Agile emphasizes transparency and team self-organization. According to the PMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 4.3.3: Self-Organizing Teams) and Mike Griffiths' PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 3: Team Performance), a common practice is to make work and issues visible to everyone and allow the team to collaboratively manage their workflow. Using a shared workspace or board helps prevent redundant efforts and improves efficiency.
* Option D is correct: shared visibility and self-allocation promote team ownership.
* Option A misuses the backlog-issues aren ' t typically prioritized by customers.
* Option B is directive and may reduce collaboration.
* Option C focuses on analysis, not immediate resolution or coordination.

The correct answer is C - Meet with the team to discuss the issue and identify specific actions to reduce or eliminate the issue. Agile coaches facilitate team self-management, guide reflection, and encourage the team to solve performance issues collaboratively. Open discussion fosters ownership and accountability.
From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:
"Agile coaches guide teams through self-reflection and help them identify root causes of issues. Coaches support team-driven resolutions to behavioral and performance problems." (PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.3 - Agile Coaching and Team Performance) Mike Griffiths adds:
"Effective agile leadership involves enabling the team to identify and resolve their own challenges. Top-down directives may harm morale and self-organization." (Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Chapter 4 - Team Performance and Coaching) Incorrect options:
* A and B bring in external control, undermining team autonomy.
* D is punitive and contradicts agile principles of empowerment and trust.

Upon joining a team, a Scrum Master should focus on facilitating team collaboration, removing impediments, and creating a psychologically safe space. The PMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 3.3: Scrum Master Role) and Mike Griffiths (Chapter 3: Team Performance) stress that early efforts should center on servant leadership, helping the team identify and solve their own challenges.
* Option C is correct: supporting the team through facilitation reflects the core role of a Scrum Master.
* Option A is prescriptive and not aligned with cross-functional team philosophy.
* Option B may be necessary later, but first, trust and team dynamics must be established.
* Option D falls under the Product Owner's responsibility, not the Scrum Master's.

The correct answer is B - Set expectations regarding the appropriate level of details requested during this stage. In Agile, early project stages are focused on vision, strategy, and high-level planning, not detailed documentation. The agile practitioner must educate stakeholders on progressive elaboration and set realistic expectations about how information is delivered over time.
From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:
"In the early stages of an agile project, requirements and plans are intentionally kept at a high level. Agile practitioners work closely with stakeholders to set appropriate expectations and explain how details will emerge iteratively." (PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 2.4 - Agile Project Initiation and Stakeholder Expectations) Mike Griffiths reinforces this:
"During project inception, agile practitioners should clarify that detailed specifications evolve through iterative planning. Setting appropriate expectations is critical to building trust and maintaining alignment." (Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Chapter 2 - Agile Principles and Stakeholder Engagement) Incorrect options:
* A contradicts agile principles of just-in-time elaboration.
* C is too rigid and may alienate stakeholders.
* D abdicates responsibility and doesn't help manage expectations.

The correct answer is A - Ask the team for suggestions.
In Agile, the Scrum Master serves the team by facilitating problem-solving rather than dictating actions.
When a team member falls behind, the first step is to bring the issue to the team (e.g., in a daily stand-up or task review session) and allow the team to self-organize around resolving the impediment-whether through swarming, pairing, or shifting workload.
From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:
"Teams are empowered to self-organize and solve problems collaboratively. The Scrum Master supports this by facilitating discussion and removing impediments-not by reassigning work unilaterally." (PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.1 - Agile Mindset and Section 6.2 - Coaching Agile Teams) Mike Griffiths also explains:
"The Scrum Master fosters a problem-solving culture. When issues arise, teams should explore solutions together-this builds ownership and improves trust." (Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book, Chapter 4 - Team Performance) Why other options are less suitable:
* B circumvents team collaboration and may lead to resentment or overburdening.
* C may be needed later, but collaborative resolution should be the first step.
* D escalates prematurely and is not aligned with servant-leadership principles.