What are relationships within a highly collaborative team based on?

A. Alignment

B. Collaboration

C. Communication

D. Trust

The correct answer is

C. Communication

D. Trust

Relationships within a highly collaborative team are fundamentally based on Trust and Communication.

Why these are correct

• Trust: Trust is the cornerstone of any highly collaborative team. It allows team members to feel safe in sharing their opinions, taking risks, and expressing their ideas without fear of judgment or repercussions. Trust fosters an environment where collaboration can thrive, as team members are confident in relying on each other’s capabilities, integrity, and commitment to the team’s goals.


• Communication: Effective communication is essential for collaboration. It ensures that information flows freely and transparently among team members, enabling them to understand each other’s perspectives, coordinate their efforts, and work together efficiently towards common objectives. Open and clear communication helps in resolving conflicts, aligning on decisions, and maintaining a shared understanding of the team’s progress and challenges.

Why the others are not as correct

• Alignment: While alignment on goals and strategies is important for a team’s success, it is the outcome of trust and effective communication rather than the basis of relationships within the team. Alignment ensures that everyone is working towards the same objectives, but it’s the underlying trust and communication that enable this alignment to be achieved and maintained.


• Collaboration: Collaboration is what teams strive to achieve, and it’s more of a working method or outcome rather than the foundational element of relationships within the team. Trust and communication are prerequisites for effective collaboration; they are the underlying qualities that enable team members to work together harmoniously and productively.

Other SAFe Scrum Master Question – Which statement is true about work in process (WIP)?