Answering: “You are the Scrum Master on a newly formed Scrum Team. Which two of the following activities would probably help the team in starting up?”

A new Scrum Team gets off to a good start when it understands that it needs a Definition of Done and when the Product Owner shares the product’s vision, history, goals and context. Personality matching, manager introductions and bonuses do not help.

Exam Question

You are the Scrum Master on a newly formed Scrum Team. Which two of the following activities would probably help the team in starting up? (choose the best two answers)

• A. Ensure the team understands they need a Definition of Done.
• B. Ensure the Scrum Team members have compatible personalities.
• C. Have the manager for each Developer introduce their direct reports and go over their responsibilities on the Scrum Team.
• D. Ask the Product Owner to discuss the product, its vision, history, goals, and context, as well as answer questions.
• E. Introduce a bonus system for the top performers in the team.

Correct Answer

A and D.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

A new team needs two things before it can deliver: a shared standard for quality and a shared understanding of the product. The Definition of Done gives the first. The Scrum Guide calls it “a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product,” and without it nobody knows what Done means. The second comes from the Product Owner, who is accountable for developing and communicating the Product Goal. Hearing the product’s history, purpose and context, and being able to ask questions, lets the Developers make better decisions from the first Sprint.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

B. Ensure members have compatible personalities. Teams grow by working through differences. Screening for personality is neither practical nor part of Scrum.

C. Have each Developer’s manager introduce them and their responsibilities. This reinforces outside hierarchy inside a team that is meant to be self-managing with no sub-teams or titles.

E. Introduce a bonus for top performers. Individual bonuses encourage competition and hurt collaboration, which a new team needs most.

Exam Tip

For new-team questions, pick answers that build shared understanding of the product and of quality. Answers about hierarchy or individual rewards are distractors.

Key Takeaways

• A new team needs a clear Definition of Done.
• The Product Owner shares vision, goals and context early.
• Individual incentives and manager-led roles work against teamwork.