Mediation and Third-Party Intervention

As a Certified ScrumMaster, the best approach when a team member consistently disagrees with the rest of the team on estimates during planning poker is to facilitate a discussion in which the member may fully elaborate on their viewpoint, and the rest of the team is encouraged to consider this perspective before voting again. This option promotes open communication, respects every team member's opinion and seeks for consensus, which are fundamental aspects of Agile and Scrum The other answers are incorrect because they do not follow these principles. Asking the team to skip the estimate in order to avoid conflict does not solve the problem, it just avoids it. This can lead to a lack of accurate planning which is crucial in Scrum. Using your authority as a Scrum Master to overrule the disagreeing team member's estimate goes against the Scrum principle of self-organizing teams. Removing the conflicting team member from the team is the last resort and not in line with the Scrum value of respect and the principle of conflict resolution.

The ScrumMaster's role involves serving the team, including the Product Owner and helping them find a solution to any conflicts or other problems that they might have. Facilitating a discussion to find a mutually agreeable solution and making sure both parties understand each other's perspectives is the preferable course of action. This aligns with the principle of Scrum which emphasizes collaboration and mutual understanding. Supporting only the development team or the Product Owner creates a bias which should be avoided in the ScrumMaster's role. Leaving the team to resolve their issues without intervening isn't the best approach either as it fails to utilize the ScrumMaster's facilitator role.

As a ScrumMaster, the best course of action would be to facilitate a session between the two team members with an impartial third party arbitrator to reach a resolution. This approach respects both members' points of view and allows an independent party to help all stakeholders come to a resolution. Choosing a side or ignoring the conflict entirely are not recommended actions, as they can prolong the conflict and create a hostile work environment. Informing senior management is also not recommended as it passes the responsibility to resolve the conflict to upper management, while the primary role of a ScrumMaster is to remove obstacles for the team. Facilitating a session for conflict resolution is the most favorable option since it directly addresses the issue and helps the team members to come to consensus.