Impediment Handling Game

5 minutes 5 Questions

The Impediment Handling Game is a concept used to mimic real-life scrum impediments and equip teams to tackle them effectively. The game involves identification, prioritization, and removal of impediments, restricting the team’s progress. This method ensures active impediment resolution by engaging…

Guide: Impediment Handling Game

Importance:
The Impediment Handling Game is a key aspect of agile project management and is particularly important in the Scrum framework. It is a practical way to develop skills to identify, prioritize and overcome obstacles that can hinder a project's progress. Mastering the concepts and principles behind this game can hugely improve productivity and efficiency on real projects.

Definition:
The Impediment Handling Game is a simulation game, used within the Scrum and agile project management methodologies, to teach teams how to effectively identify, prioritize and overcome impediments or obstacles to their project work.

Functioning:
The game simulates a project environment. Team members identify potential impediments in the form of cards on a board. They then prioritize these impediments and strategize on how to best overcome them, following specific Scrum processes and using negotiation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This game gets project team members actively involved in dealing with impediments instead of relying on the Scrum Master to handle everything.

Exam Tips:
When answering questions about the Impediment Handling Game in an exam, remember the following:
1. Understand the purpose of the game: Identifying impediments, prioritizing them, and strategizing solutions.
2. Understand that everyone in the team is responsible for impediments.
3. Understand the specific Scrum processes used in handling impediments.
4. Be able to apply theoretical knowledge of the game to practical scenarios.

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PSM I - Impediment Handling Game Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Impediment Handling Game

Question 1

In a scenario where a team member consistently fails to accomplish tasks due to personal issues but is hesitant to discuss it. How should the Scrum Master handle this impediment?

Ignore the issue assuming it will eventually resolve itself. Replacing the team member with someone more productive. Discuss privately with the team member and coach them towards professional help if needed. Discuss the team member's issues in a team meeting to solve the problem collectively.

Correct Answer: Discuss privately with the team member and coach them towards professional help if needed.

The best approach to handle such delicate situations should be characterized by empathy, discretion, and respect for the individual's privacy. This corresponds to the text: 'Discuss privately with the team member and coach them towards professional help if needed.' It indicates that the Scrum Master should have a private conversation with this team member, providing a safe space for the individual to potentially share their problems without feeling judged or exposed. Moreover, suggesting professional help may provide them with the necessary tools to deal with their personal issues. On the other hand, the other options are not suitable. Ignoring the issue is counterproductive and may lead to team inefficiency. Discussing the problem in a team meeting could violate the member's privacy thus creating an uncomfortable work environment. Finally, replacing the team member without addressing the issue may even worsen their situation and also create a sense of insecurity within the team.

Question 2

Amid your project execution, you identify an impediment where multiple team members have overlapping roles resulting in confusion and delays. As a Scrum Master, what would be your best action?

Regularly update the Scrum board to reflect the current state of tasks without discussing role overlaps specifically. Introduce a skill matrix in the team to identify gaps and overlaps without directly addressing the current confusion. Conduct a retrospective focusing solely on the optimization of the team's workflow and processes, without explicitly addressing role clarity. This session would involve discussing how each process worked during the sprint and identifying areas for improvement. The detailed exploration would culminate in actionable items aimed at streamlining the team's operations, inadvertently encouraging members to reflect on their roles without direct confrontation. Organize a team meeting to clarify and document the Definition of Done which should automatically help define roles and responsibilities more clearly.

Correct Answer: Organize a team meeting to clarify and document the Definition of Done which should automatically help define roles and responsibilities more clearly.

The best approach to address the problem is by facilitating an environment where roles and responsibilities can be clarified without imposing solutions. This empowers the team to take ownership of their roles, fostering a collaborative culture. Organizing a meeting to clarify and document the Definition of Done ensures that expectations are aligned, without dictating roles, allowing for a more natural resolution to role overlaps. The wrong answers, while related to team management and improvement, do not directly solve the issue of role confusion and might even sidestep the core problem, leading to further misunderstanding and inefficiency.

Question 3

In a scenario where a new technology is introduced, and the team lacks knowledge in this area causing a major impediment. As a Scrum Master, how would you address this?

Instruct the team to continue working as usual and wait for the upcoming sprint retrospective to discuss the technological impediment. Direct the team to pause current sprint activities and dedicate all efforts to mastering the new technology. Arrange for a collaborative learning session involving the whole team to collectively explore the new technology. Suggest that the development team divides the new technology study load amongst themselves, each becoming an expert in a different part.

Correct Answer: Arrange for a collaborative learning session involving the whole team to collectively explore the new technology.

The correct answer promotes a balanced approach to addressing the challenge without halting sprint progress, fostering teamwork, and ensuring a shared understanding of the new technology. The first wrong answer disrupts the sprint's flow and may not be practical or beneficial in the short term. The second wrong answer risks creating knowledge silos within the team, undermining the essence of cross-functionality in Scrum. The third wrong answer delays addressing a critical impediment, potentially impacting the team's productivity and morale.

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