The Scrum Master should coach the Product Owner and the Developers on what the Daily Scrum is for, then let them decide how to fix it. Banning the Product Owner or stepping in as a referee treats the symptom and takes ownership away from the team.
Exam Question
The Scrum team has been using the Daily Scrum to report Sprint progress to the Product Owner, because the Product Owner wants to track what every Developer is working on every day. What is the best thing for the Scrum Master to do? (choose the best answer)
- A. Ask the Product Owner to stop attending the Daily Scrum.
- B. Coach the Product Owner and Developers on the purpose of Scrum events and let them figure out how to deal with this situation.
- C. Nothing. The Product Owner can continue to track progress at the Daily Scrum.
- D. Start attending the Daily Scrum so that whenever the Developers have a conflict with the Product Owner, the Scrum Master can resolve the conflict.
Correct Answer
B. Coach the Product Owner and Developers on the purpose of Scrum events and let them figure out how to deal with this situation.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
The Scrum Guide describes the Daily Scrum as “a 15-minute event for the Developers of the Scrum Team.” Its purpose is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog, not to show a manager who did what. When the event turns into a status report, the Developers stop planning together and start performing for an audience. The Scrum Master is accountable for the team’s effectiveness and for helping everyone understand Scrum. Coaching both sides addresses the real cause, which is a misunderstanding of the event and of self-management. Letting the team choose the fix keeps the solution theirs, so it is more likely to stick.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
A. Ask the Product Owner to stop attending the Daily Scrum. This removes the person but not the misunderstanding. The Product Owner will likely find another way to demand daily status.
C. Do nothing and let the Product Owner keep tracking progress there. Ignoring a misused event is a failure of the Scrum Master’s accountability. The Daily Scrum is losing its purpose.
D. Attend the Daily Scrum to resolve conflicts between Developers and the Product Owner. This makes the Scrum Master a permanent referee and builds dependency. It also leaves the status-reporting habit untouched.
Exam Tip
In PSM II scenarios where an event is being misused, look for the answer where the Scrum Master teaches the purpose and lets the team own the fix. Answers that ban people or take control are usually wrong.
Key Takeaways
- The Daily Scrum belongs to the Developers.
- Daily status reporting to the Product Owner defeats its purpose.
- The Scrum Master coaches the cause instead of policing the symptom.
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More PSM II exam questions
- At the seventh Sprint Review, the stakeholders seem disappointed and angry. When asked about it, they say the product being built will not meet their needs and will cost more than they anticipated spending. What factors may have led to this?
- You are the Scrum Master for four teams working from the same Product Backlog. Several of the developers come to you complaining that work identified for the upcoming two Sprints will require full time commitment from Phil, an external specialist. As the Scrum Master what should you do to solve this upcoming problem?
- You have just been hired as a Scrum Master by a company new to Scrum. The company wants to use Scrum to build a new product that was conceived by the product management department. You will be the Scrum Master of two new teams that will build a first version of the product. The product management department assigns two new Product Owners, but wants more advice about the required participation with the new Scrum Teams. Which two suggestions would you offer?
- A Scrum Team is struggling over the fact that not all Developers work full time and that other Developers regularly work from home. To solve the difficulties in aligning daily, at the Sprint Retrospective two Developers suggest having the Daily Scrum every three days, when everyone is in the office.
- You are a Scrum Master helping to establish five Scrum Teams that will be building a product. You discuss with them the high level of integration that the product Increment will require by the end of their first Sprint. It is a highly anticipated product, both by consumers and by the organization. Of the options raised by the future Scrum Team members, which option do you encourage?