Professional Scrum Master Coaching and Facilitation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A Development Team consistently ignores the Definition of Done during Sprint Reviews. As a Scrum Master, what is the BEST coaching approach?
- Report the issue to senior management so they can enforce compliance
- Help the team understand the value of the Definition of Done by exploring consequences of technical debt (Correct answer)
- Update the Definition of Done yourself to make it easier for the team to meet
- Cancel the Sprint Review until the team agrees to follow the Definition of Done
Correct answer: Help the team understand the value of the Definition of Done by exploring consequences of technical debt
A Scrum Master coaches the team by facilitating understanding of why practices like the Definition of Done exist, rather than enforcing compliance or bypassing the team.
Question 2: During a Sprint Retrospective, only two team members are speaking while others remain silent. What facilitation technique should the Scrum Master use?
- Ask the two vocal members to stop talking so others can speak
- End the Retrospective early since not everyone is engaged
- Use techniques like silent brainstorming or round-robin to draw out all voices (Correct answer)
- Assign a facilitator role to one of the quiet team members
Correct answer: Use techniques like silent brainstorming or round-robin to draw out all voices
Silent brainstorming, dot voting, and round-robin techniques create psychological safety and give all team members equal opportunity to contribute.
Question 3: A Scrum Master notices the team is spending too much time debating solutions during Sprint Planning instead of selecting items and creating a plan. What should the Scrum Master do?
- Make a decision for the team to keep the meeting on track
- Extend Sprint Planning until the team reaches a full consensus
- Use a timebox technique to limit debate and help the team reach a decision (Correct answer)
- Remove the contentious items from the Sprint Backlog
Correct answer: Use a timebox technique to limit debate and help the team reach a decision
Timeboxing discussions is a core facilitation technique that respects Scrum's empirical approach while keeping events productive.
Question 4: A stakeholder frequently interrupts the Development Team during the Sprint to request status updates. Which coaching approach best addresses this?
- Allow the interruptions since stakeholder satisfaction is paramount
- Coach the Product Owner to make the Sprint Backlog and progress visible to stakeholders (Correct answer)
- Schedule daily status meetings between the stakeholder and Development Team
- Ask the stakeholder to submit requests in writing
Correct answer: Coach the Product Owner to make the Sprint Backlog and progress visible to stakeholders
Transparency through visible artifacts like the Sprint Backlog reduces the need for stakeholders to interrupt the team for status information.
Question 5: When coaching a new Scrum Team, the Scrum Master observes that team members are waiting for tasks to be assigned rather than self-organizing. What is the FIRST thing the Scrum Master should do?
- Assign tasks for the current Sprint to model expected behavior
- Facilitate a discussion to help the team understand what self-organization means and its benefits (Correct answer)
- Escalate to HR that the team lacks initiative
- Restructure the team to include only experienced Scrum practitioners
Correct answer: Facilitate a discussion to help the team understand what self-organization means and its benefits
Coaching begins with building understanding; facilitating dialogue about self-organization helps the team discover how and why to self-manage.
Question 6: The Product Owner is dominating Daily Scrums by giving the team direction and assigning work. As Scrum Master, what should you do?
- Exclude the Product Owner from future Daily Scrums
- Do nothing — the Product Owner has authority over the team's work
- Coach the Product Owner on the purpose of the Daily Scrum and the team's right to self-organize (Correct answer)
- Have the team elect a new facilitator to replace the Product Owner during Daily Scrum
Correct answer: Coach the Product Owner on the purpose of the Daily Scrum and the team's right to self-organize
The Daily Scrum belongs to the Development Team for inspection and adaptation; the Scrum Master coaches the Product Owner to respect the team's self-organization.
Question 7: A Scrum Master wants to improve Sprint Retrospectives that have become repetitive and unproductive. Which approach is MOST effective?
- Rotate Retrospective facilitation among Product Owner, team, and Scrum Master
- Introduce different retrospective formats and activities each Sprint to keep the team engaged (Correct answer)
- Reduce Retrospective frequency to once per month
- Combine Retrospectives with Sprint Reviews to save time
Correct answer: Introduce different retrospective formats and activities each Sprint to keep the team engaged
Varying retrospective formats (e.g., Start/Stop/Continue, 4Ls, Sailboat) keeps the event fresh and draws out different insights from the team.
Professional Scrum Master Coaching and Facilitation 2
A Development Team consistently ignores the Definition of Done during Sprint Reviews.
As a Scrum Master, what is the BEST coaching approach?