Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I)Scrum Master StancesHard
An organization is struggling with a low level of trust between departments, leading to finger-pointing and reluctance to collaborate on cross-functional initiatives. The Scrum Master observes how this impacts the Scrum Team's ability to deliver end-to-end value. Which Scrum Master stance is MOST appropriate for addressing this systemic organizational issue?
- AServant Leader, by ensuring the Development Team has all necessary resources to work in isolation.
- BChange Agent, by working with leadership to foster a culture of transparency and collaboration across the organization.
- CMentor, by advising individual team members on how to navigate inter-departmental conflicts.
- DTeacher, by conducting a training session for the Scrum Team on effective communication strategies.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Change Agent, by working with leadership to foster a culture of transparency and collaboration across the organization.
A systemic issue like a low-trust organizational culture requires a Scrum Master to act as a Change Agent. This involves influencing the broader organizational environment to foster a more collaborative and transparent culture, which goes beyond the immediate team.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Ensuring resources is part of servant leadership, but isolating the team doesn't address the systemic organizational trust issue.
- C. Mentoring individuals helps them cope, but doesn't resolve the underlying organizational problem.
- D. Teaching communication strategies to the team is helpful, but the problem is systemic across departments, requiring a broader, organizational change approach.
Change Agent (Organizational Culture)
The Scrum Master acts as a Change Agent by influencing and guiding the broader organization to adopt principles and practices that foster a culture of transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Addresses systemic organizational issues.
- Works with leadership and across departments.
- Aims to evolve the organizational culture to support agility.
Memory trick: Change Agents Elevate the Entire Enterprise.