Overview
Developing People and Teams covers how the Scrum Master grows effective, self-managing Scrum Teams, reflecting that the Scrum Master is accountable for the team's effectiveness. It has three areas. Self-managing teams covers how Scrum Teams decide for themselves who does the work, how, and what to work on next, and how the Scrum Master fosters this rather than directing. Facilitation covers helping the team hold effective events and conversations, guiding without controlling the outcome. Coaching and mentoring cover helping individuals and the team grow in capability, self-organization and Scrum maturity.
This area applies the Scrum Master accountability from the framework to the human side of Scrum. The PSM I rewards understanding the servant-leadership stance: the Scrum Master serves the team, enables self-management, facilitates rather than dictates, and coaches the team toward higher performance, always consistent with what the Scrum Guide prescribes rather than a directive, manager-style approach.
How it's tested
PSM I questions in this focus area describe a team-development situation and ask how the Scrum Master should help. PSM I questions test the Scrum Guide precisely, so read the scenario and choose the answer consistent with what Scrum defines, rejecting options that reflect common workplace deviations.
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Enable self-management
A team situation is described, and you choose to enable the team to decide rather than directing it.
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Facilitate, do not control
An event or conversation need is described, and you choose to facilitate toward the team's outcome, not impose one.
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Coach for growth
A capability or maturity gap is described, and you choose to coach or mentor the team toward improvement.
The Developers are unsure how to divide the Sprint's work and ask the Scrum Master to decide for them. A directive answer assigns the work, but that undermines self-management. The Scrum Master instead facilitates the Developers in deciding for themselves, perhaps by coaching them on how to self-organize, so the team grows more capable and retains ownership. Enabling the team rather than solving it for them is the servant-leadership response the PSM I expects.
Focus areas 3
Official focus areas from the Scrum.org outline, in outline order.
2.1 Self-managing teamsEnabling the team to decide who, how and what next.
- What it means
- This covers self-managing Scrum Teams: the team internally decides who does the work, how it is done, and what to work on next, rather than being directed by someone outside the team, and how the Scrum Master fosters and protects this self-management.
- What to understand
- In Scrum, the team is self-managing and cross-functional, choosing how to turn Product Backlog items into an Increment. The Scrum Master enables this by removing impediments, coaching the team, and helping the organization respect the team's autonomy, rather than assigning tasks. Self-management is central and the Scrum Master protects it.
- How it shows up
- A situation that tempts directing the team is described, and you must choose to enable self-management.
- Common confusion
- Having the Scrum Master or a manager decide the team's work rather than the team deciding for itself.
2.2 FacilitationHelping the team hold effective events and conversations.
- What it means
- This covers facilitation: the Scrum Master helping the Scrum Team and stakeholders have effective, purposeful interactions, including the Scrum events, guiding the process and participation while leaving the content and decisions to the team.
- What to understand
- A facilitator helps a group achieve its own outcome by structuring the conversation, ensuring participation and keeping focus, without dictating the result. The Scrum Master facilitates events so they are valuable and timeboxed, and helps resolve conflict and reach decisions, but the team owns the decisions. Facilitating is not controlling the outcome.
- How it shows up
- An event or conversation situation is described, and you must choose to facilitate toward the team's outcome.
- Common confusion
- Confusing facilitation with controlling or deciding the outcome rather than enabling the team to reach it.
2.3 Coaching and mentoringGrowing individuals and the team in capability and Scrum maturity.
- What it means
- This covers coaching and mentoring: the Scrum Master helping individuals and the team grow in self-organization, cross-functionality, capability and Scrum maturity, through questioning, guidance and teaching, adapting the stance to what the team needs.
- What to understand
- Coaching helps people find their own solutions through powerful questions, while mentoring shares experience and teaching imparts knowledge. The Scrum Master uses these to grow the team's effectiveness and Scrum understanding over time, meeting the team where it is. The goal is a more capable, self-reliant team, not dependence on the Scrum Master.
- How it shows up
- A capability or maturity gap is described, and you must choose the coaching, mentoring or teaching response.
