Agile Coach vs Scrum Master: Key Differences

The transformation from traditional waterfall methods to Agile methodology is integral to any organisation. But, during this delicate process, organisations often mistake between the role of Scrum Master and Agile Coach to be each other’s replacements. Thus, the question which arises, Agile Coach vs Scrum Master, which one is better?  

However, this question is irrelevant as different entities perform vivid tasks. The difference is so much so that the salaries differ extensively, ranging from £57,000 for an entry-level Scrum Master to 1,000,000 for an Agile Coach, according to Glassdoor. Thus, it becomes crucial to understand the differences between them. Still, confused between their roles and responsibilities? Explore the nuances between Agile Coach and Scrum Master roles in this insightful blog. Gain practical insights of their responsibilities.

Table of Contents

1) Roles and responsibilities of Scrum Master vs Agile Coach

2) Scrum Master vs Agile Coach:  Key differences 

3) What qualifications are needed for the roles?

4) Which skills set distinguishes a Scrum Master from an Agile Coach?

5) Who should you choose between Agile Coach vs Scrum Master

6) How are Agile Coach and Scrum Master similar?

7) Conclusion 

Roles and responsibilities of Scrum Master vs Agile Coach 

In a Project Management scenario, organisations may ask Agile Coach or Scrum Master who would be better at performing the development processes. It is because their responsibilities might overlap. There are various instances and stages during the Project Management Cycle when their tasks may look similar.   

But, when one digs deep into the technicalities of a project, they can find that there's one finds something unique to each of them. Let’s closely scrutinise what kind of tasks Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches perform:  

Roles and responsibilities of an Agile Coach 

An Agile Coach deploys Agile practices among teams to develop an effective, transparent, and cohesive environment. But their task does not end here. There are various other responsibilities that they need to fulfil, and those include the following:  

1) Training teams to deploy Agile tools and methods in an effective manner.

2) Educating Agile Teams as well as individual employees about their strengths and weaknesses to instil an Agile mindset. 

3) Developing governance methodologies to support Agile-based tasks.   

4) Training stakeholders and encouraging leadership to participate actively in the development process.   

5) Evaluating, recommending and adopting transformation in Frameworks of Agile methodology. 

6) Observing the team’s performance and providing solutions.   

7) Developing company policies to support Agile approaches.   

8) Empowering teams to come up with high-value increments within the timeline. 

Roles and responsibilities of a Scrum Master  

Talking of Project Management and Scrum Master doesn’t enter the space? Scrum Master is an indispensable part of Agile. So, let’s briefly go through the roles and responsibilities of a Scrum Master 

1) Educating and mentoring teams about Agile methodologies.  

2) Facilitating Scrum meetings to get a daily update on the processes and removing roadblocks.

3) Assisting the Product Owner with the product backlog.

4) Keeping all the tasks streamlined by providing a structured framework.

5) Ensuring the team follows Scrum principles and rules.   

6) Assisting team with tasks such as Sprint Planning and Backlog Management. 

7) Encouraging the team to develop an Agile mindset to improve and meet objectives continuously

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Scrum Master vs Agile Coach: What are the key differences?  

Notably, the core difference between Agile Coach and Scrum Master is that an Agile Coach mentor assists both the Agile teams and project stakeholders implement Agile methodologies effectively. On the other hand, a Scrum Master’s role is limited to educating and managing teams indulged in Agile.  Agile 

Apart from this, there are many other key areas based on which Agile Coach and Scrum Master can be differentiated. Want a detailed clarification about their roles? Following are the key differences to knowing which one to choose:  

Key areas of focus  

An Agile Coach focuses on achieving organisational goals and remains concerned with collaborating with other teams to provide insight and experience into the project. Their primary tasks involve the following:  

1) Leading the team: Aligning all Agile teams and maintaining a healthy environment among team members to better understand organisational goals and effectively make decisions.  

2) Product development: Supporting teams to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the product and provide better opportunities to design the product.  

3) Management: Establishing relationships, creating a responsible culture and facilitating organisational behavioural changes.  

On the other hand, a Scrum Master’s key tasks include handling only a single team and mentoring them to streamline their workflow. Their key focus areas can be as follows:  

1) Mentor: It involves educating individuals, teams and organisations to have the right mindset and behaviour required to develop new opportunities for implementing Scrum methodology. It also means resolving conflicts and improving the team’s abilities.  

2) Collaborate: Collaborating with the organisation’s executives to understand client requirements and priority tasks to provide high-quality products. Thus, adding value to the business processes.  Scrum Master can even a Product Owner, Developers and Stakeholders to create a Scrum Team which work towards a common goal to achive it. 

Knowledge domains  

An Agile Coach needs to work with all teams and stakeholders and do justice to various Agile frameworks. Thus, they should be well versed with all the Agile frameworks, including the framework’s strengths and weaknesses, choosing the correct framework for a particular project, and changing tracks according to the project's needs feeping in mind key differences between scrum vs safe.

In contrast, for a Scrum Master, being entirely familiar with the Scrum Framework becomes crucial. It is because a Scrum Master is a part of the Agile team and specialises in Scrum and also posses scrum artifacts for product development. Thus, it is one of the responsibilities of a Scrum Master to ensure that the team understands Scrum Framework, becomes empowered to eliminate bottlenecks, and works according to its rules and regulations.  

Time period  

While an Agile Coach is present throughout the Project Lifecycle, and a Scrum Master usually works between Sprints. While the former ensures that the project's end goal is met, the latter leaves when the task of one Sprint is completed.  

Level of experience  

An Agile Coach requires at least 1,000 hours of experience as an Agile Team member along with experience as a Scrum Master. They also require to demonstrate their participation in an Agile project.   

