Coaching
Coaching questions test how a Scrum Master develops people and teams without taking over. Coaching is a stance: ask, listen, reflect, and support growth; it is not always telling or fixing.
Core rules
- Use open questions, active listening, and feedback to raise awareness.
- Keep responsibility with the coachee; do not solve every problem for them.
- Coach the team toward self-management and Scrum values.
- Coaching can address individuals, the team, and the organization.
- Know when to shift to teaching, mentoring, or facilitation.
Worked example
A Developer complains that the Product Owner changes priorities constantly. The Scrum Master resists giving a process lecture. Instead, the Scrum Master asks what the Developer has observed, what they can influence, and what conversation they want to have with the Product Owner. They plan the conversation together. Reasoning: coaching builds capability and ownership rather than dependence on the Scrum Master.
Traps
Coaching by giving answers; using coaching to avoid addressing serious impediments; confusing coaching with training; forcing a coaching conversation when urgent safety issues need action; coaching only senior people.