Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I)People & TeamsMedium
A Scrum Team has recently undergone a significant change in its composition, with several new Developers joining. The Scrum Master notices that the team is struggling with decision-making, often deferring to the most experienced members or waiting for the Product Owner to make choices. Which of the following Scrum Master stances would be MOST beneficial in helping the new team establish self-management?
- AActing as a facilitator by setting clear agendas for discussions and guiding the team towards consensus.
- BTaking on a directing role, making decisions on behalf of the team to ensure progress and demonstrate effective practices.
- CCoaching the team on different decision-making techniques and encouraging them to own their choices and consequences.
- DMentoring individual new Developers on best practices and encouraging them to speak up more during team discussions.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Coaching the team on different decision-making techniques and encouraging them to own their choices and consequences.
To establish self-management, the team needs to learn to make its own decisions. Coaching them on techniques and empowering them to own their choices directly supports this, rather than the Scrum Master making decisions for them or simply facilitating discussions without empowering ownership.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Facilitation is helpful for discussions but doesn't directly build the team's capacity for independent decision-making and ownership.
- B. Directing undermines self-management and creates dependency on the Scrum Master.
- D. Mentoring individuals is valuable but doesn't address the team's collective struggle with decision-making and ownership as a self-managing unit.
Scrum Master as Coach for Self-Management
A Scrum Master coaches the team in self-management and cross-functionality, helping them to develop their own abilities to organize and manage their work.
- Focuses on empowering the team to make decisions.
- Guides the team to learn from their choices and consequences.
- Avoids making decisions for the team.
Memory trick: The Scrum Master wears many hats, guiding the team where it's at.