Project manager - RE-TRAINING but in what?

[eek]

Scrum masters with Dev background are good at removing technical impediments no doubt, because of their dev background they can validate story points provided by the team, but are not great at handling impediments from the Business side.

OP is already a PM and is interested in retraining. Therefore the closest realistic, achievable option is Scrum Mastery when compared to Developer, Solution Architect, DBA etc.

To handle impediments from the Business Side you need a Scrum master who knows the actual business (i.e. who to go and speak to fix that problem now).

A scrum master who isn't technical and doesn't know the actual business (including where the bodies are buried) adds zero value to the project

[Lance]

To handle impediments from the Business Side you need a Scrum master who knows the actual business (i.e. who to go and speak to fix that problem now).

A scrum master who isn't technical and doesn't know the actual business (including where the bodies are buried) adds zero value to the project

and now we're full circle back to a PM who can't get any work

[eek]

and now we're full circle back to a PM who can't get any work

Yes as you pointed out here

in my experience failed project managers aren't any good at anything else.

Scrum requires knowledge to remove impediments - those impediments are going to be either technical, business or subject matter related.

Chances are if you come from a technical background you will have suitable subject matter knowledge. Likewise if you come from within the business.

I think the idea that an external PM is a good resource for a scrum project is one for the birds.

[fatJock]

Just stay a PM - it's what I do and I've not struggled for work in the Midlands.

More about pimping your network for roles these days via things like LinkedIn I've found ......

[LondonManc]

THIS!

Usually a customer saying they want to run an Agile project basically just means they want it doing quicker! In my experience the Agile method only works when you have buy in and appetite from all involved... its all well and good pushing the Devs harder but if noone from the business is available to test / answer questions it all becomes rather pointless!

Or aren’t good enough/don’t have good enough BAs to determine business requirements and rules and describe what they want. This is why I’d personally suggest that it would be easier for a good PM to become a good product owner rather than a scrum master. A good PMO analyst would make a good scrum master because they’re simply there to make sure the ceremonies are adhered to and will stay out of the way when the adults are talking.

[LondonManc]

Yes as you pointed out here



Scrum requires knowledge to remove impediments - those impediments are going to be either technical, business or subject matter related.

Chances are if you come from a technical background you will have suitable subject matter knowledge. Likewise if you come from within the business.

I think the idea that an external PM is a good resource for a scrum project is one for the birds.

That’s the job of the issue log and risk register which the PM manages in Waterfall. Horses for courses and all that.

[eek]

That’s the job of the issue log and risk register which the PM manages in Waterfall. Horses for courses and all that.

It's one thing to keep a track of issues in a log - it's another thing to actual resolve them so development can proceed.

[LondonManc]

It's one thing to keep a track of issues in a log - it's another thing to actual resolve them so development can proceed.

Well, yeah. That’s what the PM should have done. Mitigate risks and remove issues. We’re you abused by a project manager as a child or something?

[eek]

Well, yeah. That’s what the PM should have done. Mitigate risks and remove issues. We’re you abused by a project manager as a child or something?

I find most PMs are incredibly good at recording issues and then eventually passing them back to me to resolve (as the competent person who can get things done).

[Paralytic]

I find most PMs are incredibly good at recording issues and then eventually passing them back to me to resolve (as the competent person who can get things done).

A common misconception is that it is the Scrum Masters is responsibility for removing all impediments. That is not the case; the Scrum Master HELPS removes impediments - it is perfectly common, and often required, that team members remove impediments, with support from the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master will typically have more responsibility to remove impediments that exist due to influences outside of the immediate team.

Another misconception (shown in some other posts above from some who have obviously only read about the framework) is that the Scrum Master is always a separate person within the team - this is not necessarily the case. The Scrum Master is a role. If you have a self-managing, high performing team, then that team may not need a dedicated Scrum Master, but a member of the team can perform that role, with minimal overhead to the work they are doing for the team.