SSM Defining the Scrum Master / Team Coach Role Practice Question
A newly formed Agile Team in a SAFe ART is struggling with self-organization. Team members constantly look to the Scrum Master / Team Coach to assign tasks and make decisions. Which action best fulfills the Scrum Master / Team Coach role in this situation?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is falling back into a traditional project manager mindset by assigning tasks or escalating, instead of coaching the team to self-organize.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Coach the team on self-management by asking powerful questions and facilitating team decision-making rather than providing direct answers.
The Scrum Master / Team Coach should coach the team to become self-organizing. Asking powerful questions and facilitating decision-making helps the team learn to solve problems independently. This approach aligns with the servant leader role and builds sustainable capability, rather than creating reliance on the Scrum Master for direction.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Recommend that the team adopt a strict task board with predefined columns and require daily updates to enforce accountability.
Why it's wrong here
Imposing a strict task board and mandatory updates is a command-and-control approach that contradicts self-organization. While visual management is useful, it should be adopted by the team, not mandated. This action may create compliance but not commitment, and it fails to coach the team toward autonomy.
- ✗
Escalate the team's lack of self-organization to the Release Train Engineer so they can provide additional guidance.
Why it's wrong here
Escalation is not appropriate here because the Scrum Master / Team Coach is responsible for coaching the team on self-organization. The RTE supports the ART, not individual team development. This action would bypass the Scrum Master's core responsibility and may signal a lack of confidence in their ability to coach.
- ✗
Assign tasks to team members based on their skills and track progress to ensure the Iteration Goal is met.
Why it's wrong here
Assigning tasks undermines self-organization and keeps the team dependent on the Scrum Master. In SAFe, the Scrum Master / Team Coach should not act as a traditional project manager. This approach may meet short-term goals but fails to develop the team's autonomy, which is essential for long-term success.
- ✓
Coach the team on self-management by asking powerful questions and facilitating team decision-making rather than providing direct answers.
Why this is correct
This is correct because the Scrum Master / Team Coach serves as a servant leader and coach. By asking powerful questions and facilitating decision-making, they help the team develop self-organization skills. This approach builds the team's capability over time, rather than creating dependency on the Scrum Master.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Scaled Agile exam blueprint
This SSM practice question is part of Courseiva's free Scaled Agile certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SSM exam.