SAFe Advanced Scrum Master: Needed Skills and Best Practices

More organizations are embracing the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and all its practices beyond the single teams. In SAFe, the Scrum Master role is crucial in the adjustment to the agile way of working across teams in ensuring all practices are followed. For those who wish to advance their knowledge, the SASM course is the next step. This blog will analyze the essential skills of an advanced Scrum Master and the recommended strategies to perform well in those positions.

Understanding the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Role

The role of a Scrum Master in a SAFe context is much more than solely organizing Iteration events. All the intricacies involved in large scale agile transformation are handled by them effectively. The SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course aims to prepare Scrum Masters for the challenges they will face. In addition to the training offered at this level of discipline, inclusion, conflict management and agile enhancement are also emphasized.

Key Skills for a SAFe Advanced Scrum Master

1. Leadership and Facilitation

   
   

Communication Skills: A SAFe Advanced Scrum Master needs high level communication skills and ability to make people understand at different levels of the organization. They have to engage people to have discussions that will clear conflicts and build agreement.

Servant Leadership: It is advisable to take up the servant leadership beliefs. An advanced Scrum Master does not simply lead the team, but works around obstacles for the team, helps team members grow, and makes sure that the entire team has all the tools necessary to do their job.

2. Conflict Management and Resolution

Proactive Conflict Management: However, in large scale agile practices, conflicts are unavoidable. In this regard the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course advises on the need to foresee and prevent disputes in a timely manner.

Negotiation Skills: Resolving conflicts is one of the many skills needed for an advanced scrum master since there are many ways conflicts can be resolved which may not be in compliance with the goals and values of the organization.

3. Coaching and Mentoring

• Agile Coaching:  An Agile Coach is an advanced version of a Scrum Master, who is not only a guide to the Scrum teams but also works with other Scrum Masters and the stakeholders. He or she advises about the Agile practices and how to improve them over time.

• Mentorship: Training less experienced Scrum Masters is an important aspect of the responsibilities of an Agile Team Coach . This way, the Agile Team Coach contributes to the establishment of an agility culture in the organization.

4. Encouraging Collaboration across Different Teams

• Program Increment (PI) Planning:  In SAFe, a representation of Agile framework, Inter-team Planning Interval  Planning is one of the significant events conducted where the teams collectively prepare and synchronize their work. This it was necessary to integrate subjects on effective conduct of these large scale planning strategies in training for the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course.

• Coordination: As far as the role of a Scrum Master is concerned, it is with advanced practitioners that he or she ensures effective management of cross team dependencies and fluidity of collaboration.

5. Ongoing Enhancement

• Kaizen Concept: The concept of improvement in business practices is what is called Kaizen. It is one of the core principles of agility. Advanced Scrum Masters encourage a culture of not only doing work but also learning and improving as a team.

• Retrospective Facilitation: In order to achieve continuous improvement, regular retrospectives are absolutely necessary. Advanced Scrum Masters know how to guide these sessions so that practices and improvements can be put into practice.

Best Practices for SAFe Advanced Scrum Masters

1. Accept the Lean and Agile Way of Thinking in All Undertakings

• Obtain Knowledge and Apply Lean Principles: It is understandable that most of the students enrolled in the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master will not have a working knowledge of Lean. It entails the orientation to the concept of value, eliminating non-value adding activities, and streamlining processes.

• Encourage Trust and Transparency Among Team Members: To safeguard the wellbeing of the team, it is imperative to reinforce the values of teamwork, respect and openness amongst the members of the team.

2. Reap the Benefits of SAFe Artifacts and Events

• Use of SAFe Artifacts: Advanced Scrum Masters will also make sure that there is appropriate use of SAFe artifacts like the ART Backlog, Team Backlog, and PI Objectives to ensure cohesion and transparency.

• Facilitating Events is an Art: It is imperative to learn the art of facilitating SAFe events like PI Planning, Coach Sync, System Demos, etc. Such events are instrumental in keeping all the teams in sync and on the same page with regard to the objectives.

3. Promote an innovative culture

• Remove the Fear of Experimentation: Advanced Scrum Masters should remove the fear of experimentation and encourage everyone to view failure as a stepping stone.

• Innovation and Planning (IP) Iterations: Exploring the best practices in SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course, IP iterations are also used for innovation.

4. Improve Cooperation with Agile Release Train (ART)

• Coordination with ART: Advanced Scrum Masters will have to colloborate with the Release Train Engineer (RTE) to facilitate effective implementation of the Agile Release Train (ART) in overcoming resistance, placing the teams and bridging the gap in communication by managing inter-team delays. 

• Encourage Openness: It is important to keep everyone on the same page about progress made, obstacles encountered and risks taken inside the ART for seamless collaboration.

Focus on Learning and Development on a Consistent Basis

• Pursue Ongoing Education: The agile landscape keeps changing. Advanced Scrum Masters need to engage in further education and certification to keep up with changes, new trends, and best practices.

• Engage with the Community: It is good to take part in communities and forums to gain encouragement from fellow members and learn from their experiences.

Conclusion

The SAFe Advanced Scrum Master position is complex and challenging as it encompasses numerous roles such as that of a leader, a coach and a facilitator.The comprehension of the principles and the direction provided in the course of the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master prepares the Scrum Masters to handle the challenges associated with agile transformation at scale. In this advanced position, the emphasis is on continuous improvement, teamwork and the promotion of the lean-agile mindset. Therefore, this means that as the organizations keep on growing their agile practices, the need for qualified SAFe Advanced Scrum Masters will be on the rise resulting in this being a great and fulfilling profession.

There is a way to weave all these key skills as well as the best practices and advanced Scrum Masters can help make their teams and organizations more agile and successful. If you are a current Scrum Master or would like to be one, the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course helps you learn and apply the necessary expertise and tools for this very demanding, yet interesting role.