I often receive the question from people asking – WHY one should attend a PSM training when it is not mandatory for taking the certification? And it is a very valid question. Also, a lot of people are doubtful of taking training because if they go for certification directly it costs them just $150 while training will cost about $400 (in the Indian subcontinent), so why should they pay more? In this blog, I would like to answer such questions and doubts, so that people can make the right decisions.
Let me first share my personal experience on the journey of being a Scrum Master. When I was introduced to Scrum in my organization in 2010-11, I assumed that the role of a Scrum Master is that of a “Scrum Secretary”, the person responsible for taking notes, updating JIRA boards, scheduling events, and so on. I lived in that bubble for the next couple of years without making much change or creating any impact as a Scrum Master. Then I took my training and was introduced to a plethora of things that a Scrum Master is supposed to do for the Scrum Team and the organization. Also, it gave me clarity on a variety of skills that I needed to acquire to become a change agent who could create business impact.