How does a scrum master facilitate backlog refinement?

In a mature #scrum team, a #scrummaster wouldn't be involved in #backlog refinement at all. It would be an event that includes the #productowner and the #developmentteam exclusively.

That said, in newbie scrum teams that are still learning how to work together, a scrum master can play a valuable role in facilitating an event that helps the team decide which items are best served in the upcoming #sprint and which items need to be further refined before they are ready.

As a #facilitator, the scrum master would be asking a great deal of questions to help the team think through the problems that need to be resolved and to understand the work that needs doing.

They would also invest a great deal of time in understanding why the items on the backlog are both valuable and important to customers.

A great #scrummaster would ensure that the right conversations were taking place and that each of the individuals on the development team had a voice in the meeting. Helping them to accurately estimate how much work needs doing and helping facilitate the conversations around how the work will be done.

Sometimes there will be differences of opinions regarding how much effort is required to complete a backlog item and the scrum master will be working with the team to bring all those opinions and professional expertise to the table.

As the team progress, the #scrummaster would play less of a role in each of the #backlogrefinement meetings and ensure that the product owner and development team had a great relationship.

A relationship strong enough and healthy enough to ensure that they were able to work through these meetings on their own at some point in the future.

In this short video, John McFadyen walks us through the role of a scrum master in facilitating backlog refinement meetings and gives some pragmatic and actionable advice for scrum masters.

John has worked on some of the highest performing scrum teams in the world and has worked at the coalface of some of Europe and the UK's largest, most complex #agiletransformations.

He knows a thing or two about working with diverse teams from around the world and his perspective on this issue is valuable. We know you'll enjoy.

#agile #scrum #projectmanagement #agileprojectmanagement #productowner #scrummaster #backlogrefinement #backlogitems
#johnmcfadyen #agilecentre #scrumteam #agilecoach #scrumcoach #scrumevents

[JenniferHabeeb]

I am running my first BLR tomorrow and this was super helpful! Thank you!!!!