Is it time to rename the Scrum Master role?
The word “woke” has been weaponized by political extremes in the United States. It’s a gross misuse of a word that symbolizes the progressive acceptance of our inherently multi-cultural society. Marginalized groups are finally speaking out en masse thanks to the democratizing effect of social media.
Our Agile organizations are no different. Historically minority groups are making inroads in technical fields and finally achieving representation in the information technology industry. Other companies and organizations are evolving language because words do, in fact, matter. Our Scrum team language must necessarily evolve as well. Google, Gitlab, and Github have all changed repository branch names from “Master” to “Main”. Hardware technology companies are removing references to “Master” and “Slave” in server topologies.
It’s time for our Scrum terminology to evolve as well. We must recognize that “woke” is not a dirty word, and our language choices can have lasting effects on our teams. I don’t personally believe that the term “Scrum Master” was intended to be hurtful. It arose because of the intentional comparison of Scrum to Rugby, and at the time of its creation, we didn’t consider our word choice as carefully as we do today. But we must necessarily change with the changing attitudes of the times.
What should this name change be, though? “Scrum Leader” comes to mind, but that seems a little obvious and uncreative. It’s possible that it’s also too vague, implying more responsibility than is intended.
What do our Scrum Practitioners think? Is there a more forward-thinking name that encapsulates the role while using inclusive language? Or…do you have a strong opinion as to why is shouldn’t change? Let’s discuss in the comments.
