What is one responsibility of a Scrum Master/Team Coach?
Correct Answer:C
One of the responsibilities of a Scrum Master/Team Coach is to help the team achieve flow, which is a state of continuous and sustainable delivery of value. They do this by teaching and coaching the team on SAFe Scrum and SAFe Team Kanban practices, such as limiting work in progress, visualizing work, managing queues, and reducing batch sizes. They also help identify and eliminate impediments and bottlenecks that hinder the team??s progress and performance.
References:
✑ Scrum Master/Team Coach - Scaled Agile Framework
✑ Exam Study Guide: SSM (6.0) - SAFe® Scrum Master
What is one benefit of having an IP Iteration every PI?
Correct Answer:A
One benefit of having an IP Iteration every PI is that it creates an estimating buffer for meeting PI objectives. PI objectives are a set of SMART goals that align the teams and stakeholders to a common vision and mission for the upcoming Program Increment
(PI). They are derived from the business context, priorities, and dependencies, and are agreed upon and committed by the teams during PI Planning1 However, since PI objectives are based on estimates and assumptions, there is always a degree of uncertainty and variability in the delivery process. To account for this, SAFe recommends that teams reserve 10% of their capacity for each PI as an estimating buffer. This buffer is used during the IP Iteration, which is a unique, dedicated iteration that occurs every PI and provides dedicated time for innovation, continuing education, PI Planning, and Inspect and
Adapt events2 By having an IP Iteration as an estimating buffer, the teams can improve the predictability and flow of value delivery, as well as reduce the stress and pressure of
meeting the PI objectives23 (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)
References:
✑ PI Objectives - Scaled Agile Framework
✑ Innovation and Planning Iteration - Scaled Agile Framework
✑ SAFe Scrum Master Course Outline
What is one way a Scrum Master/Team Coach can support productive team Backlog
Refinement sessions?
Correct Answer:A
One way a Scrum Master/Team Coach can support productive team Backlog Refinement sessions is to ensure subject matter experts are invited. Subject matter experts (SMEs) are people who have specialized knowledge or skills related to the domain or technical aspects of the product or solution. They can provide valuable input and feedback to the team during Backlog Refinement, such as clarifying requirements, validating assumptions, identifying dependencies, and suggesting solutions. SMEs can also help the team to split, estimate, and prioritize the backlog items more effectively and accurately. By inviting SMEs to the Backlog Refinement sessions, the Scrum Master/Team Coach can facilitate better collaboration, communication, and alignment among the team and the stakeholders. (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)
References:
✑ Team Backlog - Scaled Agile Framework
✑ Exam Study Guide: SSM (6.0) - SAFe® Scrum Master - scaledagile.com
✑ What is backlog refinement? | Miro
What is one potential root cause of Team Sync anti-patterns?
Correct Answer:B
According to the SAFe 6 Scrum Master documentation, one of the potential root causes of Team Sync anti-patterns is the lack of collective ownership. Collective ownership means that the team members share responsibility for the quality and delivery of the team??s work. They collaborate, communicate, and coordinate their efforts to achieve the team goals. They also support each other, provide feedback, and resolve issues together. When there is a lack of collective ownership, team members may exhibit some of the following Team Sync anti-patterns 1:
✑ Reporting to managers (status meetings): Team members use the Team Sync as
a way to report their progress to the SM/TC or other managers, rather than to synchronize with their peers. This can create a hierarchical and command-and- control culture, where team members are not empowered to self-organize and self- manage.
✑ Monologues: Team members give long and detailed updates that are not relevant
or useful to other team members. This can make the Team Sync boring, inefficient, and ineffective, as team members lose interest and attention.
✑ Cross-functional team standups (updates are not related to other people??s work):
Team members work on different features or components that are not aligned with
the team goals or the Iteration goals. This can result in silos, dependencies, and integration issues, as well as reduced collaboration and coordination.
✑ ??Nothing to report?? can be a good thing: Team members say they have nothing to
report, either because they have not done any work, or because they do not want to share their work with the team. This can indicate a lack of transparency, trust, and accountability, as well as a missed opportunity to get feedback and support from the team.
To overcome these anti-patterns, the SM/TC should coach the team on the purpose and value of the Team Sync, and help them adopt the best practices for effective Team Syncs, such as 2:
✑ Having a clear agenda and timebox
✑ Focusing on the team goals and the Iteration goals
✑ Asking the three key questions: What did I do yesterday? What will I do today? Do I have any impediments?
✑ Using visual aids, such as task boards or Kanban boards, to track progress and identify issues
✑ Encouraging active participation, collaboration, and feedback
✑ Ending with clear action items and follow-ups (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources) References:
✑ Scrum Master/Team Coach
✑ Team Sync
✑ Top 7 Anti Patterns of Scrum Master - Simpliaxis
✑ Scrum Anti-Patterns Taxonomy | Scrum.org
✑ [11 Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns We Commonly Hear from Users In ?? - Geekbot
What is one Agile development value?
Correct Answer:B
One Agile development value is customer collaboration over contract negotiation. This value is one of the four core values of the Agile Manifesto, which states: ??We are
uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over
contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.?? 1 This value emphasizes the importance of building a trusting and collaborative relationship with the customers, rather than relying on rigid and formal contracts that may limit the ability to respond to changing needs and expectations2 Customer collaboration means involving the customers throughout the development process, seeking their feedback, input, and validation, and delivering solutions that meet their requirements and expectations3 Customer collaboration also means respecting the customers?? opinions and perspectives, and resolving any conflicts or issues in a constructive and respectful
manner4 Customer collaboration helps the Agile teams to deliver value faster and more effectively, as well as to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty34 (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)
References:
✑ Manifesto for Agile Software Development
✑ Customer Collaboration Over Contract Negotiation - Mountain Goat Software
✑ Customer Collaboration Over Contract Negotiation - Agile Alliance
✑ Customer Collaboration Over Contract Negotiation - Scrum Inc