Conflict Management in Scrum

Correct Answer: Coach the aggressive member to be more collaborative and encourage the withdrawing member to express their viewpoint, promoting a productive dialogue to reach a mutually beneficial solution.

In this situation, the ScrumMaster should adopt a collaborative conflict resolution style. Coaching the aggressive member to be more open to others' ideas and encouraging the withdrawing member to share their viewpoint will help create a more balanced discussion. This approach promotes a productive dialogue where both team members can express their ideas and work together to find a mutually beneficial solution. Allowing the argument to continue uninterrupted may lead to further escalation and a breakdown in team dynamics. Imposing a solution without considering both team members' perspectives may resolve the conflict quickly but could lead to resentment and a lack of buy-in from the team. Scheduling a separate meeting to analyze conflict styles and develop a plan for future discussions, while potentially helpful in the long run, does not address the immediate need to resolve the current heated argument constructively.

Correct Answer: MasterScrum should recognize and validate the team member's feelings, then engage in a solution-focused dialogue to distribute the workload equitably.

The best approach when a team member feels overloaded with work is to acknowledge their feelings and work together to find a solution. This is in line with the principles of Scrum, which emphasizes team collaboration, respect and problem-solving together. The idea is to distribute the workload equitably among all the team members. This not only addresses the current issue of the overloaded team member, but also promotes healthy, sustainable work practices within the team. The answer suggesting that MasterScrum should insist the team member works overtime until their stress subsides is incorrect as this does not solve the problem, but potentially exacerbates the team member's stress and can lead to burnout. The answer proposing to immediately reassign all of the team member's tasks to others is not ideal, for it may create a feeling of exclusion or incompetency for the team member, and might overload other members of the team. The answer suggesting to disregard the team member's feelings and state that everyone has the same workload is also inappropriate - it invalidates the team member's feelings and does not foster an environment of respect and empathy.

Correct Answer: MasterScrum should empathize with the team member and discuss potential adjustments to his workload or deadlines until his situation improves.

The most effective way to approach a struggling team member is with empathy and adaptability. This aligns with the key principles of a ScrumMaster role. Discussing potential adjustments to his workload or deadlines until his situation improves acknowledges both the team member's value and current struggles, and seeks a compassionate and practical solution. The other options lack this level of understanding and flexibility. Insisting that personal issues be left at home doesn't recognize the human aspect of team members. Giving an ultimatum may create fear and resentment, which is not conducive to a healthy and effective team. Lastly, sharing personal issues with the entire team isn't appropriate due to privacy and respect for individual boundaries.