PSM-II Exam Questions & Answers

A: You organize an offsite team building activity to establish a foundation of trust. You observe whether the problem persists after the offsite activity. This is a good way to foster a positive team culture and improve the relationships among the team members. The offsite activity can help the team to have fun, relax, and bond with each other. It can also create an opportunity for the team to discuss their issues and concerns in a more informal and friendly setting. The Scrum Master can observe whether the problem of disagreement is resolved or reduced after the offsite activity, and provide feedback and support as needed.

E: To every team member expressing this concern you suggest raising this with the full team. You offer to help initiate the conversation but not to resolve the concern yourself. This is a good way to empower the team to address their own problems and find their own solutions. The Scrum Master can encourage the team members to speak up and share their perspectives and feelings with the whole team, rather than keeping them to themselves or complaining to others. The Scrum Master can also facilitate the conversation and ensure that it is respectful, constructive, and productive, but not intervene or impose their own opinion or decision.

Scrum Guide 2020, page 13: ''The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team in several ways, including coaching the team members in self-management and cross-functionality.''

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 20: ''The Scrum Master can help the team to build trust by creating a safe environment where people can express themselves openly and honestly, without fear of judgment or retaliation.''

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 21: ''The Scrum Master can help the team to resolve conflicts by facilitating dialogue, listening actively, asking powerful questions, and supporting collaborative decision making.''

As the Scrum Master, your role is to serve the Scrum Team by helping them to work effectively and deliver value. You are not responsible for managing the work or assigning tasks to the Developers. You should respect the self-organization and autonomy of the Developers, and support them in finding their own solutions to the problem. You should also facilitate collaboration and communication among the Developers and with other stakeholders.

Some reasons why option B is the correct answer are:

Asking the Developers what value they get by having the Daily Scrum with all team members present and what might go wrong if all Developers do not attend. This action will help the Scrum Team to understand the purpose and benefits of the Daily Scrum, and to identify and address the risks and consequences of missing it.The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers of the Scrum Team to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work12.The Daily Scrum also provides an opportunity for the Developers to identify and communicate any impediments that are hindering their progress, and request help from the Scrum Master or other team members to resolve them12.The Daily Scrum improves communications, identifies impediments, promotes quick decision-making, and consequently eliminates the need for other meetings12.The Daily Scrum is not a status meeting, but a way for the Developers to collaborate and self-organize around the most important work for the next 24 hours12. If a Developer is missing the Daily Scrum, they may miss important information, feedback, or support from their peers, or they may cause delays, confusion, or conflicts for their team. The Scrum Master should encourage the Developers to share their perspectives and experiences on how the Daily Scrum helps them achieve their Sprint Goal and create a valuable Increment.

The Scrum Master should also help the Developers to come up with their own solutions on how to ensure full attendance and participation in the Daily Scrum. The Scrum Master should not impose or dictate a solution, but rather coach and guide the Developers to find what works best for them. The Scrum Master should also help the Developers to agree on some ground rules or norms for their Daily Scrum, such as when, where, and how to conduct it, what topics to discuss, and how to handle any issues or conflicts that may arise.

Some reasons why the other options are not correct are:

A: You do not intervene. The Developers own the Daily Scrum, so they should deal with any issues with attendance. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum Master role.The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide1, causing change that increases the productivity of the Scrum Team1, and working with other Scrum Masters to increase the effectiveness of the application of Scrum in the organization1. The Scrum Master should not ignore or avoid a problem that affects the performance or well-being of the Scrum Team, but rather help them address it in a constructive and respectful way. The Scrum Master should also not assume that the Developers know how to deal with any issues with attendance, but rather teach them how to do so effectively.

C: Talk to the Developer who is missing the Daily Scrum and ask her to always attend the Daily Scrum. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum Master role.The Daily Scrum is an event for and by the Developers12, not for reporting or accountability to anyone else. The Scrum Master should not interfere with or dictate how the Developers conduct their Daily Scrum, or make unilateral decisions on behalf of them. The Scrum Master should also not single out or confront a Developer who is missing the Daily Scrum, but rather involve all Developers in finding a solution that works for everyone.

