Be a Scrum Master during a pandemic
Reality
Some days I think I am playing in a movie. One of the scary ones. One of those movies that when they finish, you think you are lucky that it is over and you are not part of it. One on whichzombies are eating everyone, or a tsunami is hitting a place and everything is destroyed…
And then, I realize that this is reality! I recently relocated from Athens to Berlin. I still haven’t accepted the fact that we are in the middle of a pandemic. I am working on that! Streets are empty. Bars and restaurants are closed. Flights are forbidden and scary right now.
I am trying to accept that we work from home and we are the lucky ones. I am trying to accept that now I have the chance to travel around Europe, but I can not do it. I am trying to accept that the role that I love, my role as Scrum Master, has changed a lot.
Before Covid-19
I used to go out with my teams, do face to face workshops, meet people, talk about agile, and see people’s faces. I used to draw on walls, on huge papers. I used to write on stickers.
After Covid-19
Now I am in front of a laptop, people have switched off cameras and I have to facilitate a conversation without even seeing a face on the other side.
I have to create polls in order to make people answer a question. And you know what? Communication between people was never that challenging! Communication was something that I had as de facto. For me, it was always there. Now it is not!
We used to see each other! We used to go for lunch together. We used to go for drinks together. Now we need to stay inside, protect us and others because the only thing we are doing is going to the supermarket.
Conclusion
Being a Scrum Master during a pandemic is challenging! But I think, now people need more than before a Scrum Master. Teams need someone to understand them, to be there just as a listener.
“Pandemic time” is a challenging for everyone! Stay positive, do the things that work for you, do not push yourself a lot in order to do things that you don’t want, go outside for a walk once a day, stay safe and stay positive.
The lesson learned from this period will be great! But we have to be open in order to see them!
#beagile #staysafe #staypositive #ScrumMaster’sLife
