Real-life scenarios questions from Scrum Master interviews

Scenario questions are an essential part of any well-done Scrum Master interview.
Do you know how to answer? What separates a good answer from an expert one?
Watch the video to find out how to present yourself as an expert in scenario-based questions even if you don’t have the exact experience with the situation.
In this video I talked about:
✅ Why there is no right answer
✅ What choices are available to you
✅ Why you might decide to do nothing
and more!
You can also check my blog for more insights ➡️ scrummastered.com/blog/scenar...
◻◻◻◻◻
Resources mentioned:
🎥 5 Scrum Master interview questions you MUST KNOW! video: • 5 Scrum Master intervi...
🎥 Teaching, coaching, mentoring video: • Your must-have skills ...
🎥 Self-organization and the role of a Scrum Master video: • Self Organization and ...
◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾
✨ MENTORSHIP ✨
📅 Enrol in my mentorship program: scrummastered.com/scrum-maste...
📩 Subscribe to my newsletter to get updates on new stuff and special offers: scrummastered.com/free-downlo...
📚 BUY the essential Scrum Master tools: store.scrummastered.com/
◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾
✨ MY FAVORITE TOOLS ✨
Use my referral links to get some sweet bonuses
⚪ My digital notepad --- Get $40 off remarkable.com/referral/X55X-...
⚪ Try Figma for free 👉 --- bit.ly/smedfigma
⚪ My electric standing desk --- Get $30 off : share.flexispot.com/x/Vqw7rR
⚪ My office chair --- secretlabcanada.refr.cc/daryab
⚪ My business pen --- bastionboltactionpen.com/?rfs...
⚪ Loom --- loom.grsm.io/uy4artv49x2l
◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾
☕ Support me - buy me a coffee ☕ offers.scrummastered.com/prod...
👋 Follow me and ScrumMastered on social media:
LinkedIn: / dariabagina
LinkedIn Company: / scrummastered
Instagram: / scrummastered
📖 Check out MORE COOL THINGS at scrummastered.com/quick-links/
✅ SUBSCRIBE to this KZbin channel: / scrummastered
❗ DISCLAIMER
If you are using my affiliate links I will make a small commission on the sales made. This has no additional cost to you.

[@ScrumMastered]

I hope this video was helpful. 📖 Get practical tools and templates for building awesome teams here: store.scrummastered.com/ 📩 Subscribe to my newsletter to get updates on new stuff and special offers: scrummastered.com/free-downloads/

[@BugTheRoot]

Daria, your content continues to be very good. I do think you have an issue with your recording volume. Either the mic Gain is not set up properly. I know that in my first recordings with OBS I had the gain down too low because I was afraid of clipping. This ended up creating a problem where much of the volume was too low, and other parts too hot. So I had insert run some effects like compressor and limiter and then adjust my gain up. If you would like any help with that, just let me know.

[@ScrumMastered]

@@BugTheRoot hey, thank you for the comment. This particular video I was filming in a temporary setup while I was away for 1 month. So the sound may be very weird as I was using a different computer, the room was a bit too echo-y and my mic most likely was not set up properly. But I've been struggling with sound for a long time. I think it's gotten better now, but if you think there are some improvements that I can make based on my latest videos, I'd love to get some help.

[@StephanieRebelo-jd7pq]

Love your videos! I start my journey as full-time Scrum master next Monday. 🤓

[@ScrumMastered]

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

[@edaroh5186]

Thanks so much

[@nwumforjames8312]

Great 👍

[@alexiacob638]

Thank you for sharing this💛

[@ScrumMastered]

You are welcome!

[@aliakseislepau4717]

Thanks!

[@ScrumMastered]

Thank you for your support!

[@romaro_c]

Great video!

[@ScrumMastered]

Thank you for watching!

[@Lightforlife1000]

Thank you for sharing some good examples of the questions! Here’s another one (based on a real situation). There’s a scrum team with a few developers. All report to the same manager. The manager also happens to be a tech lead as this is how the organization structure their IT resources. The team is not performing well and constantly has work carrying over from sprint to sprint because the manager works under that surface requesting the developers to do some “unofficial” work. The tech lead is also known to be a micro-manager who is constantly controlling the progress and giving out orders. The leadership recognizes that the behavior of the manager is not ideal, however, they feel like the person has been with a company for a long time and contributed well to the success. So there’s no desire on the leadership side to change anything. Meanwhile, the morale on the team is not great and talented people are leaving. Those who are comfortable with orders taking are staying and continuing the work. The leadership doesn’t worry about the velocity and doesn’t have any other metrics in place to measure success. What would you do as a scrum master in this situation?