- Common confusion
- Solving problems for the team rather than coaching it to grow its own capability.
High-yield concepts
The terms, rules and formulas this domain turns into questions most often.
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Self-managing team
The team decides who, how and what next.
- Remember
- Central to Scrum; the Scrum Master protects it.
- Tested as
- Self-management questions.
- Trap
- Directing the team's work.
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Cross-functional team
The team has all skills needed.
- Remember
- No reliance on outside hand-offs.
- Tested as
- Team questions.
- Trap
- Assuming specialized sub-teams.
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Scrum Master as servant leader
Serves the team and organization.
- Remember
- Enables rather than directs.
- Tested as
- Role questions.
- Trap
- Acting as a manager.
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Removing impediments
Clearing blockers for the team.
- Remember
- Enables the team to progress.
- Tested as
- Effectiveness questions.
- Trap
- Ignoring impediments.
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Facilitation
Helping a group reach its own outcome.
- Remember
- Guide the process, not the result.
- Tested as
- Facilitation questions.
- Trap
- Controlling the outcome.
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Effective events
Purposeful, timeboxed, participatory.
- Remember
- The Scrum Master facilitates them.
- Tested as
- Event facilitation questions.
- Trap
- Letting events lose purpose.
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Coaching
Helping people find their own solutions.
- Remember
- Often through powerful questions.
- Tested as
- Coaching questions.
- Trap
- Giving answers instead of coaching.
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Mentoring
Sharing experience and guidance.
- Remember
- Imparts know-how.
- Tested as
- Coaching questions.
- Trap
- Confusing with coaching or teaching.
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Teaching
Imparting Scrum knowledge.
- Remember
- Builds understanding of Scrum.
- Tested as
- Coaching questions.
- Trap
- Overlooking the teaching stance.
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Growing team maturity
Increasing self-reliance and capability.
- Remember
- The aim of developing the team.
- Tested as
- Development questions.
- Trap
- Fostering dependence on the Scrum Master.
Side by side
Concepts candidates mix up, compared on the point that decides the answer.
Directing vs. enabling the team
| Concept | Meaning | Key difference | Common trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Directing | Telling the team what to do | Undermines self-management | Choosing it on the PSM I |
| Enabling | Helping the team decide | Builds self-management | Overlooking it as correct |
Facilitating vs. controlling
| Concept | Meaning | Key difference | Common trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facilitating | Guide the process to the team's outcome | Team owns the decision | Confusing with controlling |
| Controlling | Decide the outcome for the team | Not facilitation | Choosing it as correct |
Coaching vs. mentoring vs. teaching
| Concept | Meaning | Key difference | Common trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coaching | Help find their own solutions | Powerful questions | Giving answers instead |
| Mentoring | Share experience | Guidance from expertise | Confusing with coaching |
| Teaching | Impart knowledge | Builds Scrum understanding | Overlooking it |
Exam traps
Each trap is an answer that looks right. Learn the clue that should change your mind.
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Scrum Master decides the work
- What candidates pick
- Have the Scrum Master decide how the Developers split the Sprint's work.
- Why it looks right
- The team asked for a decision.
- Why it's wrong
- The Developers self-manage and decide how to do the work; the Scrum Master coaches them to decide, preserving self-management.
Clue to watch for The team is asking to be told what to do.
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Facilitator decides the outcome
- What candidates pick
- Have the Scrum Master decide the outcome of a Retrospective discussion.
- Why it looks right
- It resolves the discussion quickly.
- Why it's wrong
- Facilitation guides the team to its own outcome; the Scrum Master does not decide the result for the team.
Clue to watch for The Scrum Master is setting the outcome rather than enabling the team.
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Give the answer, not coaching
- What candidates pick
- Immediately solve a recurring team problem for them.
- Why it looks right
- It fixes the problem now.
- Why it's wrong
- Coaching helps the team find and own the solution, growing its capability, rather than creating dependence.
Clue to watch for The team could grow by solving it with support.
