Product Owner Is Now Present To Give Decisions? What Should I Do?

Name: Product Owner Is Now Present To Give Decisions? What Should I Do?
Rating: 4.97 (2673 reviews)

Posted by Shawn Haynes · February 12, 2020

There is a decision to be made regarding a requirement for which if not handled will hold up the sprint and the product owner is NOT present at the meeting. Should the Scrum Master make a decision on this using her best judgment or wait to discuss with the Product Owner?

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Comments

Jos Postma · March 26, 2026

Reaching Out To Business Stakeholders, As Mentioned In The Text, Could Be A Viable Temporary Solution In Cases Of Urgent Decisions. However, This Approach Should Be Exercised With Caution And Ideally Pre-agreed Upon With The Product Owner To Ensure It Doesn't Undermine The Po's Authority And The Product Vision's Consistency.
In Such Situations, The Guidance Of A <a Href="https://www.jospostma.com/">product Owner Mentor</a> Could Be Invaluable. A Mentor, With Their Extensive Experience And Insight Into Best Practices, Can Offer Strategies For Effective Stakeholder Engagement While Maintaining The Integrity Of The Scrum Process. I Advice Po Mentees To Have A Backup In Place If This Situation Occures - So The Team Always Knows The Direction.

Erkan Sutculer · February 12, 2020

Scrum Master Shouldn't Give This Decision On His Own. The Best Bet For An Enormous Emergency Is: Scrum Master Can Reach Business Stakeholders To Ask For An Agreement They Had Done With The Po Beforehand.

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