As a trained psychologist and experienced Scrum Master, I know that setting clear, short and long-term goals is key to effective (agile) team leadership. In this blog post, I will address the question of which goals are particularly relevant for professional Scrum Masters. Let's take a look together at the world of Scrum Master goal setting and objectives or OKRs.
Scrum Master goal examples: Objectives and Key Results
The 5 levels of Scrum Master goal setting: a holistic approach
A simple example of a Scrum Master objective could be: "Promote open communication within the team". The focus here is on the values of the agile manifesto, in particular the manifesto principle "Individuals and interactions more than processes and tools".
This is good and certainly a frequently used approach – but let's bring more structure to the whole thing. To ensure a comprehensive view of Scrum Master goal setting, I believe there are five key levels at which goals can not only be set but also measured –, whether you set sprint, monthly or quarterly Scrum Master goals.
1. Fulfillment of the sprint goals: Quite simply, if the sprint targets are continuously achieved, a core responsibility has already been achieved.
2. Continuous improvement: The second level relates to the continuous improvement of processes and working methods within the team. The introduction of measurable goals, such as the reduction of obstacles and bottlenecks, not only increases efficiency, but also sustainably improves the agile maturity level of the team.
3. Trust in the team: The third level focuses on trust within the team. Objectives aimed at promoting communication and resolving conflicts constructively play a key role in creating a supportive team environment. Mutual trust is the lubricating oil of the team engine room.
4. Team satisfaction: The fourth level concerns satisfaction in the team, which certainly correlates with trust in the team, for example. Measurable indicators here could be active participation in team activities, but also the results of surveys.
5. Created customer value: The fifth and final level focuses on the customer value created. This is probably the most important level. It's nice if you hit your sprint goals – but were the sprint goals even designed to create value for the end users?
These five levels offer a holistic approach to Scrum Master goal setting. By setting clear and measurable goals at each level, not only is individual performance improved, but the entire agile ecosystem is also optimized at various levels.
In the best case, of course, this logic is used not just in one team, but in many teams, probably to set regular quarterly goals for Scrum Masters.
Scrum Master goal examples: Objectives and Key Results
Scrum Master goal setting: How to get it right
Setting goals as a Scrum Master requires a structured approach. Start with a clear definition of your role in the context of the team and company, taking into account the agile manifesto.
Are you still at the very beginning of agile methods? Then an example could be: "Ensure that all team members understand the agile principles and apply them in their work". This would create a link between the individual objective and the overarching principles of the agile manifesto.
Scrum Master goal examples: Objectives and Key Results
Good short and long-term goals for Scrum Master
Scrum Master goal examples: Objectives and Key Results
Scrum Master goals: Some examples of good goals
A broad range of objectives is crucial to cover the complexity of the Scrum Master role. Here are some examples of good objectives:
- Scrum Master Goal Example: Increase team satisfaction by 15%, measured by implementing regular surveys in conjunction with retrospectives (for example, using a tool such as Echometer).
- Scrum Master goal example: Complete achievement of the sprint goal within the next 3 sprints through more consistent shielding of management requests
- Scrum Master Objective Example: Promote agile skills by offering monthly training on agile best practices to other teams in the company.
- Scrum Master Objective Example: Coaching of team members by conducting one-off 30-minute one-on-one coaching sessions for individual development. The focus is on understanding needs – not "solutions".
- Scrum Master Objective Example: Promote the agile mindset by initiating an internal exchange program for best practices between different agile teams.
- Scrum Master Goal Example: If this is the bottleneck: Implement an improved feedback mechanism for customers by the end of next month to ensure that customer feedback is incorporated into the development process in a timely manner.
- Scrum Master Objective Example: Introduce a quarterly cross-departmental meeting to identify and resolve dependencies between different departments in order to increase the overall efficiency of the company.
- Scrum Master Goal Example: Improvement of the "Return on Time Invest" or ROTI score in meetings by 10%, which is measured by surveys (for example using a tool such as Echometer).
- Scrum Master Objective Example: To run monthly team events with a focus on building trust – and having fun.
- Scrum Master Goal Example: Increase the subjective satisfaction of developers (measured by surveys, e.g. by Echometer) on their satisfaction with their focus working time by 10%
- Scrum Master Objective Example: Improve internal knowledge sharing through the gradual introduction of weekly pair programming sessions by the end of next month
Scrum Master goal examples: Objectives and Key Results
Scrum Master Objective and Key Results (OKRs): How to apply the framework
The OKR framework offers an effective method for tracking objectives. It follows a clear hierarchy: objectives represent overarching, strategic goals, while key results represent concrete, measurable outcomes. It is often used in agile organizations to improve alignment between business units and performance at different levels, for example to set quarterly goals or objectives.
An example of an objective could be: "Increase customer satisfaction". The associated key results could be the number of customer surveys conducted per quarter and the customer ratings after each release. But let's look at other examples.
Scrum Master goal examples: Objectives and Key Results
Scrum Master Objective and Key Results (OKRs): 3 examples
Scrum Master Objective: Increase team efficiency.
- Scrum Master Key Result 1: Reduction of blockages by 20%.
- Scrum Master Key Result 2: Improvement of sprint retrospective ratings by 15%.
- Scrum Master Key Result 3: Increase in sprint target fulfillment by 25%.
Scrum Master Objective: Promoting team learning and knowledge sharing.
- Scrum Master Key Result 1: Introduction of monthly pair programming sessions.
- Scrum Master Key Result 2: Increase in participation in internal training courses by 30%.
- Scrum Master Key Result 3: Creation of a knowledge management plan.
Scrum Master Objective: Improving the agile culture in the company.
- Scrum Master Key Result 1: Implementation of agile training for the marketing department.
- Scrum Master Key Result 2: Implementation of agile best practices in the management team.
- Scrum Master Key Result 3: Increase in satisfaction with own productivity (measured in surveys) through agile methods by 10%.
Scrum Master goal examples: Objectives and Key Results
A great help with Scrum Master goals: Echometer
Scrum Master goals work in a similar way to the goals, objectives and key results of other managers, but are unfortunately rarely actually set accordingly. As you have seen, many goals can be set at a subjective employee level.
This is where the agile retrospective and Health Check tool Echometer comes into play, which combines surveys and retrospectives and thus makes target measurements possible – and inspires at the same time. Because we have a library of over 200 areas that you can improve as a Scrum Master in the form of our survey library.
Echometer is a digital tool that helps agile team leads with agile retrospectives and team Health Checks. Whether remote, hybrid or on-site: it makes team coaching measurable and professionalizes your work while saving you a lot of work. Just take a look at our website to find out more: www.echometerapp.com.
"If you set yourself goals as a Scrum Master - and communicate them to the outside world - you are already further ahead than most Scrum Masters."
Scrum Master goal examples: Objectives and Key Results
Conclusion: OKRs as Scrum Masters
The definition and pursuit of clear Scrum Master goals, objectives and key results are crucial for the success of agile teams. Applying agile principles to goal setting not only improves individual performance, but also guides the team as a whole towards sustainable agility.
Finally, another quick hint: If you would like to know how it feels to develop your team with our tool: You can start an agile retrospective below without logging in, in this case the "Keep, Stop, Start" workshop.
Alternatively, simply forward our website to the responsible colleagues: www.echometerapp.com.
