What Are You Doing All Day, ChatGPT — As a Scrum Master?

A few years ago, I ran a survey to figure out what Scrum Masters serving a single Scrum team do all day. Now that we have a new kid, pardon: a new LLM, on the block, I reran the old questionnaire: Club Scrum: What Are You Doing all Day, ChatGPT — as a Scrum Master?

Based on the survey results from 2018, the normalized total amount of time spent on Scrum events, educating themselves, or coaching teammates and stakeholders, respectively, was approximately 12 hours per week, which leaves a lot of room for dealing with impediments.

Read on and learn what ChatGPT considers to be a typical workload. (Excluding the removal of impediments.)

Setting Up the Interview

I used the same questionnaire from 2018 for this run of the Club Scrum interview and resisted the urge to Grammarly it to maintain comparability. (Please accept my apologies for the text quality.)

I ran the “interview” on Friday, February 24, from 6:30 pm CET to 8:15 pm CET on the ChatGPT Feb 13 version.

The Initial ChatGPT Prompt to Explore Club Scrum

I used the following initial prompt to prime ChatGPT before I started asking the questions:

• I want you to act as an experienced Scrum Master, serving a single Scrum team.
• Your organization is familiar with Scrum and supports its Scrum teams fully.
• All stakeholders in the organization understand and support that your team is using Scrum.
• I will interview you in your capacity as a Scrum Master of said Scrum team to find out how much time you allocate to typical Scrum Master duties.

ChatGPT:

Sure, I’d be happy to help you as an experienced Scrum Master for a Scrum team. I can give you an idea of how much time I typically allocate to the various Scrum Master duties.

As a Scrum Master, my primary responsibility is to facilitate the Scrum process and help the team maximize its potential. This includes the following key responsibilities:

• Facilitating Scrum Events: I allocate a significant amount of time towards facilitating Scrum events like daily stand-ups, sprint planning, sprint review, and sprint retrospectives. These events are crucial for the team’s progress, and I ensure that they are conducted efficiently and effectively.
• Coaching and Mentoring: I also spend a significant amount of time coaching and mentoring the team. I help them understand the Scrum framework, agile principles, and values. Additionally, I work with them to identify and implement best practices and continuously improve their skills and capabilities.
• Removing Impediments: One of my critical roles as a Scrum Master is to identify and remove any impediments that may be hindering the team’s progress. I allocate a significant amount of time towards identifying and resolving these issues, working with stakeholders to remove roadblocks and improving the team’s overall performance.
• Facilitating Collaboration: I ensure that collaboration is encouraged among team members, and they work together to deliver a quality product. I encourage team members to share knowledge and expertise and ensure that they work together to achieve the sprint goal.
• Monitoring Progress: As a Scrum Master, I monitor the team’s progress and ensure that they are on track to deliver the sprint goal. I also track progress against the product backlog and help the team adapt and adjust if they fall behind.

Overall, the amount of time I allocate to each of these duties varies depending on the team’s needs and the project’s complexity. However, I would say that I spend most of my time facilitating Scrum events, coaching and mentoring the team, and removing impediments to help the team achieve its goals.

Comment: Okay, I did not ask for the answer, but here we go.

Club Scrum: The Questions

I skipped questions 1 — “How many people are on your scrum team?” — and 2 — “What is your Sprint length?” — for obvious reasons; ChatGPT does not have a Scrum team that serves as a Scrum Master. 

Let us assume that ChatGPT’s Scrum team comprises seven members and runs a 2-week Sprint to preserve the comparability with the 2018 results.

Product Backlog Refinement

Question 3: “How much time do you spend weekly on product backlog refinement sessions?”

ChatGPT: As a Scrum Master, I believe that the Product Backlog Refinement (PBR) is an essential Scrum event that helps the team to refine the product backlog and prepare the upcoming backlog items. Typically, the amount of time spent on PBR sessions varies depending on the team’s needs and the complexity of the product backlog items.

In my experience, I allocate approximately 10-15% of the team’s capacity to PBR sessions. This means that for a team with a 2-week sprint, I would schedule a 2-hour PBR session each week, or for a team with a 1-week sprint, I would schedule a 1-hour PBR session each week.

However, it’s important to note that this is just a rough estimate, and the actual time spent on PBR sessions may vary depending on the team’s needs. For example, if the team is working on a complex project with a lot of new requirements, we might need to allocate more time to PBR sessions. Similarly, if the product backlog items are well-defined and the team is working on a straightforward project, we might need to allocate less time to PBR sessions.

