Reflecting on Impediments

Correct Answer: Coach the Product Owner in properly managing and slicing the product backlog

The best method for a Scrum Master to deal with a team overwhelmed by workload is to 'Coach the Product Owner in properly managing and slicing the product backlog'. This approach will ensure that the product backlog is refined effectively and the team is not burdened with an unmanageable amount of work. Asking the team to work over the weekends is not a sustainable solution; it can lead to burnout and decreased productivity over time, which can impact the overall progress of the project negatively. Hiring more team members to cope up with the work can initially seem like a practical solution, but it does not solve the root issue, and can create additional logistical problems in terms of team coordination and project management. Moreover, adding more people to a late project can make it later according to Brooks's law, a well-known principle in the software development industry. Removing some user stories from the sprint backlog represents a temporary solution and may lead to key aspects of the product being overlooked or neglected. Therefore, coaching the Product Owner in properly managing and slicing the product backlog is the best approach as it addresses the issue at the root, helping the Product Owner understand how to create a manageable workload for the team.

Correct Answer: Employ Servant Leadership, facilitate a meeting between the two teams to ensure the issue gets resolved

Scrum Master's responsibility includes assisting the team in getting rid of impediments. As part of servant leadership, they should facilitate a meeting between the two teams to get the blocking issue resolved. This way, the bug fix will not be delayed. The other answers are not suitable because: 1) Waiting for the other team to fix the problem without any intervention from the Scrum Master doesn't assert their role effectively. 2) Reassigning the task to an entirely different team might not be feasible as the problem might be specific to the current context and that team may lack the necessary knowledge. 3) Deleting the bug backlog to reprioritize is incorrect as it disregards the importance of the bug fix.

Correct Answer: Organize a workshop or training to upskill the team member

The best approach for a Scrum Master when a high-level feature is not being finished on time because a team member lacks the required knowledge is to 'Organize a workshop or training to upskill the team member'. This action ensures the knowledge gap is filled, empowering the team member to complete the task effectively. It fosters a learning environment and contributes to the team's overall competence, which is in line with Agile and Scrum values. The other approaches have various flaws. 'Telling the team member to figure it out independently' may add unnecessary stress and may not result in the required learning outcome. 'Moving the task to another team member who knows how to do it' might solve the immediate issue but does not address the underlying problem of a skill gap within the team, it's a short term solution. Finally, 'Delaying the feature until the next sprint' does nothing to ensure the feature will be completed then, and can lead to a backlog of unfinished features.