CST Facilitation Techniques & Coaching Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a Sprint Retrospective, two team members get into a heated argument about code quality. As a Scrum Trainer facilitating, what is the BEST immediate action?
- Pause the retrospective and privately resolve the conflict before resuming
- Acknowledge the tension, name it openly, and invite the team to address it together (Correct answer)
- Remove both members from the retrospective to maintain group safety
- Skip past the topic and focus the group on positive improvements only
Correct answer: Acknowledge the tension, name it openly, and invite the team to address it together
Skilled facilitators name tension openly rather than avoiding it, creating psychological safety for the group to address conflict constructively.
Question 2: A CST is coaching a Scrum Master who tends to answer team questions immediately rather than letting the team problem-solve. Which coaching approach is MOST effective?
- Tell the Scrum Master to stop answering questions and observe what happens
- Ask the Scrum Master powerful questions about what they notice when they jump in with answers (Correct answer)
- Pair the Scrum Master with a more experienced SM as a role model
- Assign the Scrum Master reading on servant leadership principles
Correct answer: Ask the Scrum Master powerful questions about what they notice when they jump in with answers
Powerful questions prompt self-reflection and help the coachee discover their own patterns and motivations, which is more sustainable than directive advice.
Question 3: What is the PRIMARY purpose of a Liberating Structure such as '1-2-4-All' in a Scrum training context?
- To ensure the trainer speaks to each participant individually before group discussion
- To structure conversation so everyone's voice is included before converging as a group (Correct answer)
- To create competition between small groups to generate the best ideas
- To reduce the number of participants actively speaking at any given time
Correct answer: To structure conversation so everyone's voice is included before converging as a group
'1-2-4-All' sequences individual reflection, pair, small group, and full group sharing to maximize inclusion and idea diversity.
Question 4: A Scrum team's Daily Scrum consistently runs 20–30 minutes over time. As a coach, what is the BEST first step?
- Set a visible timer and enforce the 15-minute timebox strictly in every meeting
- Observe the meeting and ask the team reflective questions about what they notice (Correct answer)
- Recommend the team switch to an asynchronous standup format
- Have the Scrum Master run the meeting instead of the Developers
Correct answer: Observe the meeting and ask the team reflective questions about what they notice
Observing first and asking reflective questions helps the team develop awareness and ownership of their own process improvement.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST describes the coaching stance known as 'holding the space'?
- Physically remaining in the room while the team works independently
- Creating an environment of safety, presence, and non-judgment so the coachee can explore freely (Correct answer)
- Reserving time at the end of each meeting for the coach to share insights
- Holding back feedback until the coachee explicitly requests it
Correct answer: Creating an environment of safety, presence, and non-judgment so the coachee can explore freely
Holding the space means creating psychological safety and being fully present so the coachee feels supported to think openly without judgment.
Question 6: A Product Owner consistently avoids engaging with the Development Team during the Sprint. As a CST coaching the Scrum Master, which question is MOST powerful?
- 'Have you told the PO they need to be more available per the Scrum Guide?'
- 'What do you imagine the PO is concerned about when it comes to the team?' (Correct answer)
- 'Should we escalate this to management as a blocker?'
- 'Have you tried scheduling forced collaboration sessions?'
Correct answer: 'What do you imagine the PO is concerned about when it comes to the team?'
Powerful questions invite the Scrum Master to empathize with the PO's perspective, which opens pathways to systemic rather than prescriptive solutions.
Question 7: In a large-group training session, a participant dominates discussion and prevents others from speaking. The MOST appropriate facilitator intervention is:
- Ask the dominant participant to sit out the next activity
- Use a structured technique like round-robin or silent writing to distribute participation (Correct answer)
- Wait until a break and privately tell the participant to speak less
- Increase pace of the session so there is less time for open discussion
Correct answer: Use a structured technique like round-robin or silent writing to distribute participation
Structural interventions like round-robin or silent writing redistribute participation without singling out or shaming any individual.
CST Facilitation Techniques & Coaching Skills 2
During a Sprint Retrospective, two team members get into a heated argument about code quality.
As a Scrum Trainer facilitating, what is the BEST immediate action?