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Empowerment

5 minutes 5 Questions

Empowerment is a key DSDM principle that grants team members the authority and responsibility to make decisions within their areas of expertise. This enables the team to react faster to changing requirements or new information. Empowerment includes providing team members with the necessary resource…

Empowerment in DSDM: Agile Project Management

Empowerment is a critical aspect of DSDM in agile project management.

1. Why is it important?
Empowerment is vital as it promotes self-organisation and encourages team members to take ownership and responsibility for their work. It eliminates unnecessary bureaucracy, thereby improving efficiency, creativity and productivity.

2. What is it?
Empowerment in DSDM involves giving the team the authority to make decisions and carry out tasks without constant management interference.

3. How does it work?
Empowerment operates based on trust. The management trusts the team to do their jobs correctly and allows them to make vital project decisions. This approach gives the team improved job satisfaction and motivation.

4. How to answer exam questions:
When asked about empowerment in an agile environment, ensure that you define empowerment and explain its significance. Discuss the reasons behind empowering teams in the DSDM methodology and how it affects project performance. Have real-life scenarios and examples at the ready, as they bring context and clarity to your answers.

Exam Tips: Answering questions on empowerment should focus on its benefits such as promoting team autonomy, increasing efficiency and productivity, facilitating a cooperative working environment and delivering a better quality product. You should also be prepared to discuss potential challenges like abusing power due to lack of control or miscommunication.

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Agile Project Management - Empowerment Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Empowerment

Question 1

During a Sprint Planning meeting, a team member disagrees with the estimated effort level of a task, suggesting it will take longer than discussed. How would you empower them to express their concerns?

Assign another team member who agrees with the original estimate to re-explain the task requirements, potentially clarifying any misunderstandings. Advise the team to vote on the estimated effort required for the task, using majority rule to decide the final estimate. Recommend breaking down the task into smaller components to reassess its complexity and effort level, even though this might shift focus from the dispute over the time estimate. Encourage the team member to back up their concerns with past experiences or data, allowing for a more informed discussion among the team.

Correct Answer: Encourage the team member to back up their concerns with past experiences or data, allowing for a more informed discussion among the team.

The correct answer ensures that every team member's insight and expertise are valued and considered, promoting an evidence-based approach to resolving differences. Wrong Answer 1 tries to solve the issue by potentially dismissing the concerned team member's input. Wrong Answer 2 uses a democratic approach, which doesn't necessarily address the root cause of the concern or leverage the team's collective expertise. Wrong Answer 3 offers a constructive approach to reassess the task's complexity but could be seen as avoiding the direct issue at hand.

Question 2

In a scenario where a team member has a proven track of innovative problem-solving but feels undervalued and is considering leaving the team, how should a Certified ScrumMaster empower this individual?

Offer a salary increase to reflect the value they bring to the team and motivate them to stay. Schedule a one-on-one to acknowledge their contributions and discuss career development within the team. Publicly praise their achievements during the next sprint review to boost their morale. Assign them more responsibilities immediately to show trust and value in their skills.

Correct Answer: Schedule a one-on-one to acknowledge their contributions and discuss career development within the team.

A Certified ScrumMaster should prioritize addressing the team member's feeling of being undervalued through direct communication and empowerment tactics. Scheduling a one-on-one meeting to acknowledge their contributions and discuss career development is the most effective approach. This action promotes open dialogue, recognizes the individual's efforts personally, and lays a foundation for future growth and satisfaction within the team. Assigning more responsibilities immediately without a preceding discussion could inadvertently increase stress or convey misplaced priorities, risking further disengagement. Publicly praising their achievements, while positive, might not address the deeper issues of feeling undervalued on a personal and professional growth level. Offering a salary increase as a first response is a superficial solution; it doesn't tackle the root of the problem related to recognition and personal development, and could set a precedent that financial compensation is the remedy for all forms of dissatisfaction.

Question 3

A team member struggles to meet their deadlines due to a lack of confidence in their decision-making abilities. How can you empower them?

Set unattainable deadlines to push them for faster decision-making Offer coaching or mentoring to support their decision-making skill development Reassign all their tasks to a more capable team member Berate them for not performing at an acceptable level Ignore the issue and hope their performance will improve Increase the pressure by threatening their job security

Correct Answer: Offer coaching or mentoring to support their decision-making skill development

Offering coaching or mentoring is a supportive way to empower a team member and develop their decision-making abilities. Berating, reassigning tasks, threatening job security, ignoring the issue, or setting unattainable deadlines do not address the root cause or empower the individual.

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