[@ScrumMastered]

Nice one. I need to save this for later :)

[@amitgogia6999]

Hi there, at 14minutes where you mentioned manager should not be a part, how we will avoid this situation? if we want to respect team members decision..

[@chrisbartkewicz5570]

First question starts at 6:27 folks

[@ScrumMastered]

@chrisbartkewicz5570 and the first 6:27 minutes of the video tells you essential information you need to know to succeed

[@irinaperkins4046]

Hi Darla, thank you for your insightful resources 🫶 Regarding scenario 5, i.e. manager requesting to attend a retro, and you politely saying no. I like the idea of keeping retro sessions within the team to create psychological safety and have a productive conversation. However, shouldn’t everyone in the company have right of access to the learnings to benefit from them? How would you usually store these documents to restrict access, and what is your view on inviting clients to retros as I believe it’s also being practised? Thank you.

[@ScrumMastered]

Well, the retrospectives are for the Scrum Team only, that's the whole idea. We invite stakeholders and customers to Sprint Review and that's where you can discuss certain matters and bring more visibility to some challenges the team might be facing. But the retro is really a self-reflection of the team. If there is something that the team believes should be brought to management, maybe their help is required with resolving it, then you can bring it up to a wider audience. But most of other improvements will be internal to the team anyway

[@IlllIlllIlllIlll]

You should do an actual interview, record it and go over it in a video, if they call you to ask you when you can start then turn down the job for xyz reason. It will be interesting to see if they call you after x days. Nonetheless a video on this would be pure, raw and a real life scenario

[@ScrumMastered]

That would be a great video, for sure. But I'm not sure it would be very professional of me to go to an interview knowing I'll turn down the job anyway (whether I pass or not) and also to record it (which I'd need the other person's approval to do).

[@smilesunny3615]

Could you summerize your main content? It’s not easy to catch up all your sharing. Thank you

[@ScrumMastered]

Yes. I try to do it in most videos. I think I just didn't know how to summarize this one since I was going over 5 completely different scenarios :) hopefully other videos are a bit clearer with the summary. Btw, I don't know if you knew, but I actually post my video scripts in the form of blog posts in my blog here: scrummastered.com/blog - so you can read along

[@StianGlundberg]

Hey, Since you are a Scrum Master and practice Scrum yourself, I you like to ask you why you first refers to that the team should be self organized and then bring up the title Team lead? In a 1:1 Scrum team, as you of course know, there is no hierarchy and no team lead. If there is structures that differs from Scrum in the organization that you work, I think it's beneficial if you mention this. Maybe it's just me, but in the spirit of Scrum I give you a little feedback ;) Cheers from another Scrum Master.

[@anahash3221]

yes this question is a little confusing because as far as scrum goes there is one team and pd and sm and developers are all part of that one team , so where does this team lead come from???

[@Quana_91]

Is it worth getting scrum certified if you have no prior experience related to agile and/or scrum? Honest opinion and feedback will be greatly appreciated.

[@ScrumMastered]

I think if you don't have any experience, it would be really helpful to attend a class, like the PSM or CSM to help you understand and see it in practice (in a class setting, of course). And these classes usually come with a certification attempt. So I think it would be helpful for sure. That's how I got started in this field (though I did it mostly through self-study which made my Scrum Master journey a bit painful at the beginning).

[@barsozdemir2898]

Hi Daria, I have one interview question for you. One of the developer does nt want to join scrum ceremonies. What do you do?

[@ScrumMastered]

@barsozdemir2898 the same thing you'd do if one of the people on your team said they don't want to come to the office to work even though it's required by the company. It's part of their job. Explain why it's important, work with them to figure out why they don't see value in those meetings and implement improvements, in the end, remind it's not optional and IS part of their job.

[@user-cm8hn7in8w]

The question not related to interview. But how often should Scrum Master speak with Product Owner? What can they speak about every day?

[@ScrumMastered]

I have a couple of videos on that topic. Have you watched these: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYvZg2uslM2Eorc and kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5PVooGOebxph5o

[@PetraVesela]

8:09 "The Product is empty and the Product Backlog doesn't have time to update it"

[@ScrumMastered]

things happen 🤦‍♀️

[@oluakin406]

@@ScrumMastered Well done Daria, the video was brilliant as usual, I was going to draw your attention to these at 8.11 mins before I saw this comment. These however have little or no impact on the quality of material and delivery. Well done Daria and thanks again 👏.

[@gouravrawat8190]

Interview Question - as A Scrum Master Explain the Project From Initial to closing and what your Role in Every Phase ...

[@ScrumMastered]

Really? Hmm.. interesting question. That's PMP, not Scrum Master. I mean you would still have a role to play if a Scrum Team is working on a project, but it will be along the usual Scrum Master accountabilities: teaching, coaching, facilitating, etc.