Detailed information about each theme can be found on the Scaled Agile website, but this article will highlight the second theme, focusing on the roles of the Release Train Engineer and Scrum Master, and how they relate to flow: Just as we call Product Owners and Product Management “value maximizer”, Scrum Masters and RTEs are “flow optimizers”.
The Scrum Master role in SAFe has changed and is now broader in scope, becoming that of a team coach. This change makes sense, as they are expected to have a deep understanding of various methods, frameworks, and practices beyond just Scrum. These can include SAFe, Kanban, XP, built-in quality, flow, and much more. One of the critical challenges for this team coach is to promote transparency among team members, which is a core value in SAFe and a Scrum pillar. The team coach has several important responsibilities, such as:
- Improving team and ART performance
- Building high-performing teams
- Improving flow
- Facilitating PI planning
- Supporting iteration execution