If, instead of being employed in intergalactic battles, the Star Wars protagonists had been hired by an IT organisation, what role would have helped them highlight their skills and personal inclinations as much as possible? In this article, we have analysed the skills and inclinations of some of the protagonists of the saga and assigned them a role in the IT world!
Yoda – Scrum Master
If the Force were to turn to the Scrum framework, Yoda would no doubt be hired to fill the role of Scrum Master.
Indeed, the Scrum Master is first and foremost the professional who leads his team in the adoption of the Scrum framework and his main role is to facilitate the work of the Scrum Developers and Scrum Product Owners by helping them in the application of the framework. Yoda’s job is to guide the Jedi and Padawans, i.e. the other senior and junior members of the team, by helping them with the use and application of the Force, which would be the Scrum framework in an IT organisation.
The role of the Scrum Master is also to be a coach at the service of the other team members, supporting them in their difficulties and decisions. A successful Scrum Master must be able to understand and apply the Scrum framework, be able to develop the individual and the team, manage products in an Agile way, develop and deliver products in a professional way and finally grow and evolve the Agile organisation. All these skills are easily found in Yoda’s character and work during his years as a Jedi warrior, where in addition to defending other members of the organisation and enhancing his own skills, he was mentoring many of them.
Obi-One Kenobi: Scrum Developer
The Scrum Developer is responsible for the creation of project deliverables, i.e. together with the Development Team the Scrum Developer has to deliver a potentially releasable product increment at the end of each Sprint.
Among his main skills, there is certainly technical knowledge and skills (software analysis, coding, software programming or testing), a deep knowledge of the Scrum framework (the Force) and how to implement it effectively in any software project, as well as an excellent attitude to teamwork, necessary for collaboration with other team members. Just as a Scrum Developer should be, Obi-One is a motivated Jedi, proactive, responsible, result-oriented and able to work independently and autonomously if necessary, yet very keen on teamwork.
Luke Skywalker: Scrum Product Owner
The Scrum Product Owner is the professional in charge of maximizing the business value of the project. He has to define the customer requirements and ensure business justification throughout the project. Basically the Scrum Product Owner has to represent the voice of the customer. In Star Wars it is about the salvation of the whole Galaxy.
Obviously the Scrum Product Owner must not only have a perfect knowledge of the Scrum framework and its processes, but must also have a very good understanding of the business domain and excellent communication skills. He should be available to help the team, be proactive, pragmatic, results-oriented and have good negotiation skills together with the ability to manage uncertainties. These are all skills that we can easily find in the young Skywalker; always striving to achieve goals that will satisfy different people within the organisation and leading to the defeat of the Dark Side for the good of the Galaxy!
Princess Leila: Business Relationship Manager
The Business Relationship Manager is the role that bridges the gap between the IT teams and other teams in an organisation, i.e. between the Jedi and members of the Resistance. He is also responsible for maintaining a good relationship with customers by understanding their needs and ensuring that the service provider is able to meet those needs with an appropriate service catalogue. Leia has always been interested in the good of people throughout the Galaxy and has made an effort to ensure that the Jedi and the Resistance can work together to fight the dark side.
Leia has demonstrated many of the skills required of a Business Relationship Manager: communication, strategic thinking, assertiveness, diplomacy, leadership, understanding of the dynamics of different departments and how they work together, motivation and focus.
Han Solo: Business Analyst
The Business Analyst helps the organisation improve processes, services and products through data and document analysis. He assesses the company’s business model and its integration with technology, helping to bridge the gap between IT and business. No one could do this job better than someone who has managed to ‘make the Kessel course in less than twelve parsecs while leaving even imperial warships behind’.
The Business Analyst has to develop several skills that can be divided into 6 main groups:
- Analytical Thinking & Problem Solving
- Behavioral Characteristics
- Business Knowledge
- Communication Skills
- Interaction Skills
- Software Applications
Among the skills that Han Solo could rely on in the role of Business Analyst are Analytical Thinking & Problem Solving skills, which include:
- Creative Thinking
- Decision Making
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
In terms of interaction Skills, he is facilitating interactions between stakeholders and supporting them in finding solutions. Besides he also has knowledge of Software Applications of all types, from the most common to the most specialised.
R2D2: Problem Manager
The main objectives of a Problem Manager are to prevent incidents and limit the negative impact of incidents that could not be prevented. The Resistance could not have found a better Problem Manager in the whole Galaxy than R2D2: analytical skills, fast in finding resolutions and solving problems, next to technical knowledge, teamwork, being result-oriented and able to guarantee good results even in the most difficult situations. Surely these are among the skills most required of a Problem Manager and R2D2 has managed to demonstrate that he possesses them all in every stressful and dangerous situation.
C3PO: Service Manager
The Service Manager has to define the service, manage service level agreements and ensure that services meet business needs. He is responsible for analysing activities and proposing process improvements, including interaction with customer service. As a protocol nerd capable of speaking more than 6 million languages, C3PO is the perfect candidate for this role which, among other responsibilities, also requires managing and maintaining customer relationships.
The Service Manager must possess both business and technical skills. In terms of business skills, the C3PO is equipped with strategic thinking, delegation, clear communication, business analysis, risk management, time prioritisation and management skills. On the other hand, in terms of technical skills, C3PO’s strength lies in its customer orientation, whether it is Master Anakin, Master Luke or anyone else who needs its expertise.
Palpatine: DevOps Leader
The DevOps Leader is a leader who guides resources through a cultural transformation, his main task is to build a team using high technologies. Surely if an IT organisation needs a successful DevOps Leader it should look to Palpatine, who also possesses the three skills typical for the role:
- Inspirational communication: even though his ideas were wrong, he managed to attract some of the strongest and most powerful Jedi in the galaxy to the dark side
- Personal recognition: one of the things that convinced Anakin was Palpatine’s ability to recognise his abilities and potential and make him feel important
- Intellectual stimulation: something the Chancellor should work on more, but he certainly has a great ability to stimulate his interlocutors to take on new challenges and risks
QRP International offers ABC Scrum Master, ABC Scrum Product Owner, Certified Scrum Master, Certified Scrum Product Owner, DevOps Fundamentals and DevOps Leadership courses. For our full course offer, have a look here or write to us!
Skip to content
