A new Developer joins the Development Team taking the total number to 10 people. As a Scrum Master, What should you do?

Question

Options

• ADo nothing, the Development Team must fix its own issues
• BRaise the increased team size as a potential impediment and help the Development Team decide
• CInstruct the Development Team to split into 2 teams, they should decide the appropriate sizes
• DInstruct the Development Team to split into 2 teams with 5 Developers in each

• A
  5% (1)
• B
  74% (14)
• C
  16% (3)
• D
  5% (1)

Explanation

B is correct because the Scrum Master's role is to serve and facilitate, not command. The Scrum Guide recommends Development Teams of 3–9 members, so 10 people is a potential impediment to effectiveness - but the SM raises it as a concern and coaches the team toward their own decision, preserving team self-organization.

A is wrong because ignoring a known impediment directly violates the Scrum Master's responsibility to remove or escalate impediments. C is wrong because while splitting may be the right outcome, the SM cannot instruct the team - that would undermine self-organization. D is wrong for the same reason as C, and additionally presumes a specific split (5/5) without team input, which is doubly directive.

Memory tip: Think "raise, don't dictate." The Scrum Master is a servant-leader - they surface problems and facilitate solutions, but the Development Team owns the decisions about how they organize themselves.

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