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Metaphor

5 minutes 5 Questions

Metaphor in XP refers to using simple, shared stories of how the system works to guide its creation and the communication among team members. Using a commonly understandable metaphor helps avoid misunderstandings and ensures everyone has the same broad understanding of how the system should behave.…

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PMI-ACP - Metaphor Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Metaphor

Question 1

In an ongoing project, the team uses the metaphor 'constructing a skyscraper'. The marketing department is not aligning properly with this metaphor, causing conflicts. What should be your approach to resolve this situation?

Correct Answer: Arrange a team meeting with the marketing department to clarify the metaphor and its relation to various project aspects.

The best approach to resolve this conflict is to 'Arrange a team meeting with the marketing department to clarify the metaphor and its relation to various project aspects.' By arranging a team meeting, you allow open communication and ensure everyone is on the same page regarding the metaphor 'constructing a skyscraper'. It provides a platform to discuss and clarify misunderstandings and bring every team member's view in line with the project's metaphor which will eventually solve the conflicts. Ignoring the conflicts assuming they will resolve over time is incorrect as it might lead to severe communication issues and misunderstandings in the future. 'Commanding the marketing department to adjust according to the metaphor' does not involve collaborative decision making and does not align with agile principles, therefore it is not the ideal approach. Changing the metaphor abruptly without understanding the concerns of the marketing department shows lack of empathy and does not consider the viewpoint of the marketing team, thus is not the best approach.

Question 2

In a software development project, your team used the metaphor of 'building a bridge' to convey the idea of the project. However, progress has been slow and there seems to be miscommunication. What should be your action?

Correct Answer: Review and possibly revise the metaphor to make it more reflective of the actual project.

In any software development project, clear communication and comprehension of the project objectives are crucial. When a metaphor is used to convey the idea of the project and isn't understood or is causing confusion, it could result in slow progress and issues in the project, as mentioned in the question. The best action to take in this case would be to review and possibly revise the metaphor to make it more reflective of the actual project, ensuring that it is well understood by all members of the team and aligns better with what needs to be accomplished. This would help in clearing miscommunications and improving progress. The other options including ignoring the issue, changing the project plan to fit the metaphor, or blaming the team for not understand the metaphor are all counterproductive and could lead to further problems in the project, hence making them incorrect answers.

Question 3

In a project, your team member proposed a new metaphor to describe the project that is reasonably apparent but does not accurately reflect the nature of the project. How do you respond?

Correct Answer: Acknowledge the proposal but discuss with the team to devise a metaphor that better represents the project's objectives and nature.

In a project team, everyone's idea needs consideration. However, it's crucial to ensure that the metaphor representing the project aligns with its nature and objectives. So, acknowledging the proposal but discussing with the team to devise a metaphor that better represents the project's objectives and nature is the best approach. This respects the team member's initiative while ensuring that the project is accurately represented. Approving the proposed metaphor immediately to boost morale may lead to confusion if the metaphor does not rightly reflect the project. Rejecting the proposal without any explanation might discourage the team member and potentially reduce their morale. Similarly, ignoring the proposal and continuing with the old metaphor might also impact team morale negatively as it could convey a message that their ideas or suggestions are not valued.

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