Scrum Masters are not Project Managers – but everyone treats us like one!

• Leaders ask you to ‘track progress’ instead of ‘coaching teams’.
• Your time goes into dashboards and reports, not in conversations.
• Many still view Scrum Masters as coordinators, not facilitators.
• Teams and managers often confuse ‘delivering a project’ with ‘enabling agility’
• You are judged by project completion metrics, not by how the team improves over time.

That is where the confusion begins…

When the role meant toserve the team, slowly turns into one that manages it.

How to reclaim the Scrum Master role?

1. Educate: Regularly remind stakeholders what a Scrum Master does, and does not do.
2. Focus on Servant leadership: Focus on empowering the team rather than managing them.
3. Partner with PO: Keep attention on outcomes and value, not just tasks and timelines.
4. Influence Management: Help leaders experience agility through workshops and transparent conversations.
5. Redefine success metrics: Celebrate improvements in team collaboration, predictability, and quality – not just velocity.

As a Scrum Master, how often have you been mistaken for a Project Manager?

How did you handle it or adapt to it? – Share your experience

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