can see the impact this decision can have on their performance.

Is it a good idea?

I have now played through this 2-team situation several times and formed a clear opinion on it. I've also spoken to many other Scrum Masters from around the world and most of them share my opinion: Leading 2 Teams as aScrum-Mastercan have many disadvantages on many levels. That doesn't mean it doesn't work at all! So I made two lists:DisadvantagesandRecommended course of actionlead two teams as a managerScrum-Master:

Disadvantages of a Scrum Master leading two teams:

lose focus:
Not only do they change teams, they also change topics all the time. As aScrum-Master, you should be deeply involved in the product and the team's vision. Having 2 of each can create confusion, and you are NOT always on the same page as the teammates. They are regularly thrown out of context. Team members need to invest more time in getting you on board every time they start a discussion. You notice that especially in the retrospectives and sprint planning.

Losing spontaneous conversations:
This kind of conversation is super inspiring and valuable for the whole team.coffee breaksin the kitchen or spontaneous ideas in the middle of a sprint can change and generate many ideas. This is the time you might miss because you're sitting in the other team's room.

Less time for coaching:
If you have rookie teams, they need coaching. You will miss important coaching moments with theScrum-Masterbecause he is too busy.

Emphasize:
Do you know this stupid sentence on almost every job advertisement: "You have to endure stress". I don't give a damn about that argument because I think there's a healthy level of stress that normally every human being can handle. Then there is another level where it becomes more and more difficult. My experience is very clear: stress = too much to do. Then you're either disorganized or you just have too much shit on your list that doesn't fit into your time. If you try to get everything done on your overloaded agenda, you run the risk of delivering poor quality, and this is one hell of a thingScrum-Mastershould try to avoid as a team.

meet crossing:
Aside from the normal Scrum artifacts, there are some additional onessessionswhich could overlap with meetings of the other team. So you have to reorganize or just skip one (which leads back to the Losing Focus part)

Missing identification:
This does not apply to everyoneScrum-Master, but some of them develop a lack of identification. I am aScrum-Masterwho needs a strong connection to the team and the product. I like to identify with both components. When I had my first 2 man situation I felt like I lost a bit of identification. The cultures were very different and it can be difficult to settle into both teams as each team develops its own 'insider' language that you may not understand due to absence.

Frustration:
If you are already successful asScrum-Master, you know what's possible and how rewarding it can be to lead a team to success. That feeling is great, and you feel like you've made a difference. This can change dramatically when you take on the 2nd team: If you could fall into the traps mentioned above, it could lead to frustration because you don't experience the same feelings and achievements as before. You'll be more concerned with fixing stuff than with itdevelop new skills.

Leading 2 Teams: Here are ten best practices you can start using right away

Businesses believe they can save money by aScrum-Master2 teams. To be honest, I think this is not always the case. I think the quality of theScrum-Mastercan drop heavily unless you have a real hero and both teams are already high skillhustle(Most of the time this is not the case). Having gone through such a time, I want to share some best practices for running two teams:

Do not run sprints concurrently
I had a period where each team's sprints started and ended on the same day. This was one of the most difficult times ever as I had to do 2 sprint reviews, 2 retrospectives, planning etc. at the end of the sprint. My performance dropped and I couldn't deliver any real quality.

Get even better organized
Sure aScrum-Mastershould be organized one way or another. In this particular case, theBullet-Journalhelped me to handle the situation even better. I've increased my productivity with this analog system, and so can you! The Bullet Journal is a customizable and forgiving organizational system. It can be your daily to-do list, sketchbook and notebook for your daily work.

Bring your teams close together
If you are managing two teams, they should be physically close to each other. This gives you the opportunity to communicate better and quickly jump into the other team's office.

Connect the teams
Try to bring both teams together so they can bond with each other. Maybe both teams have similar problems or products. This could be very handy because every now and then you can bring together a team event where you can share experiences. What you should never do is confuse retrospectives or planning (unless both teams are working on the same sprint goal). Before you start connecting your teams, talk to each of them before bringing them together. If there is no empathy at all, then don't mix.

Communicate your situation
Both teams will see the difference and your absence, especially in critical situations. Share your experience with them and explain your situation to them. This can open your eyes and you will gain much more understanding and acceptance. Maybe the team will help you with that and start doing things more autonomously.

Select a moderator talent
As mentioned above, sometimes the team needs some help, but you are busy in the other team. If you're lucky, you may have a talent on the team who can step in and help moderate the meeting. In my case I had a strong oneproduct ownerwith high social skills. She was accepted by the team and did a really good job as a moderator.

Be present every day
Don't make the mistake of choosing a model where you're on Team A for one week and on Team B for the following week. This is an absolute anti-pattern. Choose a healthy mix of staying in both offices every day. It's quite difficult because sometimes one team needs more attention than the other and you have to find a good balance. How you balance the situation is entirely up to you.

Use synergies
Sometimes you experience great moments and practices in a team that worked perfectly. Be open and share these experiences with the other team. There's no guarantee it will work, but you can adapt these ideas and turn them into something very awesome. Try to use these synergies because they can save a lot of time.

Never skip the "daily meeting".
Schedule the daily meetings so that you can participate in both teams, because this is the shining moment when you plan what to do that day. In addition, this is the 10 minutes that will give you all the information that you may have missed the day before due to your absence.

Separate
Believe me, managing 2 teams can be challenging and if you take your job very seriously you will face difficult and stressful situations from time to time. Although you may have a huge to-do list, it's a good idea to disconnect from both teams from time to time. Step back, find a cool room, and relax for a few minutes. Use the time to analyze and reflect on your work over the past few days to find new approaches. This time is important for you and your brain, which helps you learn and develop your skills.

So those were my ten tips for leading two teams as a Scrum Master. I would like to know if you have been in a similar situation. Let's gather even more tips and practices for other Scrum Masters to benefit from in this article.

Thanks to Luis for publishing my guest article on this blog.

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