“The best thing to measure the success of a Scrum Master is that the team is not dependent on the Scrum Master.” – Pankaj Kumar
For Pankaj, Scrum Master success has a clear test: can the team work, decide, inspect, and improve without depending on the Scrum Master for every step? He looks for self-organization, confidence in Scrum events, and a team that can continue improving without constant intervention. But he does not rely only on impressions.
Pankaj uses team metrics such as velocity, backlog health, lead time, cycle time, and Cumulative Flow Diagrams when Kanban is in use. He also pays attention to team satisfaction and regular feedback. The frequency of that reflection depends on team maturity.
Mature teams may need a two-week check-in rhythm, while newer teams need closer weekly attention. His maturity model is deliberately adapted team by team, because every team’s product, skills, technical context, and backlog are different. The bigger point for Scrum Masters is useful: success is not being needed in every conversation. Success is seeing the team grow enough that your presence becomes lighter.
Self-reflection Question: What would your team do this week if you were not available to guide the Scrum events?
Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Anonymous Action-Tracking Spreadsheet
Pankaj keeps retrospectives simple and practical. Before the retrospective, he shares a spreadsheet where team members can add what went well, what needs improvement, the action needed, who is accountable, the deadline, and the status of previous actions.
He also allows anonymous input, which helps quieter team members raise points they may not want to voice live. During the meeting, the team reviews previous retrospective actions and then discusses the current sprint. Pankaj is careful about who is in the room.
Sometimes supervisors are needed, but often their presence changes what people are willing to say. For him, facilitation starts with creating the right audience for the conversation.
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About Pankaj Kumar
Pankaj Kumar is an experienced Scrum Master and Agile Coach with over 18 years in IT. He helps teams adopt Agile ways of working, improve collaboration, remove impediments, and deliver value consistently. He facilitates Scrum ceremonies, coaches teams and stakeholders, and supports Agile transformation across organizations.
You can link with Pankaj Kumar on LinkedIn.
