Q: “I’m supporting a Scrum Team where the Product Owner is new to the role and is struggling with backlog refinement, stakeholder expectations, Sprint Goal clarity, and making prioritization decisions. As the Scrum Master, I want to help them grow without stepping into their responsibilities. How should I coach a Product Owner?”
Thank you for the question.
This is one of the most delicate situations a Scrum Master faces and one of the most important to get right.
The Scrum Guide explicitly lists service to the Product Owner as part of the Scrum Master's accountability: helping with Product Goal definition, Product Backlog management, empirical planning, and stakeholder collaboration. So coaching the PO isn't overstepping. HOW you do it determines whether you build an owner or a dependent.
Here’s how I’d break it down.
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