D: Teach the Developers how to deal with this situation by attending the Daily Scrum yourself. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum Master role.The Daily Scrum is an event for and by the Developers12, not for anyone else's inspection or intervention.The Scrum Master should not attend or participate in the Daily Scrum unless they are actively working on items in the Sprint Backlog12. The presence of an outsider may disrupt or influence the dynamics of the Developers' communication and collaboration. The Scrum Master should also not teach by doing, but rather by coaching and facilitating.

What is a Daily Scrum? | Scrum.org

What Is a Daily Standup? | A Guide to Running Effective Standup Meetings | Atlassian

https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-scrum-masterThe Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team by coaching them and the organization how to work empirically, which means using an evidence-based approach to inspect and adapt the product and the process1.The Scrum Master also facilitates Scrum events as requested or needed, such as the Sprint Planning, the Daily Scrum, the Sprint Review, and the Sprint Retrospective2.The Scrum Master ensures that these events are positive, productive, and kept within the timebox2.

The Scrum Master does not resolve every impediment that the Developers run into, but rather helps them to remove or overcome those impediments themselves3. The Scrum Master also does not never intervene in matters of the Scrum Team, but rather balances between providing guidance and allowing autonomy. The Scrum Master is not a passive observer, but an active servant leader who supports the team in achieving their goals.

What is a Scrum Master? | Scrum.org, section ''The Accountabilities of the Scrum Master''

The Scrum Guide 2020, section ''The Scrum Master''

What is a scrum master? [+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian, section ''Scrum master responsibilities''

[The 8 Stances of a Scrum Master by Barry Overeem], section ''The Servant Leader''

[What Is a Scrum Master (and How Do I Become One)? - Coursera], section ''What is a scrum master?''

The possible explanations for why this Scrum Team is struggling to craft a Sprint Goal are B, D, and E.

B) The Sprints are too long. A four-week Sprint is the maximum duration allowed by the Scrum Guide, and it may not be suitable for complex and uncertain work that requires frequent feedback and adaptation. A shorter Sprint may help the Scrum Team to focus on a clear and coherent Sprint Goal that aligns with the Product Goal and delivers a valuable Increment.

D) The Product Owner is not communicating the Product Goal that they want to achieve in upcoming Sprints. The Product Goal is a long-term objective for the Scrum Team that provides direction and purpose for their work. The Product Owner is responsible for communicating the Product Goal to the Developers and collaborating with them to create Sprint Goals that move them closer to the Product Goal. Without a clear Product Goal, the Scrum Team may lack a shared vision and end up working on unrelated items.

E) The Scrum Team is too big. The Scrum Guide recommends that the Scrum Team consists of 10 or fewer people, including the Scrum Master and the Product Owner. A larger team may have difficulties in collaborating effectively, self-organizing, and creating a meaningful Sprint Goal that reflects the collective commitment of the Developers. A smaller team may improve the communication, coordination, and cohesion among the Developers and help them to create and achieve a Sprint Goal.

The Scrum Guide, section 2.3 (The Scrum Team), page 7

The Scrum Guide, section 3.1 (The Sprint), page 8

The Scrum Guide, section 3.3 (The Sprint Goal), page 9

The Scrum Guide, section 4.1 (The Product Backlog), page 11

The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 2 (The Scrum Framework), lesson 2 (The Sprint) and lesson 3 (The Sprint Goal)

B: The Scrum Master coaches the Scrum Team and the organization how to work empirically. This is a true statement, as the Scrum Master is responsible for helping everyone understand and apply the principles and practices of Scrum, which is based on empirical process control. The Scrum Master can teach the Scrum Team and the organization how to use transparency, inspection, and adaptation to deliver valuable products in a complex environment.

C: The Scrum Master facilitates Scrum events as requested or needed. This is a true statement, as the Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that all Scrum events take place and are positive, productive, and kept within the timebox. The Scrum Master can facilitate the communication and collaboration among the Scrum Team and the stakeholders during the Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective.

Scrum Guide 2020, page 6: ''The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization.''

Scrum Guide 2020, page 13: ''The purpose of each event in Scrum is to create an opportunity for inspection and adaptation. These events are specifically designed to enable critical transparency and inspection.''

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 13: ''The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team by facilitating the Scrum events and ensuring that they are effective and valuable.''