What would you do?

You are a manager in an agile organization. Markus is a development leader of a Scrum Team and he doesn’t seem very motivated lately, so you asked him to talk in a one-on-one meeting. While talking to Markus, he says that he is disappointed that the team is making decisions without consulting him.

What would you do?
A . Ask him if he has discussed the issue with the team, talked with the Scrum Master or raise it as an issue in the Sprint Retrospective.
B. Facilitate a meeting with the team members to discuss the problem and explain that their decisions need Markus’ approval.
C. Move him to another team that will respect his opinions.
D. Investigate why the value of respect is broken.

View Answer

Answer: A

Explanation:

In a Scrum Team, leadership is an attitude and not a title. Everyone in a Scrum Team can be a leader and must have leadership skills. Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint. They are also self-managing, meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and how. Just because Markus is a leader does not mean that he is a boss and that team members should consult with him on all decisions. However, it is important to listen to his point of view, that he listens to other members of the team and that everyone reaches an agreement on how the Scrum Team manages itself. As a manager, it would be good to encourage the issue to be discussed and transparent within the team.