Scrum Master One-on-One: 10 Good Questions & Tips

Regular or irregular One-on-Ones Scrum Masters with developers, the PO or stakeholders can be very helpful in coaching teams, but which questions are good for this? Let’s explore some good questions and food for thought together.

The tips I am giving you take place on different levels. But accordingly, you can also apply them on different levels. Let’s start with the first tip!

1.: The power of open questions

In psychology, we know that open questions often allow deeper insights. Instead of asking “Are you having difficulties in the team?”, try “What challenges do you see in working with the team?”. This openness encourages honest conversations and strengthens the connection between you and your Scrum Master.

2. The emotional level

Leading an agile team requires not only setting goals, but also understanding individual perspectives. A simple question that helps with this: “How are you feeling (for example, in relation to the recent developments in the team)?”.

3. The connection between agile values and personal growth:

The agile manifesto emphasizes the value of individuals and interactions. This fits well with possible questions. Ask your interviewees how they would like to grow personally and professionally and how this fits in with their current situation.

4. More questions than answers

Imagine your developer says they are having difficulty focusing on their work. Your tendency might be to offer solutions directly - but I wouldn’t recommend that. Focus on the analysis, ask good questions. But don’t get caught up in providing answers yet. Your questions alone could help the other person come up with ideas for solutions.

In principle, the procedure is exactly the same as in a good agile retrospective!

5. The balance between challenge and support:

In psychology, we speak of the “zone of optimal development.” Ask your counterpart what kind of support they need to work effectively, and how you can challenge them at the same time to reach their full potential.

“I like the employee, but they aren't performing as desired. How can I address this in 1:1s?”

Solve this challenge

"Sometimes I’m not sure if I was too harsh - or too soft - in my 1:1s to be effective."

Solve this challenge

"I can’t identify patterns or trends across my 1:1s. Everything feels isolated."

Solve this challenge

Here is a series of specific questions that usually bring out interesting points.

1. “How are you currently doing in your role?”

   • This question allows the other person to talk about personal challenges or successes and creates an open discussion atmosphere.

2. “What specific goals do you want to achieve in the next few months?”

   • Focuses on the individual goals of the colleague and supports the setting of clear expectations.

3. “Are there specific resources or support you need for your work?”

   • This makes it clear whether your counterpart has all the necessary resources to work effectively and successfully.

4. “How do you perceive the cooperation in the team?”

   • Enables the identification of potential conflicts or opportunities for improvement in the team climate.

5. “What new skills or knowledge would you like to develop?”

   • Promotes individual professional development and shows the employer’s interest in the employee’s further development.

6. “What successes recently are you proud of?”

   • Gives employees the opportunity to be proud of their achievements and thus promotes positive self-confidence.

7. “What changes or suggestions do you have for the team’s work processes?”

   • Underlines the appreciation of your counterpart’s opinion and promotes engagement in continuous improvement. At best, these things are known from retrospectives, for example - but who knows…

8. “How would you currently rate your work-life balance?”

   • Sensitizes to the employee’s well-being and enables adjustments to be made where necessary to improve the balance.

9. “What steps can we take together to support your career goals?”

   • Emphasizes partnership in career development and shows the employer’s interest in the employee’s long-term success.

A template for your Scrum Master 1-to-1 meeting

Other good questions you can ask in the meeting are health check questions. This means you ask for agreement to a specific, relevant statement - on a regular basis. This way you can measure how certain things develop over time.

To give you an example, take a look at the following template from our 1-to-1 meeting tool Echometer.

I have also added a few open questions for you. You can also try out the template in our 1-to-1 meeting tool Echometer, just click on the button (without login):

Questions to the Scrum Master

How are you currently doing in your role?

What successes recently are you proud of?

What new skills or knowledge would you like to develop?

Are there specific resources or support you need for your work?

Mood check (Agreement from 1-7): Scrum Master

• "Satisfaction: I am fully satisfied with my Scrum Master role."
• "Support: I feel fully supported by my working environment in my role as Scrum Master."
• "Meaning: My work is a central contribution to the team's success."

This is what such surveys look like in Echometer:

https://echometerapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Check-in-Item-EN-JobSatisfaction.svg not found.

Open template in 1:1 tool

Concrete work results and related data can also be a good basis for your One on One. For example, you could look at the Jira board together or talk about the last agile retrospectives.

Furthermore, agile Health Check metrics that measure the satisfaction of the team over a longer period of time can also be an exciting basis for discussion. This is where our Echometer tool comes into play again.

Echometer is a digital tool that supports agile team leads in agile retrospectives, team Health Checks and 1-to-1 meetings. Whether remote, hybrid or on-site: We make team coaching measurable and thus professionalize your work while saving you a lot of work on the side. Just take a look at our website to find out more: www.echometerapp.com.

Combining psychology and agile principles in your Scrum Master One-on-Ones can not only increase team performance, but also foster individual growth. Use these questions as a guide to establish deeper, meaningful communication and unleash the full potential of your agile team.

Finally, here’s a hint: If you want to try out how it feels to develop your Scrum Master and other team members with our one-on-one meeting software: You can start a one-on-one meeting below, in this case an exercise from our template library: Say No!

Alternatively, simply forward our website to the responsible colleagues: www.echometerapp.com.

Open Feedback Questions

Open Feedback Questions

Reflect: What are good reasons to say "no" when someone asks you for something?

Collect examples: When was the last time you said "no" when someone asked you for something? In what situations would you have liked to say "no," but didn't?

Tools: What phrases or questions can be helpful when someone wants you to do something?

Open this retro now