Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I)Scrum Master StancesHard
An organization is struggling with a low-trust environment where departments frequently blame each other for project failures. The Scrum Master observes that this deeply ingrained cultural issue is impacting the effectiveness of Scrum Teams, as cross-functional collaboration is hampered. Which Scrum Master stance is most critical to address this systemic issue?
- AFacilitator, by organizing workshops to improve inter-departmental communication.
- BMentor, by advising individual team members on how to navigate difficult inter-departmental relationships.
- CChange Agent, by working with leadership to identify and dismantle organizational structures and behaviors that perpetuate low trust.
- DTeacher, by delivering presentations on the benefits of transparency and collaboration.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Change Agent, by working with leadership to identify and dismantle organizational structures and behaviors that perpetuate low trust.
A deeply ingrained low-trust culture is a systemic organizational issue that requires significant change beyond individual team improvements. The Scrum Master as a Change Agent works at an organizational level to influence and enact fundamental shifts in culture, processes, and structures.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Facilitating workshops is a good tactic, but as a standalone, it doesn't address the root systemic problem of trust.
- B. Mentoring individuals helps them cope, but it doesn't resolve the underlying organizational pathology that affects everyone.
- D. Teaching provides information, but cultural change requires more than just knowing 'what' to do; it requires 'how' and 'why' at a deeper level.
Scrum Master as Change Agent
The Scrum Master helps the organization adopt Scrum, often by identifying and addressing organizational impediments, cultural barriers, and structural issues that hinder agility.
- Works at an organizational level.
- Challenges status quo and promotes new ways of working.
- Requires influencing skills and persistence.
Memory trick: A CHANGE AGENT 'STIRS' the pot to transform the whole organization.