Removing Impediments

A state of mind of a Scrum Master is pretty simple. It consists of just 5 states: Observing as the default one, and based on the observation, one of the following can be activated: teaching, facilitation, coaching and removing impediments. It seems to be obvious that the last one is the easiest one. For example the team needs a license for any software so you go to get an approval and buy it. Simple. Before I get to the tricky part I want to emphasise that as an SM you should remove only those that the team cannot remove by itself. It is not unusual that the Scrum Master doesn't understand his own role and in an effort trying to be useful every day he becomes a mother of the team which kills the ability to self-organize. 
How the Beast Got Unleashed
When I took the challenge to build a scrum team as a dedicated scrum master I was truly convinced that the goal is to deliver a beautiful shiny high performing team with no scratches. That was my definition of success on this mission. It looks quite natural, doesn't it? Who plans to build a dysfunctional team? On the other hand this was probably the reason why the beast - my own ego - started smelling blood, sneaking in and growing. Quite soon it needed just one last thing to get unleashed - to meet another big ego and accept the challenge. And that happened.
Ego As Impediment
Your own ego, when it takes control, is pretty dangerous impediment blocking several important things. The most important one is probably the transparency. Because it prevents you from admitting a weakness, it makes you packing informations into a pink gift paper. It keeps you convinced that you must solve all the problems and anything else would be your fail. It prevents you from calling for help. 
A big ego facing to another big ego doesn't allow you to let things go. It keeps convincing you that you're in a fight and have to win or defend and thus you cannot be yourself and move forward.
How To Get It Back on Leash
Your own ego, when on a leash, is quite positive thing. It's a source of confidence and healthy ambition. To keep it under control you need to see yourself honestly. Try to realise what is important and what is not. When you know that, you can forgive and let it go. Treat your ego as a hunting dog. Let it show you traces but don't let it go on hunt. For ScrumMaster it's an impediment. Remove it!
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11/9/2017

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