Distributed Scrum Team

Correct Answer: Discuss this issue with the team member directly first to know if there are personal obligations or connectivity issues, also set clear guidelines about responsiveness and availability

The most appropriate response when noticing a remote team member is often unreachable or unresponsive during expected working hours is to discuss this situation with the person directly. It is possible that they are dealing with personal obligations or technical difficulties that prevent them from being present. Also, it is recommended to clarify expectations around availability and responsiveness to avoid such issues in the future. On the contrary, ignoring the issue hoping that the member is working in non-traditional hours is not a proactive way to resolve it. It allows the problem to persist and could affect the team's productivity. Publicly criticizing the member in a team meeting is inappropriate and might generate tension and conflict within the team, damaging its dynamics and overall performance. Finally, reallocating the person's tasks to other team members without addressing the situation with them first is also not the best approach, as it could be perceived as punishment or lack of trust and may lead to resentment or a decrease in the member's engagement.

Correct Answer: Have overlapping hours and ensure all major decisions and discussions happen during this window.

In a distributed Scrum team with team members across multiple time zones, the most efficient way to ensure effective collaboration is to establish overlapping hours where all team members are available. Major decisions and discussions should take place during this window to allow for real-time communication and collaboration among all team members. Forcing all team members to work in the same timezone regardless of their location may prove to be impractical and may adversely affect the productivity and work-life balance of the team members. Scheduling meetings only during the core team's timezone may exclude a portion of the team who are in a different timezone; this does not support the values and principles of Scrum where the entire team collaborates closely. Asking team members with differing time zones to only work asynchronously may affect the real-time collaboration of the team and may not be suitable for all types of work. This could also long-term lead to feeling of isolation amongst the team members.

Correct Answer: Arrange a time to discuss their blocker, and bring in other team members if needed to help resolve the issue.

The answer 'Arrange a time to discuss their blocker, and bring in other members if needed to help resolve the issue.' is the best approach in this situation. As a Certified ScrumMaster, your role consists of facilitating communication between team members and resolving any blocks that occur during project implementation. By arranging a meeting, you are taking the right steps towards understanding the issue and finding a possible solution, often with the help of the entire team. This allows everyone to learn and grow from the situation, ultimately improving the overall team's capacity. The other proposed solutions are not recommended in the context of Scrum principles. Ignoring the problem ('Ignore the problem and hope it resolves itself.') will not make it go away and might cause it to escalate, causing further delays. Putting in extra hours ('Ask them to put in extra hours to catch up.') might be a short-term solution, but it is not sustainable in the long term and can lead to burnout. Removing them from the team ('Remove them from the team and redistribute their work.') is also not a solution and leads to a negative team culture, as difficulties are inherent in any project and they should be used as learning opportunities rather than punitive measures.