A Development Team decides to adopt a #noestimates policy. The CIO and COO require all projects and work to be estimated in days/hours. They blame you the Scrum Master for the absence of this…

Question

Options

• ADiscuss and understand the need for estimates from the CIO and COO, and the reasons for the
• BSupport the CIO and COO and instruct the Development Team to abandon #noestimates
• CDiscuss and understand the need for estimates from the CIO and COO, and the reasons for the
• DSupport the decision of the Development Team which was reached via self organisation

• A
  53% (8)
• B
  7% (1)
• C
  13% (2)
• D
  27% (4)

Explanation

Option A is correct because the Scrum Master's primary role is to serve both the team and the organization - not to take sides. By first seeking to understand why the CIO and COO need estimates, the SM can explore whether their underlying concerns (predictability, budgeting, planning) can be addressed through Scrum-compatible alternatives like throughput metrics or forecasting, rather than forcing traditional estimates.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• B is wrong on two counts: a SM does not instruct a self-organizing team, and blindly siding with management without exploring alternatives violates servant leadership principles.
• C (likely a variant of A with a different resolution) fails because it probably skips the step of truly understanding both sides before acting, leading to a premature or one-sided solution.
• D is wrong because self-organization doesn't mean the team operates without organizational accountability. The SM cannot simply ignore legitimate concerns from senior leadership - that's not protection, it's isolation.

Memory tip: Think of the Scrum Master as a bridge, not a referee. When stakeholders and the team conflict, your first move is always dialogue to understand both sides, then facilitate a solution - never pick a side and command.

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