The Scrum Master should raise their concern with the Product Owner, suggest a short break from the Daily Scrum, and coach the whole team on what the event is for. Joining the applause or doing nothing reinforces a habit that turns the Daily Scrum into a performance.
Exam Question
In the Daily Scrum, the Product Owner applauds every Developer who moves a Sprint Backlog item to completion. The Product Owner wants to encourage the Developers to make progress visible on the burn-down chart. Select the two best options for the Scrum Master to take. (choose the best two answers)
- A. Tell the Product Owner your concerns about how his behavior may impact the Developers, and ask him to stop attending the Daily Scrum for some time.
- B. Take the opportunity to create more energy and team spirit and encourage everyone to participate in the applause.
- C. Nothing. The Scrum Master does not attend the Daily Scrum.
- D. Coach the Scrum Team about the purpose of the Daily Scrum.
Correct Answer
A and D.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
The Daily Scrum is the Developers’ event for inspecting progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapting their plan. Public praise for each finished item, however well meant, shifts attention from the team goal to individual completion and to the burn-down chart. It can push people to rush items or game the chart to win approval. Telling the Product Owner about this impact is honest and direct, and a pause from attending gives the Developers space to reset the event. The Product Owner has no required role there anyway unless working on Sprint Backlog items. Coaching the full Scrum Team on the purpose of the Daily Scrum fixes the underlying misunderstanding for everyone.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
B. Encourage everyone to join in the applause. This makes individual rewards part of the event and deepens the focus on looking good rather than reaching the Sprint Goal.
C. Do nothing, because the Scrum Master does not attend. The Scrum Master is accountable for the team’s effectiveness. Ignoring a problem with an event is not acceptable just because attendance is optional.
Exam Tip
Behavior that rewards individuals during a team event is usually a problem in PSM II questions. Pick answers that protect the event’s purpose and coach the team.
Key Takeaways
- The Daily Scrum focuses on the Sprint Goal, not individual credit.
- Well-meant behavior can still undermine self-management.
- The Scrum Master acts on problems even in events they need not attend.
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More PSM II exam questions
- What conditions are most likely occurring if you feel you need a “Quality Assurance and Release Readiness Sprint”?
- Scrum requires a Definition of Done. Which phrases describe the purpose of the Definition of Done?
- What can the Scrum Value of openness easily impact?
- A Scrum Master colleague of yours wants some guidance on what to do in the following situation. During the Daily Scrum, one Scrum Team member, who is a key central figure in the organization, drags on and on about things which actually are interesting but not relevant for the Daily Scrum, day after day. What are two suggestions you offer the Scrum Master?
- In Sprint Planning, the Developers work with the Product Owner to create a forecast for the Sprint. A forecast is a selection of Product Backlog items that the Developers deem feasible to get done by the end of the Sprint. Select two things that explain what “Done” means.