In any case, my goal as a Scrum Master is to ensure that the team has enough time to refine the product backlog effectively and prepare for upcoming backlog items while also ensuring that we do not spend too much time in meetings and lose valuable development time.

Comment: The 10-15% figure seems to be taken straight from the Scrum Guide 2017. Although this guidance is missing from the Scrum Guide 2020, it is still a good rule of thumb.

Given that the 2-week Sprint proved most popular during the 2018 survey, we take a 2-hour session every week, totaling 4 hours for the Sprint.

Sprint Planning

Club Scrum Question 4: “How much time do you spend per sprint on sprint planning?”

ChatGPT: As a Scrum Master, I believe that the Sprint Planning event is a crucial part of the Scrum framework that helps the team to plan the upcoming sprint and identify the work that they will be delivering. The amount of time spent on Sprint Planning varies depending on the team’s needs and the complexity of the sprint backlog items.

In my experience, I allocate approximately 5-10% of the team’s capacity to Sprint Planning. This means that for a team with a 2-week sprint, I would schedule a 4-hour Sprint Planning session, or for a team with a 1-week sprint, I would schedule a 2-hour Sprint Planning session.

However, it’s important to note that the actual time spent on Sprint Planning may vary depending on the team’s needs. For example, if the team is working on a complex project with a lot of new requirements, we might need to allocate more time to Sprint Planning. Similarly, if the sprint backlog items are well-defined and the team is working on a straightforward project, we might need to allocate less time to Sprint Planning.

In any case, my goal as a Scrum Master is to ensure that the team has enough time to plan the upcoming sprint effectively while also ensuring that we do not spend too much time in meetings and lose valuable development time. I also make sure that the team has a clear understanding of the sprint goal and the product backlog items that they will be working on during the sprint.

Comment: First of all, there are no Sprint Backlog items; we call any work item a ‘Product Backlog item.’ Also, a “straightforward project” is probably not Scrum’s best use case: if you know what needs to be accomplished, Scrum’s risk mitigation approach comes with a hefty price tag in the form of overhead. The last sentence on ensuring the Scrum team understands the Sprint Goal is too much project-management-ish; the Scrum team created the Sprint Goal in the first place.

Anyway, 4 hours for a 2-week Sprint sounds reasonable.

Daily Scrum

Question 5: “How much time do you spend weekly on daily scrums or standups?”

ChatGPT: As a Scrum Master, I believe that the Daily Scrum or Daily Stand-up event is a critical part of the Scrum framework that helps the team to synchronize their activities and make sure that they are aligned towards the sprint goal. The amount of time spent on Daily Scrum or Stand-up varies depending on the team’s needs and the number of team members.

In my experience, I allocate approximately 15-30 minutes for the Daily Scrum or Stand-up. This means that for a team with a 2-week sprint, I would schedule a 15-minute Daily Scrum or Stand-up each day, or for a team with a 1-week sprint, I would schedule a 15-30 minute Daily Scrum or Stand-up each day.

However, it’s important to note that the actual time spent on Daily Scrum or Stand-up may vary depending on the team’s needs. For example, if the team is working on a complex project with a lot of dependencies, we might need to allocate more time to the Daily Scrum or Stand-up. Similarly, if the team is small and the project is straightforward, we might need to allocate less time to the Daily Scrum or Stand-up.

In any case, my goal as a Scrum Master is to ensure that the team has enough time to discuss their progress, identify any potential impediments, and plan their activities for the upcoming day. I also make sure that the Daily Scrum or Stand-up remains focused on the sprint goal and that team members do not spend too much time discussing non-relevant issues.

Comment: Scrum orthodoxy tells us that the time box for the Daily Scrum is always a maximum of 15 minutes. However, ChatGPT considers even allocating more time in the case of complex work. Do I sense some heresy here?

However, 1.25 hours per week is!

Sprint Review

Club Scrum Question 6: “How much time do you spend per sprint on the sprint review?”

ChatGPT: As a Scrum Master, I believe that the Sprint Review event is an essential part of the Scrum framework that helps the team to showcase their work to stakeholders and get feedback on the product increment. The amount of time spent on the Sprint Review varies depending on the team’s needs and the complexity of the product increment.

In my experience, I allocate approximately 5-10% of the team’s capacity to the Sprint Review. This means that for a team with a 2-week sprint, I would schedule a 2-hour Sprint Review session, or for a team with a 1-week sprint, I would schedule a 1-hour Sprint Review session.

