Practical Scaled Agile (CIPSA) Certification: The Principal Scrum Master (PSM) – What It's and What It’s Not!

In the CIPSA Scrum Framework, in addition to the primary role of Chief Product Owner, we also have the Principal Scrum Master (PSM). This role is necessary to have Scrum at Scale with CIPSA. Unlike the Individual Teams’ Scrum Masters, the role and responsibilities of the PSM are different. It’s a very important role to have in order to succeed at Scale. 

In this post, we will explore more on the Principal Scrum Master role as there are a number of misconceptions and misunderstandings. It’s presented in the form of what it is and what is not, to provide greater clarity.  

The following are some of them. To read all articles of this series use this link: 

What It's and What It's Not series for CIPSA. 

Principal Scrum Master – What It Is and What It’s Not

1. Not Manager, but Leader: The Principal Scrum Master is not the manager of the CIPSA team. The Principal Scrum is a true leader who serves the team and organization.

The Principal Scrum Master leads by serving, not managing. The PSM focuses on team and organizational needs.

2. Not Intra-Team, but Inter-Team: The Principal Scrum Master is not concerned about intra-team dependencies. The Principal Scrum Master focuses on inter-team dependencies.

Rather than resolving team dependencies which are internal, the Principal Scrum Master addresses coordination across multiple teams. The PSM manages dependencies that span beyond one individual Scrum Team.

3. Not Team Tracking, but Product Tracking: The Principal Scrum Master does not track the individual Team Increments. The Principal Scrum Master tracks the overall product work and progress.

The focus of a PSM isn't on individual Team Increments, but on the unified or Integrated Increment. This ensures the overall product progress aligns with strategic objectives.

4. Not Fragmented, but Unified: The Principal Scrum Master does not communicate like individual Team Scrum Masters. The Principal Scrum Master is the main communicator for and of the CIPSA Team.

The PSM provides a unified voice to upper management. Communication is consolidated through the Principal Scrum Master. This ensures alignment across teams rather than fragmented messaging from and for each Scrum team. 

The PSM is the main spokesperson for the CIPSA team.

5. Not Reporting, but Enabling: The Principal Scrum Master is not a chief-clerk or secretary responsible for reporting the status. The Principal Scrum Master enables progress for the entire CIPSA team.

The PSM don't just gather updates and report status for the CIPSA Scrum team. The PSM actively remove obstacles and facilitate progress. This role is about driving momentum, not about reporting status as chief-clerk.

6. Not Spot Checks, but Systemic Resolution: The Principal Scrum Master does not check for issues and impediments of individual teams. The Principal Scrum Master ensures that cross-team issues are addressed and cross-team impediments are removed.

Instead of isolated checks, the PSM drives solutions to broader, recurring impediments. It's also about issues impacting multiple teams. The approach taken by the PSM is proactive and system-wide.

7. Not a Replacement, but a Complement: The Principal Scrum Master does not replace the responsibilities of individual Scrum Masters. The Principal Scrum Master complements their efforts by coordinating cross-team work.

The Principal Scrum Master doesn't take over individual Scrum Masters’ roles. Many have this misconception! Instead, he or she coordinates and supports cross-team initiatives. 

The PSM complements, not replaces, the individual Team Scrum Master.

Summary Table – Principal Scrum Master 

For quick remembrance and recall, a summary table is shown below.  

Live Video Explanation

The below video [duration - 10m: 08s] will further consolidate your understanding. Watch the video alongside this article for a better learning experience. Don't forget to plug-in your headphones and go full-screen HD.

Closing Remarks

It’s the PSM who ensures the CIPSA meta-events are conducted in a positive manner and are productive. Do remember that these meta-events are timeboxed. 

While going with Scrum at Scale with CIPSA, the key focus is on the CIPSA Integrated Increment. Ultimately, that’s artifact that matters! The PSM plays an indispensable role in having the Integrated Increment. See here.

• Want to learn more with hands-on practical software tools?
• Want to know how the PSM and CPO are assigned?
• Want to visualize cross-team dependencies for the entire CIPSA team?
• Want to assign resources for Scrum at scale?
• Want to resolve overallocations for Scrum at scale?

Consider being a CIPSA professional. You will get the highest possible return on your investment. 

