Scrum in Product Development

Correct Answer: Talk this out in scrum and reprioritize backlog items for the next sprint.

In Scrum, it's important to maintain open, communicative relationships among the Scrum team, Product Owner, and Scrum Master. The answer 'Talk this out in scrum and reprioritize backlog items for the next sprint.' is the best course of action because it stresses communication and collaboration. The Scrum team should convey the issue to the Product Owner during the Scrum meeting and reprioritize the Product Backlog items for the next sprint. It emphasizes the importance of collective decision-making in Scrum. The answer 'Ignore the Product Owner's request because the sprint is already planned.' is not apt since ignoring the Product Owner's request doesn't support the transparent and collaborative nature of Scrum. The answer 'Include the items without discussing with the team.' and 'Subtract equivalent story points from the next sprint without consultation.' both go against the principles of Scrum which emphasizes team discussions and collaborative decision-making.

Correct Answer: Explain to the team member the importance of following the sprint backlog and respecting the agreed-upon scope for each sprint.

The correct approach for a Scrum Master is to communicate and explain the importance of following the sprint backlog, as it was agreed upon by the entire team. The main responsibility of a Scrum Master is to ensure that the team is following Scrum principles and practices. Working on tasks outside the current sprint backlog diverges from these principles, and might lead to problems such as unfinished work at the end of the sprint, violation of Definition of Done (DoD), and eventual imbalance in the team's velocity. The other answers are incorrect because: assigning extra work to other team members to maintain the balance would just overload them and not solve the underlying problem; ignoring this problem, believing that the team member is being 'proactive', would mean ignoring an essential part of the Scrum framework and could lead to bigger issues down the line; and excluding the team member from the next sprint planning is not an agile approach, which emphasizes communication, collaboration and self-organizing teams.

Correct Answer: Discuss this in the Scrum meeting. If the bug is critical, it can be added to the next sprint or the team can agree on adjusting the current sprint backlog.

According to Scrum methodologies, any change that affects the sprint's scope —like fixing an unexpected major bug— requires a consultation with the whole team in a Scrum meeting. If the team considers the bug as critical, then it could be added to the next sprint or the current sprint backlog can be adjusted. The second option —stopping the current sprint to fix the bug— risks disrupting the team's flow and productivity; it's a decision that should not be taken lightly. The third statement —overruling the Product Owner's demand— is fundamentally wrong, as Scrum values respect and collaboration among all participants. Lastly, asking the team to work overtime to fix the bug may lead to burnout and decreased productivity in the long term, which contradicts with Scrum's value of sustainable development.