Scrum Master · Cheatsheet

Scrum Master Cheatsheet

A short reminder sheet that pairs with the full playbook. Use it in a meeting when you need the next move, not a long read. Tap “What this means” on any card if a heading is unclear.

Civil Service specific Universal any sector Both

MAP-01

Scrum map

Both

Core: Scrum Guide accountabilities · events · artefacts · DoD

Flow: Kanban · Lean · DORA

Change: ADKAR

Public: GDS Service Standard

Scale (SAFe / MSP) only when the organisation truly needs it

RL-01

The role

Both

You own Scrum effectiveness. Meeting admin is not the job.

Run daily:

Sprint Goal clear and protected?
Biggest impediment aging with an owner?
Team more able to inspect and adapt?

TM-01

Facilitation

Universal

Open with purpose
Daily = re-plan to Goal
Retro = one owned change
Review = real feedback
Rotate facilitation when ready

TM-02

Impediments

Universal

Name · age · owner · next action + date

Link impact to Sprint Goal

Escalate with a clear ask

Remove one named blocker visibly each week

TM-03

Flow & WIP

Universal

Limit WIP before asking for hustle

Watch blocked age and cycle time

Expedite policy explicit

Use DORA when release is the bottleneck

CO-01

Coaching ladder

Universal

Teach → Facilitate → Coach → Defer

Match mode to readiness

Success: team needs you less for ceremony

CO-02

Org coaching

Both

Not PO, not PM, not line manager by stealth

Publish RACI overlaps

Coach upward: injections, status theatre, committee PO

PS-01

Psych safety

Universal

Blockers named without shame

Early red thanked

Working agreements revisited in Retro

Critique the system, not the person

ST-02

Tone & ask

Universal

Team: plan + blockers + cover

PO: Goal risk + Ready

SRO: outcome risk + recommendation + ask

Name people and capacity cost, not "the business"

CS-01

Civil Service

Service Standard evidence in Reviews
WCAG in Definition of Done
One RAID/RAG with DM and PM
Assessment readiness continuous

GV-03

Troubleshooting: symptom to first move

Universal

!Zombie Scrum: restate event purpose; rewrite DoD

!Status theatre: Developers re-plan to Goal only

!No DoD: write minimal Done today; refuse fake done

!Mid-Sprint injections: park asks; show capacity cost

!Retro changes nothing: one experiment, one owner

!Watermelon health: thank early red

!Aged blockers: log age, owner, next date today

!High WIP: limit WIP; swarm oldest work

REF-01

Field reference

Both

One-minute checklist when the Sprint is on fire:

Sprint Goal in one sentence
Biggest impediment: age, owner, next move
PO, team or organisation problem?
Zombie Scrum, theatre, DoD, flow or safety?
One Retro experiment and owner

Practice: Scrum, DoD, WIP, DORA, ADKAR

Govern: RAID, RAG, RACI

Public: GDS, Service Standard, SRO

Coach: Teach → Facilitate → Coach → Defer