SSM Supporting Team Events Practice Question
A Scrum Master notices that during the team's Iteration Retrospective, the same two senior developers dominate the conversation while other members remain silent, and no actionable improvements have been produced for three consecutive iterations. What should the Scrum Master do first to improve the effectiveness of this event?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming the Scrum Master should directly correct the behavior of dominant individuals rather than adjusting the facilitation format to make the event more inclusive and outcome-focused.
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
✓
Introduce a structured format such as silent brainstorming or round-robin sharing to ensure all voices are heard and to drive toward a small set of owned improvement actions.
The most effective first step is to change how the Retrospective is facilitated so that participation is balanced and outcomes are actionable. Structured formats such as silent brainstorming or round-robin reduce the influence of dominant speakers and help the team identify and commit to a few concrete improvements. This keeps ownership with the team while the Scrum Master improves the event's process and safety.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cancel the Retrospective for the next iteration and replace it with a team-building lunch, since the team seems unable to produce improvements.
Why it's wrong here
Cancelling the Retrospective removes the team's primary mechanism for inspection and adaptation, which is a core Scrum event. A team-building activity might improve relationships but does not satisfy the purpose of the Retrospective or generate actionable improvements. The Scrum Master should instead adjust the facilitation approach to help the team get value from the event, not eliminate it.
- ✓
Introduce a structured format such as silent brainstorming or round-robin sharing to ensure all voices are heard and to drive toward a small set of owned improvement actions.
Why this is correct
This is correct because the Scrum Master facilitates the Retrospective to be safe, inclusive, and productive. Using formats like silent brainstorming or round-robin directly addresses dominance by a few members, encourages broader participation, and helps the team converge on specific, owned improvement actions rather than vague discussion. It preserves the team's ownership of the content while improving the process, which is exactly the Scrum Master's accountability in team events.
- ✗
Ask the two senior developers to stop talking so much and allow others to speak, then continue the Retrospective as usual.
Why it's wrong here
This fails because singling out individuals publicly damages psychological safety, which is essential for an effective Retrospective. It also does not change the underlying format that allowed dominance in the first place, so the same pattern is likely to recur. The Scrum Master should change the process, not reprimand people, and should avoid putting any team member on the spot in front of peers.
- ✗
Report the issue to the Release Train Engineer and ask them to attend and lead the next Retrospective for the team.
Why it's wrong here
Escalating facilitation to the Release Train Engineer undermines the team's self-management and the Scrum Master's own accountability for team events. While the RTE can help remove impediments, taking over the Retrospective does not teach the team to own its improvement process. The Scrum Master should first try proven facilitation techniques before involving outside roles.
About these practice questions
This SSM question is part of Courseiva's 385-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.