Conversely, a Scrum Master must have a bachelor's degree/High School Diploma in IT, Business Administration or a related field. Additionally, they must possess a proper Training Certification from an accredited institute.  

Note: The above requirements are for entry-level job profiles.  

Further, an individual can transform from the role of a Scrum Master to an Agile Coach. It is a gradual process where an experienced Scrum Master can become an Agile Coach. Apart from working experience, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) training and certification are also required, along with the necessary skills. 

Essential skills include one-on-one communication, leadership, interpersonal skills and mentoring. Five years of experience as a Scrum Master is also required to allow them to take up Agile Coach’s role easily. 

Agile Coach vs Scrum Master salary 

An Agile Coach earns between £49,000 to £1,000,000 annually. At the same time, a Scrum Master’s salary may range between £40,000 and £80,000 per year.  

This is the basic overview of salaries for both job profiles. However, the salary may differ according to the region, industry and company.

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What qualifications are needed for the roles? 

An Agile Coach and Scrum Master possess different qualification. Let us have a look at their qualifications in detail:

Scrum Master qualifications 

First and foremost, a certificate showing your credibility and knowledge of Scrum gives you an advantage over the others and possible career options for a bright future Certification gives an idea that you have at least a standardised understanding of the role of a Scrum Master.

Pursuing a certification also means attending seminars and workshops that can increase your experience and insights into various topics. It can open many communication channels to communicate with people in similar fields.

Typically, Project Managers, Software Developers, Product Owners, Business Analysts, IT Managers and Quality Securance professionals can become a Scrum Master. Although only these professionals can apply to become a Scrum Master, its courses are designed to be accessible to many.

Agile Coach qualifications 

Since an Agile Coach has a broader range of responsibilities, they require skills to help the entire organisation embrace the Agile environment. Vital coaching methodologies, mentorship and the ability to conduct efficient Agile workshops are some of the skills an organisation looks for in their Agile Coach. Effective verbal and written communication skill also help an Agile Coach to communicate with people at all levels.  

Agile development is all about being flexible with changes happening in the organisation. Agile Coaches also need the skills to adapt quickly and be flexible with their approach. The Coach must be ready to tailor the changes according to the team and the projects they are working on. 

Experience and knowledge of Agile, including Agile 12 principles, values, and practices, make a great Agile Coach. You should also have a deep understanding of the framework and evolution of Agile methodology. 

Moreover,  various certifications can also help you gain many positive insights and practical experiences of being an Agile Coach. Some organisations also prefer their Agile Coach to have technical knowledge. 

Which skills set distinguishes a Scrum Master from an Agile Coach? 

Scrum Master and Agile Coach share many similarities like leadership, problem-solving skills, and empathy. Let us now understand where the majority of differences lie among the two. 

Leadership 

As we have already discussed above, Agile Coach occupies a broader scope of responsibilities than Scrum Master. Agile Coach guides multiple departments and trains multiple employees while being at the organisational level. Their focus is to establish an Agile work environment in the entire organisation. Scrum Master, on the other hand, holds less responsibilities. They work with a specific team and check whether or not Scrum practices are followed.   

An Agile Coach requires more Leadership skills than a Scrum Master. They should have in-depth knowledge of the Agile framework, the ability to work with changes in management and the skills to interact and work with different levels of executives. Scrum Master, on the other hand, focuses on maintaining Scrum practices within their team. Although they contribute to forming an Agile environment, their contribution lies towards their team. 

Communication 

Agile Coach works on enriching the work environment with the Agile manifesto, which is why they must communicate with various organisational leaders. Scrum Master, on the other hand, usually communicate with their team daily. Their work usually encompasses Daily Standups, Sprint Planning and things related to their team. Thus, requiring communication within the team. 

Who should you choose between Agile Coach vs Scrum Master?

The roles of an Agile Coach and a Scrum Master, however similar on first impression, are quite distinct and valuable in any organisation. Having been quite a topic of debate, it is a definitive that neither of the two roles can be substituted by the other.

More importantly, firms must realise that these two roles need to be filled by professionals who possess the required industry-standard competence. Moreover, the role of an Agile Master and a Scrum Master are two distinct professional responsibilities that are indispensable in nature and cannot make the other obsolete.

However, organisations should remember that it will be very meaningful and advantageous for their business benefit to bring these two roles together in a collaborative arrangement. Such an arrangement will only help them achieve business success and attain agility as a sustainable organisation.

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How are Agile Coach and Scrum Master similar?

Although each of them serves a distinct purpose, they share similarities in their roles within an Agile framework,

Both roles champion the principles of Agile methodology, emphasising collaboration, adaptability, and iterative progress. Both the Agile Coach and Scrum Master act as mentors, guiding teams toward embracing Agile values and practices.

Moreover, they both foster a culture of continuous improvement in an organisation. They encourage teams to reflect on their business processes and enhance their efficiency over time.

Now, the Scrum Master operates within a specific framework, referred to as Scrum, and focuses on ensuring the team adheres to its principles. They facilitate ceremonies, remove impediments, and shield the team from external distractions.

On the other hand, an Agile Coach operates at a broader organisational level, extending beyond a specific framework. They may work with multiple teams, departments, or even the entire organisation. Agile Coaches concentrate on cultural transformations, aligning business objectives with Agile practices, and optimising overall organisational performance.

Conclusion  

Now that you are here, we hope you have clearly understood the key differences between Agile Coach vs Scrum Master. While the former deals with all the Agile frameworks to effectively implement the Agile methodologies, the latter mainly assists Scrum Teams to develop an Agile mindset and streamline the work process. Further, if you are confused about which career path to choose, you must consider various factors, including your education, interests and work experience. 

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