Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I)Scrum Master StancesMedium
During a Sprint Retrospective, the Development Team expresses frustration that their 'Definition of Done' (DoD) is too vague, leading to inconsistencies in increment quality and frequent rework. They are unsure how to make it more concrete. Which Scrum Master stance would be most effective in this scenario?
- AImpediment Remover, by escalating the issue to management to get approval for more time to refine the DoD.
- BFacilitator, by guiding the team through a collaborative exercise to define clearer, measurable criteria for their DoD.
- CMentor, by providing them with a template for a detailed DoD based on your previous project experiences.
- DServant Leader, by taking on the task of rewriting the DoD for the team to ensure clarity and consistency.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Facilitator, by guiding the team through a collaborative exercise to define clearer, measurable criteria for their DoD.
The team needs help articulating and agreeing upon a clearer DoD. The Scrum Master, as a Facilitator, can guide the team through a structured discussion or exercise to collectively define measurable criteria, empowering them to own the solution rather than imposing one.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Refining the DoD is an internal team improvement, not typically an impediment requiring management escalation. It also doesn't help the team learn how to improve it themselves.
- C. While mentoring can be useful, directly providing a template might prevent the team from owning their DoD and learning to create one collaboratively.
- D. A Servant Leader helps the team, but writing the DoD for them disempowers the team and goes against the principle of self-organization.
Scrum Master as Facilitator
The Scrum Master facilitates Scrum events and helps the team achieve consensus and make decisions effectively without imposing their own views.
- Guides discussions and decision-making.
- Ensures productive meetings.
- Promotes collaboration and consensus.
Memory trick: The Facilitator helps the team navigate discussions to reach their own destination.