SSM SSM (6.0) - SAFe® Scrum Master Questions and Answers

According to SAFe, empathy is one of the key traits of effective Scrum Masters/Team Coaches. Empathy means displaying an authentic understanding and concern for a team member’s beliefs or feelings. By being empathetic, Scrum Masters/Team Coaches canbuild trust and rapport with the team, which are essential for people to accept and welcome coaching. Empathy also helps Scrum Masters/Team Coaches to tailor their coaching style and approach to the needs and preferences of each team member. (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

References:

• Scrum Master/Team Coach
• According to SAFe which of the following key traits of effective - Studocu

According to the SAFe 6 Scrum Master documentation, one of the important attendees to the PI System Demo is the Business Owners. Business Owners are a small group of stakeholders who have the primary business and technical responsibility for governance, compliance, and return on investment (ROI) for a Solution developed by an Agile Release Train (ART). They are key stakeholders on the ART who must evaluate fitness for use and actively participate in certain ART events. The PI System Demo provides them an opportunity to see the integrated view of new features delivered by the ART, give feedback, and influence the future direction of the solution. (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

References:

• System Demo
• [Business Owners]

The primary goal of a team in an Iteration is to deliver working functionality that meets the acceptance criteria and the definition of done. This functionality is demonstrated to the stakeholders and customers in the Iteration Review and Demo event, where the team receives feedback and validation. By delivering working functionality at the end of the Iteration, the team contributes to the Incremental value delivery, one of the SAFe Lean-Agile Principles. (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

References:

• Iteration Goals
• Iteration Planning
• Iteration Review and Demo

The intended value of the Backlog Refinement event is that the team is able to prepare requirements for Iteration Planning. Backlog Refinement is an ongoing process where theteam collaborates with the Product Owner and other stakeholders to review, split, prioritize, and estimate the stories in the Team Backlog1 One of the main objectives of Backlog Refinement is to ensure that the stories are ready for Iteration Planning, which means they are clear, feasible, testable, and small enough to be completed in a single Iteration2 By doing so, the team can improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of their work, as well as deliver value to the customers and the organization123

References:

• Team Backlog - Scaled Agile Framework
• Backlog Refinement - Scaled Agile Framework
• What is backlog refinement? | Miro

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

According to the SAFe 6 Scrum Master documentation, one of the ways a servant leader can support team members in decision-making is by giving each team member the opportunity to contribute. This means that the servant leader encourages and facilitates the participation of all team members in the decision-making process, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and valued. By giving each team member the opportunity to contribute, the servant leader fosters a culture of collaboration, empowerment, and trust, as well as increases the quality and buy-in of the decisions. (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

References:

• Scrum Master/Team Coach
• The Power of Shared Decision-Making through Servant-Leadership
• The Scrum Master as a Servant-Leader

One anti-pattern that emerges when teams do not spend enough time refining the backlog is that they enter new Iterations without enough Stories prepared. This can result in several negative consequences, such as: 123

• The team may struggle to plan and commit to the Iteration Goals, as they lack clarity, feasibility, and testability of the Stories.
• The team may face delays, rework, and waste, as they encounter unanticipated dependencies, risks, or technical issues during the Iteration.
• The team may deliver low-quality or incomplete Stories, as they rush to meet the Iteration deadlines or compromise on the Definition of Done.
• The team may lose focus, alignment, and motivation, as they work on ambiguous or unrealistic Stories that do not deliver value to the customers or the organization.

To avoid this anti-pattern, the team should dedicate sufficient time and effort to refine the backlog on a regular basis, preferably every Iteration123 Backlog Refinement is an ongoing process where the team collaborates with the Product Owner and other stakeholders to review, split, prioritize, and estimate the Stories in the Team Backlog4 One of the main objectives of Backlog Refinement is to ensure that the Stories are ready for Iteration Planning, which means they are clear, feasible, testable, and small enough to be completed in a single Iteration2 By doing so, the team can improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of their work, as well as deliver value to the customers and the organization

One example of an Agile Team development practice is to demo working functionality frequently to the product owner and other stakeholders. This practice helps the team to get fast feedback, validate their assumptions, and ensure that they are delivering value that meets the customer needs and expectations. Demoing frequently also helps the team to improve the quality of their work, as they have to ensure that the functionality is tested and meets the definition of done before showing it to others. Demoing frequently is part of the SAFe Scrum and SAFe Team Kanban practices, and is done at the end of each iteration in the Iteration Review event.

References:

• Iteration Review - Scaled Agile Framework
• SAFe Team Kanban - Scaled Agile Framework
• Agile Teams - Scaled Agile Framework

According to the SAFe 6 Scrum Master documentation, one of the traits of a servant leader is to persuade rather than use authority. This means that the servant leader influences others by appealing to their values, beliefs, and interests, rather than by imposing their own will or position. By persuading rather than using authority, the servant leader fosters a culture of collaboration, empowerment, and trust, where team members are more likely to accept and welcome coaching, feedback, and change. Persuasion also helps the servant leader to align the team with the organization’s vision, mission, and goals, and to create a shared understanding of the purpose and value of the work. (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

References:

• Scrum Master/Team Coach
• Servant Leadership: A Key Driver of High-Performing Agile Teams
• The Scrum Master as a Servant-Leader

The “C” in the CALMR approach to DevOps stands for culture, which is the foundation of successful DevOps adoption. Culture refers to the values, beliefs, and behaviors that guide the collaboration and alignment of everyone in the value stream. By creating a culture of shared responsibility, teams can manage the tensions caused by differing needs, such as speed, quality, security, and stability. A culture of shared responsibility means that everyone is accountable for the outcomes of their work, and that they work together to deliver value to the customers. It also means that teams respect each other’s roles and expertise, and seek feedback and learning opportunities. A culture of shared responsibility fosters trust, transparency, and continuous improvement, which are essential for DevOps.

References:

• CALMR - Scaled Agile Framework
• The CALMR Approach to DevOps [Complete Guide] - KnowledgeHut