Manager 2.0: The Role of the Manager in Scrum

When an organization starts to explore Scrum, there’s often an uncomfortable moment early on when someone points out that the role of “manager” seems to be missing entirely. “Well I guess we’ll have to just get rid of ‘em all!” wisecracks one of the developers, and all the managers in the room shift uncomfortably in their seats. Scrum defines just three roles – Product Owner, Team, and ScrumMaster – and the basic direction given to others in the organization is to “support them, or get out of their way.” This is not very detailed advice, especially if you’re a manager expected by senior management to ensure everything goes well. This article discusses the role of the managers in Scrum.