What should a Scrum Master do if the list of open impediments is growing?

When the list of open impediments is growing, the Scrum Master should prioritize the list and notify management to ensure that these issues are addressed effectively. This action is essential for maintaining the team's productivity and ensuring that obstacles do not hinder the progress of the Sprint.

By prioritizing the impediments, the Scrum Master can focus on the most critical issues that are likely to have the most significant impact on the team's ability to achieve its goals. Notifying management is also a crucial step, as it can lead to additional resources or support being allocated to help resolve these impediments.

This approach not only fosters better communication but also reinforces the collaborative nature of Scrum, where the Scrum Master acts as a servant-leader, facilitating improvements and helping the team to succeed. Engaging management in addressing impediments can also highlight systemic issues that may require higher-level attention and resolution.

In contrast, ignoring the impediments would allow problems to fester and likely lead to decreased team morale and productivity. Relying solely on the Product Owner limits the Scrum Master's role and may not address the impediments that are outside the Product Owner's responsibilities. Handling each impediment alone could overwhelm the Scrum Master and not leverage the entire team's capability in overcoming challenges.