Habits That Make You a Bad Scrum Master (And How to Break Them)
Being a great Scrum Master takes more than a certification. While the role is meant to guide and improve a team’s self-management ability and Scrum usage, some habits can quietly sabotage your impact. Whether you’re new to the role or have been at it for years, avoiding the traps below could mean the difference between being a great coach—or a bad Scrum Master.
Here are six habits that might be hurting your team and how to fix them.
1. You Stop Learning
One clear sign of a bad Scrum Master? Thinking the learning stops after certification.
Too many Scrum Masters earn their badge and then assume they’ve mastered the craft. But Scrum is rooted in empiricism—learning through experience, reflection, and adaptation. Each team, company, and challenge is different. There’s no finish line in this profession.
Break the habit: Keep growing. Read books, attend meetups, join communities, and stay curious. A strong Scrum Master models continuous improvement.
2. You Act Like the Scrum Police
You know the type. They show up to every event ready to declare, “That’s not Scrum!”
A bad Scrum Master confuses rigid rule enforcement with good facilitation. By obsessing over the letter of Scrum instead of its spirit, they turn collaboration into compliance. Instead of inspiring change, they generate resentment.
Break the habit: Understand why the Scrum framework works. Teach it with empathy and flexibility. Influence with context, not control.
3. You Run Every Meeting
Are you the Master of Ceremonies at every Scrum event? If so, it might be time to step back.
A bad Scrum Master dominates events that should be team-led. The Daily Scrum is for developers, the Sprint Review belongs to the Product Owner, and teams can learn to facilitate their own Retrospectives. When you take over everything, you reduce self-management and become a bottleneck.
Break the habit: Let the team lead. Facilitate only when needed. Empower others to run events and take ownership of their process.
4. You Blame Everyone But Yourself
“If only management understood Scrum…” “The team would be better if leadership supported us…”
Sound familiar? A bad Scrum Master points fingers instead of building bridges. While external challenges are real, blaming others without taking initiative undermines the role’s purpose. You’re accountable for the team’s effectiveness—even when the obstacles are outside your control.
Break the habit: Serve the organization, not just the Scrum Team. Educate, influence, and advocate. Blame solves nothing—collaboration changes everything.
5. You Solve Everyone’s Problems
Jumping in to fix every issue might feel helpful, but it’s a fast track to dependency.
A bad Scrum Master becomes the fixer-in-chief, stepping in to resolve every complaint, idea, or impediment. But Scrum Masters aren’t there to be the solution—they’re there to enable it. When you do all the problem-solving, your team misses the chance to grow.
Break the habit: Support others in finding solutions. Connect the right people, ask good questions, and step back when appropriate.
6. You Remove Zero Impediments
On the flip side, some bad Scrum Masters do too little. They become passive observers, never addressing the deeper problems holding the team back.
Often, true impediments are at the organizational level—Dependencies, inefficient systems, unclear roles, or external bottlenecks. Ignoring these means accepting dysfunction. The team might function in isolation, but they’ll never reach their full potential.
Break the habit: Zoom out. Look beyond the team board. Talk to leadership, other departments, or adjacent teams. Real change often happens outside the sprint bubble.
Are You a Bad Scrum Master?
If any of these habits sound familiar, you’re not alone—and you’re not doomed. The key is self-awareness and a willingness to adapt. Every bad Scrum Master has the potential to become a great one by unlearning what’s not working and leaning into servant leadership.
