Remember that a successful partnership between these two roles sets the stage for mutual respect and accountability. Both roles should challenge each other as needed to keep project teams healthy and in alignment with the goals of the project.

"There are many ways to have a successful partnership between a project manager and a scrum master, but there are three main features I have observed that should be present at a minimum. First, there needs to be a clear agreement on the duties of each role. For example, it should be clear that the project manager is responsible for the development of the budget, and the scrum master is responsible for ensuring that the team adheres to a specific process that delivers the metrics needed to assess how the team is tracking against the budget.

Second, each role should provide feedback to the other. For example, a scrum master should be able to point out when pressure from senior managers or the project manager is adversely affecting the team. Likewise, the project manager should be able to discuss velocity and performance issues with the scrum master that need to be addressed during reflection meetings or process adjustments. Each role should hold the other accountable and allow for value-add feedback to the process.

Finally, project mangers and scrum masters should support each other from a leadership perspective. Individual team members have relationships with both roles and there should be a consistent and supportive message no matter which leader a team member turns to. The same should be true in group meetings. While there are likely to be differences in opinions, these should be handled through healthy value-focused discussion and not contentious debate.

I feel that scrum masters and project managers with those three relationship qualities set the stage for a successful partnership and project execution."