I would start there
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What is a Sc-m Master?
I heard from a vp that everyone will be laid off on September 31 and Schwab will be sold to Elon Musk.
It is about time.
Heard from vp that project services will be replaced with a lighter org.
But that's not a valid point because you can't compare the tasks that a scrum master undertakes to that of an engineering team. I.e., you're not comparing apples to apples.
I am in Project Services. I am a Scrum Master / Agile Coach. I am greatly offended by these unprofessional, and just plain mean comments. How dare you say that about us. We are the ones that makes sure the projects are a success. Without us, most projects would fail. You think about that.
SM is safe because that's the Sheet Master. One Sheet Master can run three or four sc-m teams at a time.
In STS, the safest position is SM. Most manager will have 1 SM running 1-2 scrum teams. It doesn’t make sense to lay them off. Lucky they are.
@3epr+1on6Ja5k Yea we got a scrum master with very less positive impact for the team. Most of the times, we feel that we could do better without our SM.
@3mjw+1on6Ja5k
Still doesn't remove the fact that a Scrum master is a completely different role. Sure you can still deliver apps with a few developers and an architect and you wouldn't be able to do that with just Scrum masters and no developers. It just won't be as efficient, you'll have developers sitting through more meetings to communicate business related things (last thing Schwab needs), and delivery will be more disorganized. You could just have a terrible Scrum master who doesn't help with anything and steps out of their lane which wouldn't surprise me at this company.
@2hjq+1on6Ja5k
The point being made is having a dozen scrum masters don't really amount to anything. You are not going to get an app designed, developed, tested, and deployed. But you get ride of those 12 SMs, and just keep a dozen developers and an architect or two, you have a good chance of still delivering.
@ajt+1on6Ja5k
Why in the world would there be a room full of scrum masters trying to figure out a critical problem that should be done by engineer and architects? That's not a scrum master's job. Their job is to help the team improve their processes, coordinate release trains, help remove obstacles, and other related cr-p. If a scrum master is trying to do more than this and stepping into the team's work, you have a really bad scrum master.
Agile at Schwab is a joke and the head of Agile delivery practices is the joker.
it’s hard to hire GREAT performers when schwab refuses to hire them as fulltimers and instead only offers temp/contractor positions
In my experience the bad Project Managers are REALLY bad and I can see how that could lead to other teams feeling like that role doesn't add value.
The flip side of that is that we have some EXCELLENT Project Managers, and if you're lucky enough to work with one you will quickly see how important they are.
On any given project I'm generally either endlessly frustrated with the PM or enormously grateful, with very little in between. It's bizzare how completely different the experience can be.
Huge shout out to the great PMs at Schwab! You don't get the credit you deserve because the not so great PMs damage the overall reputation of the role.
We need more scrum masters likes we need a sixth finger. When was the last time you got together a dozen scrum masters in a room, to figure out a critical problem, and they came through? You get a dozen developers and an architect or two, and you get traction. PS is a great place to start.
This is @rxr+1on6Ja5k
Just to add, the reason that they try to get a full understanding of what or why something has happened or is structured a certain way is because they have to report to leadership.
They also ask details on why something can/cannot be done because they also have to report that upwards.
I am not in project services but I have to advocate for them because I have been in my fair share of company wide initiatives that require a horizontal lens. I am also being as non-biased as possible here.
The cluster of bull that they have to deal with, constantly getting hounded by leadership for updates, having to sift through continuous team changes, risks, etc.. and then package it nicely for executives to intake is not something anyone can just do. I'll be honest, there is no way I would want that job. It sounds stressful as he-l and would need a therapy session every week.
Are there improvements needed in project services? Yes absolutely. But that's true for every org/team at schwab.
Project managers are consistently adding meetings to my calendars where I have to explain simple concepts to them and explain why their ideas are impossible.
@tnr+1on6Ja5k 🤣. That is spoken like a true useless project services mouth breather that provides no value. 🤣
Dev teams self-organizing. Laughable. Are you a stand-up comedian?
Agile at Schwab is a major ¢lu$+er℉ück not to mention there is absolutely no functional scalable agile approach at Schwab. This is exactly why Project Services is needed - to navigate cross enterprise and problem-solve.
You all deluded if you think there is no value in Project Services and things would work if project managers were eliminated.
Yes - I work for project services. Without project services this company would not delivery on major projects and initiatives. There is too much provincial thinking on individual teams to self-organize around a larger initiative.
@qwt+1on6Ja5k This is unequivocally false, and you clearly work for project services. Our project services people provide no value, and the only reason projects actually get delivered is because dev teams are able to self-organize and push through to make it happen. PS does nothing to enable teams, and most of the time would actually inhibit delivery of projects if not for dev teams and dev managers' abilities to ignore their bad advice and intrusion into things they don't understand. The PMP philosophy is dead. It's a dinosaur that needs to be extinct.
Fine - if that’s the case then how about a full plan to remove scrum masters, project coordinators and 57s that just bi--h about being mentored toward getting to the next level up so they can have teams and email on their iPhone. Also, give senior managers, technical program management, full agency since they know the details and have the relationships needed to be a decision SPOC for efficiency. Does that sound like a plan better than the EC can deliver?
Project services provides a massive value add to Schwab. They save the company money and help projects deliver on time. Without project services or project a manager, an objective independent party overseeing project activity would be lost to partisans with agendas.
This thread is uniformed and misguided.
They service projects on a regular basis to make sure the projects are delivered in a timely manner with minimal impact to other projects which are also serviced by project services on a regular basis.
They are
@oxt+1on6Ja5k Exactly
What is Project services?