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Manager-style Scrum Master
- What candidates pick
- Treat the Scrum Master as a manager who assigns and monitors individuals.
- Why it looks right
- It resembles familiar management.
- Why it's wrong
- The Scrum Master is a servant leader accountable for team effectiveness, not a manager directing individuals.
Clue to watch for The option has the Scrum Master managing people top-down.
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Sub-teams for specialties
- What candidates pick
- Split the Scrum Team into specialized sub-teams.
- Why it looks right
- Specialists seem efficient.
- Why it's wrong
- A Scrum Team is one cross-functional unit with no sub-teams; it has all the skills needed to create value.
Clue to watch for The scenario proposes dividing the team by specialty.
Answer framework
For any Developing People and Teams scenario, use these steps to find the answer the PSM I expects.
- Default to the servant-leadership stance in every scenario: the Scrum Master enables and grows the team rather than directing it or solving its problems for it.
- When the team could decide, help it self-manage rather than making the decision for it.
- Facilitate events and conversations toward the team's own outcome without controlling the result.
- Coach, mentor or teach as the situation needs, helping the team grow its capability and Scrum maturity.
- Protect self-management and cross-functionality, removing impediments and fostering self-reliance over dependence. Where two options seem to fit, choose the one that reflects what the Scrum Guide prescribes rather than a common deviation.
Practice question
Want more like this? The PSM I practice test has questions for every domain.
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Study strategy
Study this focus area as the servant-leadership side of the Scrum Master role, and let one principle guide your answers: the Scrum Master enables the team rather than directing it. Whenever an option has the Scrum Master assigning work, deciding outcomes, or solving the team's problems, it is almost always wrong.
Learn self-management and cross-functionality and how the Scrum Master fosters and protects them. Understand facilitation as guiding the team to its own outcome, not controlling it, and distinguish coaching (helping the team find its own solutions), mentoring (sharing experience) and teaching (imparting Scrum knowledge). The aim is always a more capable, self-reliant team.
Because the PSM I presents many scenario questions here, practice choosing the response that grows the team's capability consistent with the Scrum Guide. Because the PSM I demands 85% accuracy against the Scrum Guide, read the Guide repeatedly, use quality open practice assessments such as those from Scrum.org, and aim consistently above 85%, reviewing missed questions by focus area. Afterwards, move to Focus Area 3, Managing Products with Agility.
FAQ
What does Focus Area 2 cover on the PSM I?
Developing People and Teams: how the Scrum Master fosters self-managing, cross-functional teams, facilitates effective events and conversations, and coaches and mentors the team to grow its capability and Scrum maturity.
What is a self-managing team?
A team that internally decides who does the work, how it is done, and what to work on next, rather than being directed from outside. In Scrum the Scrum Master fosters and protects this self-management rather than assigning tasks.
Is the Scrum Master a manager?
No. The Scrum Master is a servant leader accountable for the team's effectiveness, who enables the team rather than directing it, and does not assign work or manage individuals top-down.
What is the difference between facilitation and controlling?
Facilitation guides a group's process and participation so the team reaches its own outcome. Controlling means deciding the outcome for the team, which is not facilitation. The Scrum Master facilitates without dictating results.
What is the difference between coaching, mentoring and teaching?
Coaching helps people find their own solutions, often through questions. Mentoring shares experience and guidance. Teaching imparts knowledge, such as how Scrum works. The Scrum Master uses each as the situation needs.
What should a Scrum Master do when the team wants to be told what to do?
Coach and facilitate the team to decide for itself, preserving self-management and growing its capability, rather than making the decision for them, which would create dependence.
How does Focus Area 2 connect to the rest of the exam?
It applies the Scrum Master accountability and Scrum Team concepts from the framework area to the human side of Scrum, and supports the product management work of the third focus area by building an effective team.
Other Agile & Scrum certifications
Where the same subject shows up in other exams. Cards marked "Same subject" open the matching domain.
Test your Domain 2 knowledge
You have covered self-managing teams, facilitation and coaching. Test whether you can choose the servant-leadership response under exam conditions.