Creating a Personal ReadMe for Scrum Masters With ChatGPT

Providing a personal ReadMe to your new teammates and stakeholders as a Scrum Master is a great way to build trust and rapport while managing expectations at the same time. I do so regularly, and having a template for that purpose comes in handy.

Therefore, I thought it also might be an excellent exercise to test ChatGPT on more practical aspects of a Scrum Master’s work. So, please follow the complete path to having ChatGPT create a decent personal readme template for Scrum Masters — which took me less than 20 minutes.

Setting up the Session

I ran the session on ChatGPT on Saturday, March 25, from 10:30 am CET to 10:50 am CET on the model GPT-4. (This requires upgrading to ChatGPT Plus.) I did not apply Grammarly to ChatGPT’s answers.

The Initial ChatGPT Prompt To Create the Personal Readme Template for Scrum Masters

I used the following initial prompt to prime ChatGPT: 

I want you to act as an experienced agile coach and Scrum Master. You have worked with many Scrum teams in the past. Your success, in part, was based on your ability to manage the expectation of teammates and stakeholders but also to help them excel at their jobs, being a coach, a mentor, or a friend. You always provide team members and stakeholders of new teams with a document on how you work: your strengths, weaknesses, and how to best communicate with you. In other words: you let everyone know in advance a personal manual of yours, a readme. 

Please create a structure of such a readme document for other Scrum Masters to help them help their Scrum teams, too. Consider your experience in training, coaching, and mentoring agile practitioners and your communication and collaboration techniques knowledge.

ChatGPT:

Title: Scrum Master’s Personal ReadMe.

Introduction:

• Brief introduction of the Scrum Master.
• Years of experience in Agile coaching and Scrum Master roles.
• Mention of notable past projects or teams.

Personal Core Values:

• List of the Scrum Master’s core values that drive their approach to work.
• Explanation of how these values translate to their role as a Scrum Master.

Working Style:

• Description of the Scrum Master’s preferred working style, e. g., proactive, hands-on, etc.
• Collaboration preferences, e.g., working together in-person or remotely, group discussions, one-on-one meetings.

Strengths:

• Highlight areas where the Scrum Master excels.
• Examples: facilitating team communication, conflict resolution, coaching team members.

Areas for Improvement:

• Areas where the Scrum Master recognizes they need to improve.
• Explanation of how they are working on these areas.

Communication Preferences:

• Preferred communication channels, e.g., email, phone, chat tools, and face-to-face meetings.
• Preferred frequency of communication, e.g., daily check-ins and weekly updates.
• Best times to reach the Scrum Master, e.g., specific office hours and response time expectations.

Coaching and Mentoring Approach:

• Explanation of the Scrum Master’s coaching and mentoring philosophy.
• How the Scrum Master supports individual team members’ growth and development.
• Availability for one-on-one coaching or mentoring sessions.

Expectations from Team Members:

• Description of what the Scrum Master expects from team members, e.g., commitment, transparency, collaboration
• Expectations for team members’ roles and responsibilities within the Scrum framework.

Comment: Okay, this is different from what we want; it sounds like contract work for the PMI.

The Follow-Up Prompt To Eliminate PM-Speak

Follow-up Prompt: Please recreate the answer in a less formal way; this one is breathing project management thinking, spoken like a line manager. Also, there are areas lacking, for example, personal failures and what you learned from them. Instead, go back to Scrum values, and make it personal and less formal. Make it fun to read and motivate the readers to start working on their own readme version.

ChatGPT:

Title: My Scrum Master Journey — A Personal ReadMe

Hey there, fellow Agile enthusiasts! My name is [Your Name], and I’m excited to share my Scrum Master’s Personal readme with you. I’ve been in the Agile world for [X] years and had my fair share of ups and downs. But that’s what makes it fun, right? Let’s dive into what makes me, me—and how I approach this awesome Scrum Master role.

My Guiding Principles:

Here are the values that are close to my heart and shape the way I work:

• [List your personal values].

And, of course, I try my best to uphold the Scrum values: courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness.

How I Roll:

I’m the kind of Scrum Master who [describe your working style].

When it comes to teamwork, I love [your collaboration preferences].

Rockin’ It:

Things I’m pretty good at:

• [List your strengths as a Scrum Master].

But hey, nobody’s perfect. Here’s what I’ve learned from some of my personal failures:

• [List your failures and lessons learned].

Work In Progress:

I’m always learning and growing. Here are some areas I’m working on:

• [List areas for improvement].

Let’s Chat:

Wanna talk? You can find me on [preferred communication channels].

I’m always up for a [preferred frequency of communication], so feel free to hit me up.

The best time to reach me is [specific times or response time expectations]. Don’t worry, I’m a friendly Scrum Master!

Coach, Mentor, Friend:

My coaching style is all about [describe your coaching philosophy].

I’m here to help you grow and develop, so let’s [how you support individual team members].

Need some one-on-one time? Let’s schedule a session and make some magic happen!

What I Expect from My Awesome Teammates:

Here’s what I hope to see from you amazing folks:

• [List your expectations, e.g., commitment, transparency, collaboration].

Let’s work together to make sure we all understand our roles and responsibilities within the Scrum framework.

Let’s Have Some Fun:

I believe that a happy team is a productive team, so let’s make sure we’re enjoying the ride.

Share your ideas for team-building activities, and let’s create an awesome team culture together.

So, that’s me in a nutshell. I hope this helps you understand how I approach my Scrum Master role, and I’m excited to learn about your own journey too! Why not take some time to create your own Personal ReadMe? It’s a great way to share your story and connect with your team on a deeper level. Let’s grow and succeed together!

Comment: I guess we are in business!

Why a ReadMe Is a Useful Document

Follow-up Prompt: Why is it a good idea to provide others with a readme of yourself?

ChatGPT:

Providing others with a readme of yourself is a great idea for several reasons:

• Builds trust and rapport: Sharing a personal ReadMe allows your teammates and stakeholders to better understand your values, working style, and preferences. This transparency fosters trust and rapport, making collaboration more effective and enjoyable.
• Enhances communication: By detailing your communication preferences and expectations, you help others communicate with you more effectively. This can reduce misunderstandings and conflicts, leading to smoother teamwork.
• Encourages self-reflection: Creating a readme requires you to reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. This self-reflection can lead to personal growth and development, as well as a better understanding of how you can contribute to the team’s success.
• Sets clear expectations: A ReadMe helps to establish expectations for your teammates regarding your role, your approach to coaching and mentoring, and how you can support their growth. This clarity can minimize confusion and help create a more cohesive team.
• Fosters a culture of openness: Sharing a ReadMe demonstrates a willingness to be open and vulnerable with others, which can inspire your teammates to do the same. This openness can create a more supportive and inclusive team culture where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns.
• Promotes personal connection: A ReadMe can be a fun and engaging way to share your personality and experiences with your teammates, helping to build personal connections and create a more enjoyable working environment.
• Facilitates onboarding: For new team members, a ReadMe can serve as a helpful resource to get to know you and understand how to work effectively with you from the get-go.

By providing a readme of yourself, you contribute to creating a more transparent, collaborative, and connected team environment where everyone can thrive.

Comment: That is a decent explanation, covering all essential aspects of a readme’s utility, from building trust to setting expectations to encouraging self-reflection.

Conclusion

This short personal ReadMe template exercise is another example that ChatGPT is remarkably capable when fed decent prompts. If you are willing to spend time on prompt engineering, ChatGPT can be a useful tool for many practices.

How are you using ChatGPT as a Scrum Practitioner? Please share it with us in the comments.