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

By continuing to stay heads-down on the finalizing Feature delivery work, Team A might miss the chance to reflect on their team work more holistically and identify areas for improvement. The IP Iteration is intended to provide time for the team to participate in the Inspect and Adapt event, where they can review their PI performance, analyze the root causes of any issues, and create an improvement backlog. The IP Iteration also allows the team to engage in innovation and learning activities, such as hackathons, that can foster creativity, collaboration, and experimentation. These activities can help the team generate new ideas, solutions, and feedback that can benefit their future work. By skipping the IP Iteration, Team A might lose the opportunity to learn from their past experiences, improve their processes, and innovate their products. References: Innovation and Planning Iteration - Scaled Agile Framework, Exam Study Guide: SSM (6.0) - SAFe® Scrum Master

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

One practice Scrum Masters/Team Coaches can use to facilitate conflict management is to enforce working agreements. Working agreements are a set of guidelines that define how a team wants to work together, communicate, and collaborate. They are created by the team members themselves and reflect their shared values, norms, and expectations. Working agreements can help prevent or reduce conflicts by establishing clear boundaries, roles, and responsibilities, as well as by promoting respect, trust, and transparency among team members. Working agreements can also help resolve conflicts by providing a common reference point and a framework for constructive feedback and dialogue. Scrum Masters/Team Coaches can support the team in creating, reviewing, and updating their working agreements, as well as in holding each other accountable for following them. (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

References:

• Scrum Master/Team Coach - Scaled Agile Framework
• How does a Scrum Master manage conflict within a scrum team? - Agile Centre
• Conflict Management as a Scrum Master | Agile Velocity

One way to ensure a team is holding successful iteration reviews and demos is to have the team demo working, tested system components that meet the definition of done (DoD). This shows the team’s progress and value delivery, and allows them to receive feedback from the product owner and other stakeholders. The team should minimize the use of slides and the preparation time for the demos, and focus on the solution instead of the presentation. The team should also discuss the impact of the current solution on the nonfunctional requirements (NFRs) and identify any risks or impediments.

References:

• Iteration Review - Scaled Agile Framework
• Exam Study Guide: SSM (6.0) - SAFe® Scrum Master

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]

Respect is one of the five Scrum values that can help Agile Teams create transparency. Respect means that team members value each other’s opinions, skills, and contributions, and treat each other with dignity and professionalism. Respect also means that team members are honest and open with each other, and share information and feedback without hiding or withholding anything. By respecting each other, Agile Teams can foster a culture of trust and collaboration, where everyone feels comfortable to express their ideas, concerns, and issues, and work together to solve them. Transparency is essential for Agile Teams to inspect and adapt their work, and to align their actions with the vision and goals of the organization.

References:

• Scrum Values Poster | Scrum.org
• Core Values - Scaled Agile Framework
• Exam Study Guide: SSM (6.0) - SAFe® Scrum Master

Lean flow is one of the elements of the CALMR approach to DevOps in SAFe. It means applying lean principles and practices to optimize the flow of value from idea to production. Lean flow accelerates delivery by eliminating waste, reducing batch sizes, implementing pull systems, limiting work in process, managing queues, reducing handoffs, and applying cadence and synchronization. Lean flow enables faster feedback, shorter lead times, higher quality, and lower costs. (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

References:

• CALMR - Scaled Agile Framework
• The CALMR Approach to DevOps [Complete Guide] - KnowledgeHut
• SAFe Scrum Master Course Outline

One of the main responsibilities of a Scrum Master/Team Coach is to facilitate team events, such as Iteration Planning, Daily Stand-up, Iteration Review, and Iteration Retrospective. These events help the team to plan, execute, inspect, and adapt their work throughout the Iteration. By facilitating these events, the Scrum Master/Team Coach ensures that the team follows the Agile principles and practices, collaborates effectively, anddelivers value to the customers and stakeholders. (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

References:

• SAFe Scrum Master Course Outline
• Iteration Execution
• Iterations

One way uncommitted objectives help Agile Teams make a plan for the PI is that they maintain the predictability of achieving the objectives. Uncommitted objectives are PI objectives that are not included in the team’s commitment or counted against teams in the ART predictability measure. They are used to identify work that can be variable within the scope of a PI, such as stretch goals, spikes, innovation, or exploration1 Uncommitted objectives help improve the predictability of delivering business value since they allow the team to adjust their scope based on the actual progress and feedback during the PI. They also provide the team with some flexibility and capacity to respond to changing needs and expectations, as well as to pursue learning and improvement opportunities12 (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

References:

• PI Objectives - Scaled Agile Framework
• PI Planning - Scaled Agile Framework

One of the best practices Scrum Masters/Team Coaches can use to run successful meetings is to leave meetings with clear action items. Action items are specific tasks that need to be done by a certain person or group by a certain deadline. They help the team to follow up on the outcomes of the meeting, track progress, and ensure accountability. Action items should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Scrum Masters/Team Coaches should document and communicate the action items to the team and stakeholders, and review them in the next meeting. (Must be taken from SAFe 6 Scrum Master resources)

References:

• Scrum Master/Team Coach
• How To Run Effective Scrum Meetings - Xebia
• Four agile ceremonies, demystified | Atlassian