The Scrum Team

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Expected to bring about a potentially releasable Increment of 'Done' product at the end of each Sprint, the Scrum Team is self-organizing and cross-functional, implying that it is in full control of its work and that it has all the competencies required to accomplish the work without depending on others not part of the team. It optimizes flexibility, creativity, and productivity.

Guide for Understanding 'The Scrum Team'

The Importance: The Scrum Team, comprising of the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team, is crucial in Agile project management. Understanding the role and function of each individual is fundamental for the effective and successful implementation of Scrum framework.

Definition: The Scrum Team is a self-organizing team that works towards a common goal—an effective piece of software. The Product Owner is responsible for managing and prioritizing the product backlog. The Scrum Master ensures that the team follows Scrum practices and principles. The Development Team does the work of delivering the increments of the product.

Working: The Scrum Team works in iterations called Sprints. During each Sprint, the team builds and delivers a potentially releasable product increment.

Exam Tips - Answering Questions on The Scrum Team: Understanding the distinct role of each member of the Scrum Team and how they interact is key to answering exam questions. Make sure you understand:
  • The Product Owner maximizes value and manages the backlog.
  • The Scrum Master ensures readiness of the team and enforces Scrum principles.
  • The Development Team works towards delivering a potentially releasable increment during each Sprint.
Answer the questions by putting yourself in the shoes of the Scrum Team member specified in the question.
Remember that the Scrum Team, as a whole, is responsible for all product-related decisions.
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PSM I - The Scrum Team Example Questions

Test your knowledge of The Scrum Team

Question 1

The Scrum Master notices that the team is often exceeding their time boxes. Although this leads to extensive discussions and supposedly better solutions, the Scrum Master is concerned about the sustainability of the process. What is the best approach for the Scrum Master?

Correct Answer: Coach the team on the purpose and benefits of adhering to time boxes and explore strategies to improve time management without compromising quality.

While it's essential to ensure discussions within the team are fruitful and lead to high-quality outcomes, it's equally important to foster a culture that respects time boxes. This helps in promoting sustainable work practices and maintains the rhythm of the Scrum framework. The correct answer emphasizes coaching the team on the importance of time management while still respecting their need for quality discussions. The wrong answers, although related and plausible, either suggest altering the Scrum framework directly or indirectly or miss the point of coaching and empowering the team to find their solutions within the existing framework.

Question 2

Your scrum team is not being able to complete the projected work within the sprint. What should be your approach as a Scrum master?

Correct Answer: Facilitate a discussion to promote transparency and inspect and adapt the team's working process

The best approach when the scrum team is not able to complete the projected work within the sprint is to facilitate a discussion that promotes transparency and helps the team to inspect and adapt its working process. This is the core essence of Scrum, which is built not on meeting set amounts of work in specified time frames but rather learning, adapting, and improving. Adding more team members or extending the length of the sprint might seem like plausible solutions, but they, in fact, introduce more variables and potential disruptions to team dynamics and project planning, often leading to further inefficiency (known as Brooks's law in software development). Making the team work overtime is not only unethical but can also lead to burnout and a decrease in productivity in the long run.

Question 3

In Scrum, which statement best describes the accountability of the Scrum Team concerning the product backlog?

Correct Answer: The Scrum Team is collectively responsible for Product Backlog management.

In Scrum, while the Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from work of the Development Team and has the authority to make final decisions regarding the Product Backlog, the entire Scrum Team (which includes the Product Owner, the Development Team, and the Scrum Master) is collectively responsible for Product Backlog management. This includes contributing to the Product Backlog, ensuring it is clear and transparent, and that it shows what the Scrum Team will work on next. The option stating that only the Product Owner is responsible for the Product Backlog is incorrect because, despite the Product Owner having the final say, the entire team contributes to the backlog refinement. The statement that the Product Owner manages the backlog but the Development Team can make changes undermines the collaborative aspect of backlog refinement and the final authority of the Product Owner. Lastly, the assertion that the Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring the Product Backlog is aligned with stakeholder expectations is incorrect because the Scrum Master's role is more about coaching and facilitating Scrum practices rather than managing the content of the Product Backlog.

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Other Scrum Accountabilities concepts

Artifact TransparencyDevelopersScrum ArtefactsScrum MasterSprint PlanningStakeholdersThe Product OwnerThe Scrum Events
All Scrum Accountabilities questions · PSM I practice test