I always counsel my career coaching clients to avoid framing a strength as a weakness. Many candidates use this approach as a way to avoid exposing a weakness, but most interviewers are aware of this tactic and some feel it is manipulative. It is best to prepare for this question ahead of your interview and select a valid weakness that you genuinely wish to address or are already taking steps to improve upon.

My greatest weakness as a scrum master is allowing my teams to work through their conflicts without jumping in right away. I have a lot of experience working on agile projects at a number of companies and it is easy for me to toss out ideas for consideration. I have learned that it is sometimes best for a scrum master to sit back and let the team discuss an issue for a while before jumping in. Letting them move through a conflict on their own helps them to move from the storming phase and into the performing phase more quickly.

Of course, I jump in right away if a conflict turns unprofessional or the team asks for my guidance. Likewise, I assist when they are at an impasse or the end result would benefit from an idea I have. I have truly enjoyed working to improve my facilitation skills as a scrum master, and I am excited about the opportunity to continue that important work if selected for the open role here.

I feel my scrum master skills are strong, but I could stand to improve my executive presence. I have been asked recently to participate in a number of executive presentations. I feel I did a nice job, but I would like to continue to develop my communication skills in this area further. There are times when my scrum teams need extra support or funding from senior-level clients or stakeholders, and I want to make sure I communicate our progress and needs as effectively as possible.

I feel my greatest weakness as a scrum master has been not knowing exactly when to trust my intuition. As a former analyst, it is natural for me to make data-driven decisions. While I regularly use an analytical approach, there are times as a scrum master when it is beneficial to feel my way through a situation. This is especially true when there is limited time or when a discussion is heated and requires an empathetic approach. So far, my instincts have served me well and I look forward to the opportunity to continue to work with and grow this side of my coaching and leadership skill set.