CIPSA – What It's and What It's Not Series:

All Articles in What It's and What It's Not - CIPSA

CIPSA Sample Videos:

[1] CIPSA Sample Video List (Choose a Video)

[2] CIPSA Video Playlist (Complete Playlist)

CIPSA Sample Questions:

[1] CIPSA Certification Sample Questions (Part - 1)

[2] CIPSA Certification Sample Questions (Part - 2)

CIPSA Certification:

[1] Scaled Agile Certification Course: Certified In Practical Scaled Agile (CIPSA)

[2] Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - CIPSA Certification  

[3] New Practical Scaled Agile Framework – The CIPSA Framework Guide

[4] Understanding the CIPSA Scrum Framework – Practical, Hands-on Scrum at Scale

[5] The CIPSA Framework Clock - A Unique Way

Certified In Practical Scaled Agile (CIPSA) – World's Only Practical Scaled Agile Certification

 

The Certified In Practical Scaled Agile (CIPSA) course is highly practical and economical. It's world's only Practical Scaled Agile certification, where you learn scaling with your own hands. 

Complex concepts are explained with simple lessons, and you will get an unforgettable certification. The below trailer (1m: 1s) informs more. For the best experience, go full-screen HD mode and plug-in your headphones.

To know more about the CIPSA certification course, see here.

To have the complete course breakdown, check here.

For this course, many FAQs have been answered. See here. 

If you have any other questions or clarifications, please send an email to managementyogi@gmail.com.

References

[1] Certified In Practical Scaled Agile (CIPSA) – Practical and Economical Certification

[2] New Practical Scaled Agile Framework – The CIPSA Framework Guide, by ManagementYogi.com

CIPSA Sample Videos:

[1] CIPSA Sample Video List (Choose a Video)

[2] CIPSA Video Playlist (Complete Playlist)

CIPSA Sample Questions:

[1] CIPSA Certification Sample Questions (Part - 1)

[2] CIPSA Certification Sample Questions (Part - 2)

Top 10 Reasons To Go For ManagementYogi’s Practical Scaled Agile (CIPSA) Certification

Life is never static. It flows forward like a river. Almost every aspect of life changes - or upgrades, if you want - as you grow. It happens in all spheres of our lives, including our professional lives, where we spend much of our time. Let’s consider a few examples:

• You started as a trainee engineer or developer. Do you remain (or want to remain) in the same position as time passes: say, 10 or 15 years down the line?
• You learned Scrum, a team-level framework, years ago. Now, your organization has grown, and Scrum needs to be applied at an organizational level. Will Scrum work in such cases?
• You were fine with lesser, but fair compensation early in your career. Would you want to stay on the same salary for the next 5 or 10 years?

I’m sure you know the answers to these questions!

The old saying below comes to my mind as I write:

“What I hear, I may forget. What I see, I may remember. What I do, I'll understand....and unlikely to forget.”

With the CIPSA Certification, in fact, you are doing all three of the above, i.e., listening to and watching the videos, visualizing Scaled Agile concepts being applied to build large products, and doing them hands-on to understand. 

In addition, you will also have self-reviews with practice exercises, running the solution files with MS Project software, and answering questions.

Now, let’s look at the top reasons to go for the CIPSA Certification.

--

Reason – 1: The CIPSA Certification is the world’s only practical, hands-on Scaled Agile certification. 

Worldwide, many Scaled Agile frameworks and certifications exist, but none offer hands-on, practical use with software tools, except CIPSA. Most frameworks are theoretical, which is important, but real-world application is a must for a useful certification. 

The CIPSA certification, based on the CIPSA framework (see here), focuses on practical scaling with hands-on software tools like MS Project. Similar concepts can be applied with other tools.

Reason – 2: The unique CIPSA certification comes at a very affordable price. No other Scaled Agile Certification is offered at such a low cost.

To be a CIPSA, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars, not even a thousand dollar. It comes at a very low cost. 

No other Scaled Agile certification comes at such a low cost. It also comes with a full-money guarantee without any  terms and conditions. No other provider will provide it! The guarantee is applicable for the entire course duration. (See here for price, and guarantee details)

Reason – 3: CIPSA certification combines essential theory with practical.

The CIPSA certification course has a 70%:30% ratio – 70% practical and 30% theoretical. Scaling is new to many teams and scaled Agile aspirants and simplifying it, is challenging for most. 

Therefore, theory is provided for clarity, but the emphasis is on practical application. A large number of solution files are available for hands-on practice. See here for example.

Reason – 4: CIPSA certification offers in-depth, practical Scrum at Scale and Kanban at Scale training—unmatched by any other Scaled Agile certification.

Scrum is one of the widely used team-level frameworks. But when you go for Scrum at Scale (see here), you need to have various meta-events, artifacts and roles/accountabilities at scale. The CIPSA course explains and demonstrates these concepts.

Again, you’ll not only learn how to scale these elements, but also how to apply them practically in a hands-on manner.

