CSM Service to the Organization Practice Question
A department manager wants to see the team's 'Individual Performance' report to decide on annual bonuses. What should the Scrum Master do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates might think the Scrum Master should share the individual performance metrics to keep management happy, forgetting agile principles.
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
✓
Advise the manager on team-based performance incentives.
The Scrum Master must protect the team from metrics that discourage collaboration and promote individual competition. Annual bonuses based on individual performance are a legacy management practice that conflicts with the team-based approach of Scrum. The Scrum Master's role is to educate the manager on why this policy is detrimental and suggest alternative, team-based metrics that better align with the organization's agile goals.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Provide the report, but warn the manager it is inaccurate.
Why it's wrong here
Providing the report validates the manager's action and encourages the use of flawed data. The Scrum Master should take a stronger stance against metrics that undermine the team's collaborative work. Simply adding a warning does not address the systemic issue of using wrong measures for compensation.
- ✓
Advise the manager on team-based performance incentives.
Why this is correct
This is a proactive way to influence organizational culture. By presenting the manager with options for team-based rewards, the Scrum Master helps align incentives with the Scrum values of collaboration and collective ownership. This shift is critical for supporting long-term team performance and organizational agility.
- ✗
Refuse to speak with the manager about the bonus policy.
Why it's wrong here
Refusing to engage is unprofessional and fails to serve the organization. The Scrum Master is responsible for coaching leadership on better ways to manage performance. By withdrawing from the conversation, the Scrum Master loses the opportunity to make a positive impact and influence the organization's policies.
- ✗
Create a new reporting tool to hide the individual data.
Why it's wrong here
Hiding data is not a substitute for having a transparent conversation about organizational policy. The Scrum Master should address the issue directly by discussing the impact of the policy with the manager. Creating workarounds is a temporary fix that does not resolve the deeper organizational issue.
About these practice questions
This CSM question is part of Courseiva's 312-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 Scrum Alliance exam blueprint
This CSM practice question is part of Courseiva's free Scrum Alliance 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 CSM exam.