Scrum Masters in 2025, Part 1: The Good, the Bad and How to Improve

Scrum Masters can make or break a team. Some are facilitators, some are project managers in disguise, and some leave teams unsure of what they actually do. This session will explore what a good Scrum Master looks like, common failures, and practical ways to improve.

Part 1: What is a Scrum Master Supposed to Do?

• The key responsibilities: facilitation, coaching, removing blockers, supporting the team
• How to measure success as a Scrum Master
• Common misconceptions: over-controlling vs. too passive

Activity: Quick poll or discussion—how does your team view the Scrum Master role?

Part 2: The Good vs. The Bad Scrum Master
The good Scrum Master: empowers the team, removes friction, makes work smoother. The bad Scrum Master Acts as an admin, just scheduling meetings and taking notes, and over-facilitates, making the team dependent on them. Why do so many Scrum Masters struggle to find the right balance?

Workshop Activity: Teams share real experiences—what worked and what didn’t? We will map our observations and experiences onto a Miro board with two zones - the good and the bad.

Part 3: How to Improve a Scrum Master
We will look at the Miro board and address the challenges we see in two forms; how to be a better Scrum Master, and how to influence a Scrum Master's so that their performance gets better.

We will generate a bunch of options and then discuss how to use these ideas to make things better.

Wrap-Up & Takeaways
Each attendee commits to one improvement in their Scrum Master life, then Q&A