Next to Scrum, Kanban is another well-used team-level Lean framework. With Kanban at Scale (see here), you'll also need meta-events, artifacts and roles/accountabilities at scale. The CIPSA course explains and demonstrates these with Kanban projects.

Here too, you’ll not only learn about scaling various theoretical aspects of Kanban ones, you’ll also learn how to do them practically in a hands-on manner.

Reason – 5: The CIPSA framework is simple, easy to learn, and follow. There are little to no pre-requisites.

Simple things are always easy to remember and apply. The CIPSA framework is very simple and easy to follow. CIPSA stands out for its simplicity. In any endeavor, simplicity is powerful. Combined with practicals, you'll learn in and out of the scaling.

Now, because it’s straightforward, your team members can  also quickly grasp and apply it. Some "frameworks" are overly complex with numerous roles and artifacts, taking months or years to understand—let alone apply. That's bureaucracy! When bureaucracy prevails, Agile fails. 

The primary goal of Agile is to deliver valuable increments. With CIPSA, that means the CIPSA Integrated Increment. See here. Complex "frameworks" (which aren’t truly frameworks!) undermine this purpose. 

Download the guide here, for free. You can see it's simple.

Reason – 6: The course comes with a massive content library – 11 hours, 153 videos and over 80 solution files. 

The course content is detailed oriented. You’ll learn with hours of videos, practice, demonstration with software tool. In addition, all solution files are downloadable. 

The solution files are needed when you’re stuck or you’re struggling with the software tool. You can load these files into the software tool and instantly see the solution. The files are in Microsoft Project Plan (.MPP) format. 

Reason – 7: You’ll receive hands-on solution files, practice questions, quizzes, and a full-length question set for your CIPSA certification.

The CIPSA certification is highly practical, with essential theory included, making its course structure and test approach unique.

You’ll receive exercises, Microsoft Project Plan (.MPP) files, lesson-end quizzes, and full-length practice exams. For sample questions, see here. 

After preparing, you'll take the final test and earn your CIPSA certification. One free retake is allowed if needed.

Reason – 8: Globally accessible and accessible 24*7. Learn at your pace, anytime, anywhere.

The CIPSA certification course is hosted online and you can access anytime, anywhere from part of the planet. With this you can learn at your own pace and at your own place. 

Another advantage is that as the course is video-based, you can watch the content as many times as you want till you master the topic at hand. 

This certification is globally recognized. A number of articles, webinars and publications have done for this certification. In fact, worldwide, many are pursuing this certification. 

Reason – 9: Scaling is inevitable. With CIPSA certification, you stay ahead of the curve because it's created by industry experts with proven Scaled Agile experiences. 

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, growth requires upskilling and learning. Real learning happens through practical application, which helps you retain knowledge longer.

The CIPSA certifications is prepared with inputs from Agile and Scaled Agile practitioners with decades of work experiences. Hours of discussions, meetings and reviews have been done before it went public. In other words, it's tested and validated by hundreds of hours of reviews.

Your career won’t remain static, and growth is a must. As organizations adopt Scrum at Scale or Kanban at Scale, these skills will become crucial in your skill-arsenal.

Reason – 10: You can lead Scaled Agile Transformations with the Globally Recognized CIPSA Certification.

When you not only explain scaling, but demonstrate how it's done with your CIPSA certification, it goes a long way in securing the coveted job or career growth that you always wanted.

As a CIPSA, you will gain the expertise to guide and manage large-scale Agile transformations within your organization.

Here are some more reasons to go for the CIPSA certification:

• No other certification is needed to be a CIPSA. It’s a stand-alone certification and you can immediately start off. 
• Scaling is inevitable. With CIPSA certification, you stay ahead, boost your resume, and drive your career growth. Your skills become unique – because you can not only tell, but also demonstrate. You truly know how to do scaling.

Conclusion

One can say the following about the CIPSA certification. The certification is:

• Practical and economical.
• Value-driven and Agile-conscious.
• Outcome-oriented and benefits-focused.
• Hands-on skills, and a life-time achievement.

It has a number of real-world projects, comes with purposeful learning, and job-focused results. You’ve complex concepts explained with simple lessons, but will get an unforgettable certification.

With this course, you not only learn, but also get value for your money. 

References

[1] Certified In Practical Scaled Agile (CIPSA) – Practical and Economical Certification

[2] New Practical Scaled Agile Framework – The CIPSA Framework Guide, by ManagementYogi.com

CIPSA Sample Videos:

[1] CIPSA Sample Video List (Choose a Video)

[2] CIPSA Video Playlist (Complete Playlist)

CIPSA Sample Questions:

[1] CIPSA Certification Sample Questions (Part - 1)

[2] CIPSA Certification Sample Questions (Part - 2)