Comparing Scrum Master role to Project Manager/Team Lead Role

The role of a Scrum Master is often compared to that of a Development Team Leader or a Project Manager, but it differs significantly from both. While a project manager focuses on the overall project delivery, including scope, budget, schedule, and quality, the Scrum Master has a different focus. The Scrum Master's primary goal is to enable the Scrum team to work cohesively towards achieving their shared goal. Acting as a true leader, the Scrum Master empowers the team rather than managing them. Their role is to facilitate and guide the team's continuous improvement, helping them refine their working methods to reach their objectives. The Scrum Master holds responsibility for the team's effectiveness and is accountable for establishing and promoting Scrum principles and practices. In contrast, a Team Leader typically leads a team and ensures adherence to a specific process or approach. The Scrum Master, on the other hand, ensures that the Scrum Team is self-organizing and cross-functional, supporting team members in enhancing their practices to consistently deliver value.

A Scrum Master provides value in three key areas. The Deliverables of Scrum Master: 
1. Helping the Product Owner in Maximizing the value of the product: The Scrum Master supports the Product Owner in ordering the product backlog to ensure that the product delivers its intended value. This involves collaborating with stakeholders to understand their needs and priorities, and facilitating clear communication between the development team and the product's requirements and features.

2. Enhancing the Development Team's ability to deliver value: The Scrum Master fosters a collaborative and cohesive team environment by removing obstacles that impede the team's progress. They also facilitate continuous improvement within the Scrum team, enabling them to consistently deliver high-quality increments of the product. Instead of managing the team and taking on the job of coordination between team members, the Scrum Master help the developers to become a self managed team. 

3. Cultivating an environment for value delivery: The Scrum Master evaluates the organization's dynamics and identifies areas for improvement to create an environment where the Scrum Team can thrive and deliver value. They educate and coach the leadership and the organization as a whole, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and empowering the Scrum Team to reach its full potential.

Difference in Authority and Decision-Making:
* Scrum Master: The Scrum Master does not have direct authority over the team members. They foster self-organization and empower the team to make decisions collectively. They facilitate discussions and help the team find solutions to problems.
* Project Manager: The project manager typically has authority over the project team members and can make decisions on behalf of the project. They have a hierarchical relationship with the team members and are responsible for making critical decisions related to the project.


It is crucial for the ScrumMaster to refrain from giving specific instructions on how individual team members should carry out their work or which tasks they should prioritize. This is particularly important to keep in mind if the ScrumMaster has prior experience as a project manager, as they may be tempted to fall into this pitfall.


Further Reading:

1. Scrum Master stances  by  Dhaval Panchal
2. The Scrum Master Checklist by Michael James