CAVU Scrum Bootcamp alumnus Hakeem Lipscomb knew he had more to offer to a team than his quality assurance skills. His drive to bring more of himself to his workplace led him to seek out information about becoming a Scrum Master.
“I knew with my personality that I could offer a team in an organization so much more than being a cog on the wheel,” said Lipscomb, who worked as a quality assurance technician before becoming a Scrum Master. “As a Scrum Master, you can’t be the negative person in the room. You have to always be uplifting the team and looking at things through a glass half full perspective.”
Lipscomb said completing CAVU’s Scrum Bootcamp training not only enabled him to earn the credentials he needed to advance his career, it gave him a clearer understanding of how his role as a Scrum Master would ultimately allow him to support his entire organization.
“The Scrum Master does more than just asking teams what they did, what they’re doing, if they have any roadblocks. You are constantly mining for impediments. You are constantly checking in with the teams, not only about what the sprint goals are but what is our game plan, what is our action for today, how can we make the most progress today compared to yesterday, how can we meet our sprint goals,” Lipscomb said. “You also have to have that organizational change in mind.”
“Chris’s [Chris Sims, CAVU CEO and lead trainer] course struck home for me, because before this first class, my understanding was that the Scrum Master only dealt with teams, but his course really opened eyes to the different roles the Scrum Master serves within the organization if they’re doing the role right.”
Another way the course has impacted Lipscomb is in the way he approaches leadership by considering the Agile values: commitment, focus, courage, respect and openness.
“It helps me be a leader that serves the team, serves the organization, and serves not only from the front but leads by example,” he said.
Lipscomb said he would encourage anyone who wants to learn more about how to be a good Scrum Master – especially those who want to think outside the box and learn how to bring their own strengths to the position – to consider participating in one of CAVU’s live learning experiences.
“If you’re looking for a class or bootcamp to learn more about the Scrum Master role beyond just what you’ve kind of been told about what a Scrum Master does every day, definitely take this course,” he said. “Come with an open mind to learn more, be proactive and interactive with the class. If you’re really serious about filling this role, being that leader that serves on your team, helps motivate and push the team forward, to successfully do those things, CAVU can help you do that.”
Since taking the Scrum Bootcamp course, where he also earned a Registered Product Owner credential, Lipscomb joined a Fortune 250 company a little over two years ago. He currently serves as a Senior Scrum Master for one of five teams working on a high-profile omnichannel project. He said the work is not always easy, but he finds it rewarding.
“I’m my team’s biggest cheerleader,” Lipscomb said. “I am always going to cheer them on, make them feel special, and when things get rough, I’m always like, ‘Hey, in three months from now, we’re just going to look back on this time and laugh! We’re going to get better, learn from this, and think, that was a really stressful time, but look at us now!’”