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Focus

5 minutes 5 Questions

Focus refers to the Scrum principle of concentrating on few things at a time. In Scrum, it's vital to develop and deliver a potentially-releasable Increment of 'Done' product at the end of each Sprint. The idea is to work on what can be completed during the Sprint cycle, regularly reflecting on the effectiveness of their work to make necessary adjustments. By keeping focus, a scrum team ensures that quality isn't sacrificed, and products or features are completed up to the definition of ‘done’, which enhances the effectiveness and productivity of the team.

Guide on Focus in Scrum

Focus is one of the five core values in Scrum, derived from Agile principles, alongside courage, commitment, respect, and openness.

Why is it Important?
Focus is essential in Scrum as it enables the team to concentrate on only a few things at a time. This helps in delivering high-quality work and achieving the Sprint Goals. It encourages efficiency and efficacy in the project execution.

What is it?
The principle of Focus in Scrum refers to the concentration on the work of the current Sprint and delivering a Done increment that potentially adds value to the product.

How Does It Work?
Every individual in the team focuses on the tasks at hand within the current Sprint without trying to multitask or get distracted by other issues. Scrum relies on this focus to ensure the effective use of resources, time and energy.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Focus
1. Understand the concept of Focus thoroughly in the context of Scrum.
2. Remember that Focus refers to concentrating on a small set of tasks to ensure quality and effectivity.
3. Do not mix the principle of Focus with other Scrum values. Each value stands unique and plays a crucial role.
4. Use real project examples to frame your answers.
5. Reinforce your answers with the benefits of Focus in Scrum.
6. Remember that Focus in Scrum specifically refers to the Sprint-related work.

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Question 1

Scenario 11: The team's focus is diverted by a significant bug that has arisen, jeopardizing the sprint's goals. As a Scrum Master, how do you manage this situation?

Correct Answer: Collaborate with the Product Owner to prioritize the bug in the sprint backlog and reassess the sprint goal's feasibility.

In the context of Scrum, when a significant issue arises that could jeopardize the sprint's goals, it is essential to involve the whole team, including the Product Owner, in the decision-making process. This ensures transparency, maintains the principles of Scrum, and upholds its values such as commitment, courage, and respect. Directing a single team member to work on the issue or deciding unilaterally to focus exclusively on the bug disrupts the teamwork and self-management principles of Scrum. Similarly, deferring the problem to a future sprint retrospective may delay necessary immediate action and could result in failing to meet the sprint goal. The correct answer fosters collaboration and agile decision making, aligning with Scrum values and ensuring the team remains flexible and responsive to changes.

Question 2

During a sprint, the team realizes a key component that impacts project scope was overlooked. The Product Owner is unavailable. As a Scrum Master, what is your initial action to ensure focus is maintained?

Correct Answer: Facilitate a team brainstorm to outline potential impacts and prepare options.

In the situation where a key component impacting project scope is overlooked and the Product Owner is unavailable, the initial action that aligns with Scrum principles is to facilitate a team brainstorm to outline potential impacts and prepare options. This approach reflects active problem-solving and maintains the team's momentum by collaboratively addressing the oversight without immediate reliance on the Product Owner. It leverages the collective expertise of the team to assess the situation, identify feasible solutions, or adjustments that can be proposed to the Product Owner upon their return. This method fosters team engagement, maintains progress, and prepares the team to present informed options to the Product Owner, facilitating a quicker resolution. The other proposed actions, such as proceeding with the original plan without addressing the oversight, halting the sprint, or shifting focus to low-priority items, do not proactively address the newly identified risk to the project's scope and may result in time wasted or missed opportunities to adapt and refine the project's direction efficiently.

Question 3

Scenario-16: A team member always takes longer than estimated to finish tasks and it affects the focus of the entire team as they have to wait or assist in finishing the task. As a Scrum Master, how do you handle this?

Correct Answer: Encourage the team to refine their definition of 'Done' to ensure it encompasses realistic expectations and capabilities.

The correct answer focuses on making sure the team's definitions and expectations are realistic and achievable, which encourages the team to work within its limits while fostering improvement. The first wrong answer introduces a concept that is plausible but shifts the focus to sprint goal redefinition rather than dealing with the capacity and capability of the team. The second wrong answer introduces a micromanagement approach, which contradicts Scrum values of trust and empowerment. The third wrong answer suggests fundamentally changing Scrum team principles by creating specialized roles, which goes against the cross-functional nature of Scrum teams.

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