Agile Coaching

Correct Answer: Explain the implications of altering the backlog at this stage, and propose to allow changes in the next sprint planning session.

The best strategy when the Product Owner wants to alter the backlog at the end of a sprint is to explain the implications of doing so at this stage, and propose to address it in the next sprint planning session. As an Agile coach, you have to ensure the team understands the workflow which these changes could disrupt at this late stage in the sprint. The Product Owner can indeed make changes but they should be handled properly, ideally in the next sprint planning session to reduce disruption. Answer 'Immediately alter the backlog as per Product Owner's request' is incorrect as it may lead to disruption in the current sprint and make the team lose focus. 'Refuse outright as it's against Agile principles' is also incorrect, as Agile promotes flexibility, however, it needs to be managed appropriately. 'Escalate the issue to the senior management' is not the best move either, as it's the Agile coach's role to manage these matters and find an optimal solution.

Correct Answer: Facilitate a retrospective to discuss the daily scrum’s structure and effectiveness.

The most effective approach to address a lack of focus and extended duration in daily scrums is to facilitate a retrospective to discuss the daily scrum's structure and effectiveness. This method directly involves the team in identifying issues and crafting solutions, ensuring that any changes to the daily scrum are tailor-made to the team's unique challenges and dynamics. It empowers the team to take ownership of their process improvements, aligning with Agile principles of self-organization and continuous improvement. Limiting each team member's speaking time could address the symptom of overrunning time but does not tackle underlying issues such as perhaps irrelevant discussion points or the structure of the meeting itself. Advising the team to skip the daily scrum if the previous day's work is still in progress undermines the purpose of the daily scrum in promoting transparency, inspection, and adaptation on a daily basis. Assigning a team member strictly to monitor the time addresses the symptom of time overrun but does not engage the team in improving the effectiveness and focus of the meeting, potentially leading to a merely superficial adherence to the time limit without real gains in productivity or focus.

Correct Answer: Work with the Product Owner to gather specific feedback from stakeholders and incorporate it into future Sprint Plannings.

The best approach is to work with the Product Owner to gather specific feedback from stakeholders and incorporate it into future Sprint Plannings. The Sprint Review is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect the increment and adapt the Product Backlog if needed. Defending the team's work without addressing the stakeholders' concerns goes against the purpose of the review. Extending the current Sprint or asking the team to work over the weekend violates the timeboxed nature of Sprints and may lead to overworking the team. The most effective way to handle this situation is to collaborate with the Product Owner, understand the stakeholders' feedback, and use it to improve future iterations while maintaining the integrity of the Scrum framework.