However, it’s important to note that the actual time spent on the Sprint Review may vary depending on the team’s needs. For example, if the team is working on a complex project with a lot of new features, we might need to allocate more time to the Sprint Review. Similarly, if the product increment is small, we might need to allocate less time to the Sprint Review.

In any case, my goal as a Scrum Master is to ensure that the team has enough time to showcase their work effectively and get feedback from stakeholders. I also make sure that the Sprint Review remains focused on the product increment and that team members do not spend too much time discussing non-relevant issues. Finally, I ensure that the team identifies any action items that need to be addressed in the upcoming sprint.

Comment: ChatGPT non calculat. 5-10% of the Scrum team’s capacity does not equal 2 hours per Sprint, provided they have a typical working week. Admittedly, I am confused about the last sentence: what action items is ChatGPT referencing? Typically, we would conclude that, depending on the outcome of the Sprint Review, the Scrum team may decide on adapting the Product Backlog. Would that be the action item?

Nevertheless, let’s pick the 2 hours for the Sprint Review.

Sprint Retrospective

Question 7: “How much time do you spend per sprint on the retrospective?”

ChatGPT: As a Scrum Master, I believe that the Sprint Retrospective event is a crucial part of the Scrum framework that helps the team to reflect on their performance during the sprint and identify ways to improve their processes. The amount of time spent on the Sprint Retrospective varies depending on the team’s needs and the number of team members.

In my experience, I allocate approximately 5-10% of the team’s capacity to the Sprint Retrospective. This means that for a team with a 2-week sprint, I would schedule a 2-hour Sprint Retrospective session, or for a team with a 1-week sprint, I would schedule a 1-hour Sprint Retrospective session.

However, it’s important to note that the actual time spent on the Sprint Retrospective may vary depending on the team’s needs. For example, if the team is working on a complex project with a lot of challenges, we might need to allocate more time to the Sprint Retrospective. Similarly, if the team is small and the sprint went smoothly, we might need to allocate less time to the Sprint Retrospective.

In any case, my goal as a Scrum Master is to ensure that the team has enough time to reflect on their performance and identify areas for improvement. I also make sure that the Sprint Retrospective remains focused on the sprint and that team members do not spend too much time discussing non-relevant issues. Finally, I ensure that the team identifies concrete action items that they will implement in the upcoming sprint to improve their processes.

Comment: ChatGPT noncalculat — again. 5-10% of the Scrum team’s capacity does not equal 2 hours per Sprint, provided they have a normal working week.

But let’s not split our hair here; we take 2 hours for the Sprint Retrospective.

Training and Supporting Indvidual Team Members

Club Scrum Question 8: “How much time do you spend in total per week on training or supporting individual team members?”

ChatGPT: As a Scrum Master, I believe that training and supporting individual team members is an essential part of my role in helping the team to grow and improve. The amount of time spent on training or supporting individual team members varies depending on the team’s needs and the skills and knowledge of the team members.

In my experience, I allocate approximately 1-2 hours per week for training or supporting individual team members. This may include coaching sessions, one-on-one meetings, or providing feedback on work products. However, the actual time spent may vary depending on the needs of the team members and the complexity of the project.

It’s also important to note that training and supporting individual team members is not the sole responsibility of the Scrum Master. The entire team should work together to help each other grow and develop their skills. As such, I encourage team members to collaborate and share knowledge and experience with each other.

In summary, while the amount of time spent on training and supporting individual team members may vary, I believe it is important to dedicate enough time to ensure that team members have the resources they need to succeed and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Comment: I like that ChatGPT points to learning and sharing knowledge as a collective responsibility of everyone on the Scrum team. I also support the generous suggestion on how much time the Scrum Master should on individual team members. Whether they will appreciate that effort remains to be seen.

Since we have seven team members, this equals seven hours of weekly individual coaching.

Training and Supporting Stakeholders

Question 9: “How much time do you spend in total per week on training or supporting stakeholders from your organization?”

ChatGPT: Based on my experience as a Scrum Master, the amount of time I spend on training and supporting stakeholders from my organization varies depending on the specific needs of the stakeholders and the project.

On average, I would allocate approximately 2-4 hours per week to provide training and support to stakeholders, such as the Product Owner, management, or other teams working on related projects. This time could be spent on activities such as explaining the Scrum framework and its benefits, facilitating meetings, providing guidance on the product backlog, and helping to remove any obstacles that are hindering progress.

