Is a PSM II certification validation of your skills, or does it develop your skill and capability as a Scrum Master?

Beyond Certification: A Deeper Dive Into the PSM II Course

Again, I’m answering a commonly asked question: ’ Is the PSM II course (Professional Scrum Master II) simply a validation of your skills, or does it help to develop your abilities and competencies as a Scrum Master?'

Although this is a commonly asked question, I think it requires an explanation and the answer may surprise you.

So, let’s unpack this one. 🚀

The Difference Between Validation and Skill Development

Another interesting question that came to me from this article’s title is whether certificates are validation or evolution. 

📜💡

The PSM II, an advanced Scrum Master class, is, in my opinion, more about skill development than just validating your existing skills. If you’re attending the PSM II class simply to validate your abilities, you could just take the assessment and skip the class!   

Save yourself time; there’s no need to go through the rigmarole.

It’s that straightforward. 🎯

There isn’t a strong correlation between the intent of the PSM II class and the PSM II assessment in application. They cater to slightly different aspects.

The class is broader, focusing on improving your skills and capabilities as a Scrum Master, while the assessment evaluates your knowledge as part of the story. 📚

Advanced Scrum Master Class

A crucial differentiator is that the Advanced Scrum Master class emphasises facilitation and zeroes in on facilitation. It spotlights the Scrum Master as a professional and helps the Scrum Master evolve beyond being just an admin for the team, which, unfortunately, happens quite often.

The class differentiates between having the title of Scrum Master and fulfilling the Scrum Master’s accountability as outlined in the Scrum Guide.

The real objective of the class is to delve into the Scrum Master’s accountability to the team, the Product Owner, and the organisation. 💼

This is the real heart of the class. 💖

While teaching and participating in the class, we employ facilitation techniques to help students understand these concepts, equipping them with the ability to use these techniques. 🧩

There’s real power in facilitation techniques.

Enriching the Learning Experience

In my version of the class, I use many liberating structures, connecting them to form a string that leads towards an overall story, shedding light on the ‘why’ and the ‘what’ of each exercise.

The idea is to enable you to harness these techniques with your teams and in your organisation. I try to explain the meta-process in the class as we go through each exercise, explaining the objective behind each one and the expected outcome.  💫

Now, wouldn’t that be a fantastic immersive version of the PSM II?

Wrapping Up

The intent is to help you apply these tools and techniques with your teams and organisation, enhancing your skills and capabilities as a Scrum Master. 🎯🔄

The class also provides a range of takeaway exercises, posters, cards, and exercise content for you to apply these learnings with your teams.

As we move towards a more immersive learning model, the idea is to guide you on running these exercises and then have you try them out with your team, return and share your experiences, and learn from others. 🌟

For me, the PSM II course is entirely about fostering your skill and capability as a Scrum Master. 🎓📚

The course helps you understand the Scrum Master’s accountability better and arms you with tools and techniques to work with teams effectively.  💭

Interested in growing your skills as a Scrum Master? Check out my Agile and Scrum courses, or drop me a message. 

 Let’s develop your capability as a Scrum Master together! 🌟