Cohesion

Correct Answer: Encourage participation in team activities and foster a safe environment for open communication

In the context of a Scrum team, it's critically important to develop cohesive relationships and foster an environment where everyone feels safe to communicate and share ideas. This is why encouraging participation in team activities and creating a safe environment for open communication would be the best method to employ to improve cohesion, especially for a new member. On the other hand, assigning the new member isolated tasks can potentially hinder the development of team relationships, which is contrary to the principles of Scrum. Establishing an authoritarian approach could create a hostile environment that may discourage open communication, which is equally counterproductive. Ignoring the situation and hoping it will resolve itself can lead to prolonged issues and potentially chronic team dysfunction, which is why this method too would not be effective.

Correct Answer: Facilitate a meeting in which team members can discuss and reach a consensus

The best possible answer would be 'Facilitate a meeting in which team members can discuss and reach a consensus'. Here's why: this approach allows the entire team to work together to find the best solution. It respects that each team member has valuable contributions to make and that the best decisions are often made collaborating. Furthermore, it fits into the Certified ScrumMaster course's principles that value individual interactions, customer collaboration, and responding to change Other alternatives, such as 'Let the team split and work on both independently' might seem tempting but it could lead to divide and lack efficiency. Because the team is focusing on two different tasks, it may get difficult to manage properly and could result in missed deadlines. The choice of 'Decide yourself without consulting the team' is not advisable as it goes against the principles of Scrum, which values team self-management and collaborative decision making And asking 'Ask the product owner to decide for the team' does not foster a collaborative environment. The product owner defines the product vision, but how the work is executed should be decided by the team.

Correct Answer: Talk privately with the team member to understand if there are any issues and offer support

As a Certified ScrumMaster, effective communication skills and a motivation to support team members are significant. Hence, the best approach when a member is underperforming is to engage in a private conversation on the issue. This helps to create a constructive space to identify the issues causing the lack of performance, and explore ways of supporting them to improve. It's significant as it also builds trust and loyalty, and can help drive better performance. Issuing a formal warning might not be the most constructive first step, as the member might be more defensive rather than open to discussion about the issue. Ignoring the situation can lead to further downgrading in the performance of both the individual and the team; it's a ScrumMaster's responsibility to address and rectify this kind of prediction. Publicly calling out the team member is the worst of all these choices. It's not only demoralizing for the employee but can also lead to a toxic environment within the team. Respect and integrity are key principle that every ScrumMaster should uphold. Thus, the correct answer is to 'Talk privately with the team member to understand if there are any issues and offer support'.