It’s important to note that the amount of time I spend on training and supporting stakeholders may vary based on the specific needs of the stakeholders and the project. For example, if we’re implementing Scrum for the first time in the organization, I may spend more time on training and support to ensure that everyone understands the framework and its benefits.

In summary, the total time I invest in training and supporting stakeholders from my organization varies based on the specific needs of the stakeholders and the project. However, on average, I would allocate approximately 2-4 hours per week to provide this training and support.

Comment: It is a bit confusing that ChatGPT includes the Product Owner among the stakeholders. This is probably another manifestation of an LLM’s inability to “unlearn” outdated information from its training session. Also, I would not consider the removal of impediments to be part of this category of Scrum Master activities. 

We go with two hours of weekly coaching and training for stakeholders, which seems a reasonable estimate.

Staying Up-to-Date

Club Scrum Question 10: “How much time do you spend in total per week to learn from books, blogs, newsletters, or from other scrum masters, for example, in communities?”

ChatGPT: As a Scrum Master, I believe that continuous learning and improvement are critical for the success of the Scrum team and the project. Therefore, I allocate time every week for learning from books, blogs, newsletters, and other sources.

In my experience, I allocate approximately 2-3 hours per week for learning and professional development. This may include reading books or articles on Scrum, attending webinars or training sessions, participating in Scrum communities or forums, or networking with other Scrum Masters.

The amount of time I spend on learning may vary depending on the complexity of the project or the specific challenges that the Scrum team is facing. For example, if the team is working on a new technology or framework, I may spend more time learning to ensure that I can provide the necessary support to the team.

It’s important to note that as a Scrum Master, my role is to continuously learn and stay up-to-date with the latest practices and techniques in Scrum. By doing so, I can provide valuable insights and guidance to the Scrum team and help them overcome any challenges they may face.

In summary, while the amount of time spent on the learning and professional development may vary, I believe that dedicating enough time to learning is critical for the success of the Scrum team and the project.

Comment: Then let’s take two hours per week. 

Scrum Master Duties: Doing the Math

Let’s start with the aggregated results from the 2018 Club Scrum survey:

A typical Scrum Team based on the 2018 survey had more than seven members and ran a two-week sprint.

On average, the team’s Scrum Master allocated Their time roughly as follows, normalized to hours per week:

• Product Backlog refinement: 1.00 hours/week
• Sprint Planning: 0.75 hours/week
• Daily Scrums: 1.50 hours/week
• Sprint Review: 0.50 hours/week
• Sprint Retrospective: 0.75 hours/week
• Training of teammates: 3.00 hours/week
• Training of stakeholders: 2.00 hours/week.
• Learning: 2.00 hours/week

If you do the math – the total amount of time spent on Scrum events, educating themselves, or Coaching teammates and stakeholders, respectively, was approximately 11.50 hours per week.

Now compare these results from 2018 to the ChatGPT results from 2023 (I chose the lower values when ChatGPT provided a range):

• Product Backlog refinement: 2.00 hours/week
• Sprint Planning: 2.00 hours/week
• Daily Scrums: 1.25 hours/week
• Sprint Review: 1.00 hours/week
• Sprint Retrospective: 1.00 hours/week
• Training of teammates: 7.00 hours/week
• Training of stakeholders: 2.00 hours/week.
• Learning: 2.00 hours/week

ChatGPT’s suggestion totals: 18.25 hours/week.

Conclusion

Many of the answers are repetitive in nature; for example, distinguishing between complex and straightforward projects. Despite the initial prompt, many of the answers breathe project management ideas. Again, we face the problem of not knowing how the LLM is weighing content during its training and whether unlearning is even possible. 

I prompted ChatGPT with, “When you learned about the Scrum Guide 2020, did you remove or unlearn the obsolete information you received with the Scrum Guide 2017?”

This is ChatGPT’s answer:  “As an AI language model, I don’t “unlearn” or “remove” information like humans do. Instead, my training involves continually updating and adjusting the patterns and relationships I learn from the vast amounts of text data that I process. Therefore, when I was trained on the Scrum Guide 2020, my training data included information from the Scrum Guide 2017, as well as other related sources. However, since the Scrum Guide 2020 introduced changes and updates to the Scrum framework, I have been trained on this new information, which has allowed me to generate responses that reflect the current state of the Scrum methodology. Therefore, while I have not “unlearned” or “removed” information related to the Scrum Guide 2017, I am able to incorporate the new information from the Scrum Guide 2020 and provide up-to-date insights on the Scrum framework.”

Again, this reply makes it evident that using ChatGPT for everyday purposes requires a solid knowledge of the matter in question.