SSM Defining the Scrum Master / Team Coach Role Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✓

  Coach the team to resolve its own impediments by asking guiding questions and escalating only when the team cannot remove a blocker within the Iteration.

  Why this is correct

  Coaching the team to resolve its own impediments and escalating only when necessary builds problem-solving capability and self-reliance. The Scrum Master remains accountable for removing impediments but should first help the team attempt removal. This graduated approach develops the team's ability to self-manage while ensuring blockers do not stall the Iteration unnecessarily.

• ✗

  Attend every Daily Stand-up and provide a summary of each member's progress to the Product Owner to keep stakeholders informed.

  Why it's wrong here

  Attending every Daily Stand-up and reporting on behalf of the team undermines the team's direct communication and self-management. The Daily Stand-up is for the team to synchronize and plan its day, not for the Scrum Master to relay status. This behavior creates a reporting bottleneck and shifts accountability away from the team, which is counterproductive to building self-management.

• ✗

  Assign each Story to a specific team member during Iteration Planning to ensure clear accountability and reduce confusion about who is doing what.

  Why it's wrong here

  Assigning Stories to individuals during Iteration Planning reduces team ownership and discourages swarm behavior. In SAFe, Agile Teams are encouraged to self-organize and collaborate on Stories rather than silo work by individual assignment. This action reinforces dependency on the Scrum Master for coordination and slows the team's growth toward self-management.

• ✗

  Take ownership of the team board and update Story status daily so the team can focus on development work without administrative overhead.

  Why it's wrong here

  Taking ownership of the team board removes a key self-management mechanism from the team and creates dependency on the Scrum Master. Updating Story status is a team responsibility that reinforces shared ownership of the Iteration. Performing this task for the team undermines the very self-organization the Scrum Master is trying to build and contradicts the servant-leader stance.

• ✓

  Teach the team to use the Iteration Backlog and team board to pull work and self-organize around Stories during the Iteration.

  Why this is correct

  Teaching the team to pull work and self-organize around Stories directly builds self-management. The Scrum Master / Team Coach helps the team understand how to use the Iteration Backlog and visual management to coordinate without waiting for direction. This shifts ownership from the Scrum Master to the team, which is the core of the servant-leader approach in SAFe.