Guide: Scrum Master and its Importance in PSM I Scrum Kanban

What it is:
A scrum master is a role in the scrum framework, who guides and coaches the team to follow scrum practices properly. Their role is to ensure that the team works together smoothly, removes any impediments that the team may face, and shields the team from interruptions during the sprint.

Why it is important:
The scrum master is a key role that drives the team's productivity by facilitating communication, collaboration and constructive conflict. Being a servant-leader, a scrum master plays a pivotal role in creating high performing teams.

How it works:
The scrum master works closely with the product owner to define the product backlog and with the development team to monitor the progress of the sprints. They also conduct daily scrum meetings, retrospectives, and sprint planning sessions.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Scrum Master:
1. Understand the role of the scrum master: They are not team leaders or project managers but facilitators and coaches.
2. Grasp the concept of servant leadership: This is critical to the role of the scrum master. Scrum Master works to remove impediments and helps the team to become self-organizing.
3. Understand the scrum ceremonies: Have a clear idea about daily stand-ups, sprint reviews and sprint retrospectives, as the scrum master facilitates these.
4. Know the relationship between the scrum master and the product owner: One helps to maximize the value of the product whereas the other helps the team to deliver the product increment.
5. Stay updated on the SCRUM Guide: Though the questions are not directly from the guide, it is an excellent source to understand the framework better.