Scrum Mastery

At face value, the role of the ScrumMaster looks straightforward: facilitate events, remove impediments, protect the team.

But anyone who has lived the role knows the truth: the mechanics are simple — the mastery is not.

In this updated second edition, Geoff Watts shares stories, lessons and practical guidance drawn from two decades of coaching Scrum teams. Rather than rehashing the Scrum Guide, the book explores what separates good ScrumMasters from great ones: the mindset, behaviours and subtle skills that nurture trust, engagement and performance.

Inside you’ll explore:

• The characteristics and habits of exceptional ScrumMasters
• How to increase team engagement and ownership
• How to make retrospectives and daily scrums genuinely effective
• How to foster creativity and collaboration
• How to improve team performance without becoming directive
• How to know whether you’re truly adding value

This is not about enforcing a framework. It’s about embodying servant leadership and helping teams go beyond ceremony into genuine agility.

This book is for practising Scrum Masters or Agile Coaches who want to move beyond facilitation and into real leadership.

It’s for you if:

• You’ve realised that simply “doing Scrum” isn’t enough
• You want to deepen your influence without taking control
• You struggle with disengaged teams or unproductive ceremonies
• You care about servant leadership but aren’t sure how to live it daily
• You want to grow from competent to genuinely impactful

It’s also for Agile Coaches and team leaders who support Scrum teams and want a clearer understanding of what great Scrum Mastery looks like in practice.

If you’re ready to take your teams beyond process compliance and towards sustained high performance, this book will guide you on that path.

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