Study CSM Coaching, Facilitation, and Teaching Scrum: key concepts, common traps, and exam decision cues.
The Scrum Master often helps most by coaching and facilitation rather than by direct control. CSM questions here usually reward answers that make the team more capable instead of more dependent.
| Weak Scrum Master move | Stronger Scrum Master move |
|---|---|
| solve every problem for the team | help the team learn to solve better together |
| run events as controller | facilitate useful participation and purpose |
| protect Scrum by policing language only | teach why Scrum works the way it does |
| create dependency on the Scrum Master | build team capability and clarity |
If a Sprint Review is unproductive, the stronger Scrum Master response is often to improve facilitation and understanding of the event’s purpose, not to turn it into a rigid script.
Which Scrum Master response best reflects servant leadership?
A. Deciding all team actions to keep work efficient B. Facilitating learning so the team uses Scrum more effectively C. Taking Product Backlog ownership when stakeholders disagree D. Replacing the Product Owner in Sprint Planning
Best answer: B
Why: Servant leadership strengthens the team’s understanding and capability rather than taking over accountability.
Why the others are weaker: A, C, and D all break Scrum accountabilities.