CSM Scrum Master Core Competencies Practice Question
A team member is consistently negative during meetings, which is impacting the team's morale. What should the Scrum Master do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often choose to 'bring it up in the Retrospective' or 'tell the team to ignore them,' which can cause unnecessary public shaming or fail to address the root behavior.
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
✓
Discuss the behavior with the individual privately.
The Scrum Master is responsible for the health of the team and must address disruptive behavior. By coaching the individual in a private setting, the Scrum Master maintains psychological safety while directly addressing the issue. This is crucial because a healthy team dynamic is necessary for open communication, effective collaboration, and the sustained high performance that defines a truly successful Scrum team.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Address the behavior in the next group meeting.
Why it's wrong here
Publicly confronting someone can be perceived as an attack and damages psychological safety. The Scrum Master should handle interpersonal conflicts in private, using coaching to explore the root cause of the negativity. Public shaming discourages open participation and creates a culture of fear that is detrimental to team performance.
- ✓
Discuss the behavior with the individual privately.
Why this is correct
Private coaching allows the Scrum Master to understand the underlying causes of the negativity without embarrassing the team member. This approach is more likely to lead to a positive behavioral change, as it preserves the individual's dignity while making it clear how their actions are affecting the team's collective goals.
- ✗
Ask the team to vote on removing the member.
Why it's wrong here
Voting to remove a team member is highly divisive and unprofessional. It creates a toxic environment of exclusion. The Scrum Master should focus on coaching and mediation rather than encouraging team conflict. Building a high-performing team involves working through interpersonal challenges, not just discarding people who cause temporary friction.
- ✗
Ignore the negativity if the team's velocity is high.
Why it's wrong here
Negativity impacts team health and morale, which will eventually degrade velocity and quality. Ignoring the issue is a failure to protect the team's long-term sustainability. A Scrum Master must prioritize the human aspect of the team, as sustainable performance is impossible in an environment where individuals feel demoralized or unsupported.
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.