Coaching and Facilitation Flashcards
7 cards from real Professional Scrum Master practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Coaching and Facilitation flashcards as text
A Development Team consistently ignores the Definition of Done during Sprint Reviews. As a Scrum Master, what is the BEST coaching approach?
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.
During a Sprint Retrospective, only two team members are speaking while others remain silent. What facilitation technique should the Scrum Master use?
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.
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?
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.
A stakeholder frequently interrupts the Development Team during the Sprint to request status updates. Which coaching approach best addresses this?
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.
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?
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.
The Product Owner is dominating Daily Scrums by giving the team direction and assigning work. As Scrum Master, what should you do?
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.
A Scrum Master wants to improve Sprint Retrospectives that have become repetitive and unproductive. Which approach is MOST effective?
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.