Chapter 7

Question 1

1.Which of the following describes a generalized specialist?

1. They are specialists in their field, but they have additional skill sets that can be used on a project.
2. They have limited experience in Agile and may need coaching to be more successful.
3. They have general knowledge about Waterfall projects but not Agile.
4. They have reached skill mastery.

Answer 1

1. They are specialists in their field, but they have additional skill sets that can be used on a project.

Generalized specialists are excellent for Agile teamwork because the individual is an expert in their field but has additional skill sets and knowledge that can benefit the team.

Question 2

Your team has reached the performing phase. What types of management and leadership do they need?

1. A lot of feedback and interactions
2. Feedback, coaching, or help only when they ask for it
3. Help with conflict resolution and expectation settings
4. Helping the team get to know each other and build trust

Answer 2

2. Feedback, coaching, or help only when they ask for it

If your team is performing, it is your role to be a servant leader, and if your team asks for or needs help, you provide it. Otherwise, you act as more of a facilitator.

Question 3

3.The concept of Shu Ha Ri is one of ____________.

1. Obey, detach, mastery
2. Learning, communicating, mastery
3. Novice and then proficient
4. Follows plans and process

Answer 3

3. Obey, detach, mastery

The concept of Shu Ha Ri describes the progression from obeying the rules of new skills and then branching out a bit to something that suits you without breaking the rules. Finally, in Shu Ha Ri you achieve skill mastery where you can perform the skill in any way that it needs to be performed.

Question 4

4.The team space is key in Agile projects. What is the one thing that is recommended above all others for Agile teams?

1. Scrum boards
2. Collocation
3. Caves and common rooms
4. Information radiators

Answer 4

4. Collocation

Collocation is highly recommended, if possible, for the team. Even if the team is virtual, it is recommended that they be collocated for planning and at least one if not two iterations.

Question 5

5.On a collocated team, what is one of the major benefits of everyone sitting together in the same work space?

1. The Scrum Master can find everyone.
2. Daily stand-up meetings are easier to organize.
3. Osmotic communication can be achieved.
4. Colocation helps with understanding of velocity charts.

Answer 5

Osmotic communication can be achieved.

Question 6

6. Your team has reached the performing phase. What types of management and leadership do they need?
7. A lot of feedback and training
8. Coaching as needed during retrospectives
9. Help with improving velocity
10. They don’t need any help.

Answer 6

6. Coaching as needed during retrospectives

Since your team is in the performing phase of team development, they are working together and may only need coaching here and there as a team. Typically, the best time to do so is during planning and retrospectives.

Question 7

7. The team space is key in Agile projects. What can be provided to the team in case they need privacy and quiet to work?
8. Time off
9. The ability to work from home
10. Caves and common rooms
11. Nothing. The team should always be collocated.

Answer 7

7. Caves and common rooms

Having your team be collocated is generally the best setup for team space, but even when the team is collocated someone may need privacy for a phone call or to work in silence when thinking through a difficult technical issue. Caves or common rooms can be provided for team members working on the same project(s).

Question 8

8. All the following are guidelines for one-on-one coaching except ____________.
9. Stay a half step ahead
10. Guarantee support
11. Partner with managers
12. Create positive regard

Answer 8

8. Guarantee support

The only guarantee in this model is the guarantee of safety rather than support. The support piece goes without saying but having a safe environment in which to improve skills, ask questions, and learn allows for effective coaching.

Question 9

9. Which of the following best describes a team’s velocity from the first iteration on?
10. It’s based on the decomposition of activities and their sequence.
11. Velocity varies in the first iterations, increases, and eventually plateaus.
12. Velocity is determined by the product owner.
13. Velocity is based on approved deliverables, milestones, scope, and resource management plans.

Answer 9

9. Velocity varies in the first iterations, increases, and eventually plateaus.

Velocity fluctuates on any project, but typically the biggest fluctuations are in the beginning, and eventually the amount of work increases and levels off.

Question 10

10. What is the main difference between a burn down and burn up chart?
11. A burn down chart tracks the time and effort left, and a burn up chart tracks completed work and changes.
12. A burn up chart tracks the time and effort left, and a burn down chart tracks completed work and changes.
13. A burn down chart tracks risk averted, and a burn up chart tracks risks left to manage.
14. A burn down chart tracks the burn rate of project costs, and a burn up chart tracks scope of work left to complete.

Answer 10

10. A burn down chart tracks the time and effort left, and a burn up chart tracks completed work and changes.

A burn down chart is used to show how much work has been completed, and it can help the team determine how much time the project will take. A burn up chart tracks work completed, but it also shows changes in scope and how that affects the ideal burn.

Question 11

Your team has determined that there are 500 points of functionality left in the backlog to complete. The first 4 iteration’s velocity has been tracked as follows:

20 points

35 points

55 points

50 points

Approximately how many more iterations will it take to complete the project based on velocity?

1. 12.5
2. 10
3. 14.7
4. 16

Answer 11

11. 12.5

To determine how many iterations remain, the team would take an average of all of the iterations and divide it into the remaining points. In this case, the team would probably round up to 13.

Question 12

12. A key stakeholder has asked for information on the team’s progression through the iteration. What would be the best way to present information about the team’s progress?
13. Earned value report
14. Burn down chart
15. Detailed notes on stand-up meetings
16. A Gantt chart

Answer 12

12. Burn down chart

Burn down, burn up, or velocity tracking charts are the best information radiators to present information on performance.

Question 13

13. Your key stakeholder is asking for comprehensive Gantt charts to determine how the project is progressing. What will you tell them?
14. “Sure, I’ll put one together for you.”
15. “In Agile projects, we don’t use Gantt charts.”
16. “I’ll ask the team to put it together.”
17. “Agile projects use low-tech, high-touch tools to radiate performance rather than Gantt charts.”

Answer 13

13. “Agile projects use low-tech, high-touch tools to radiate performance rather than Gantt charts.”

Most Agile projects do not use Gantt charts, unless they are using a tailored method that needs that type of reporting. In this case, reporting is best served in a highly visual way that is easy to understand.

Question 14

14. Your team is collocated and has a common room to work and communicate. Bill is getting distracted while working on a specific line of code, and he has to have a private call with his doctor in a half hour. Bill gets up to go into another room to work privately and take the call with his doctor. Is this an acceptable practice for Agile teams?
15. Yes. Bill went to a “cave,” and even though teams are collocated, it doesn’t mean that they can’t work privately as needed for a short period of time or to take private phone calls.
16. No. Bill needs to be coached in osmotic communication since his team could have found his code solution valuable.
17. Yes. Bill is perfectly within his rights to work separately from his team whenever he wants.
18. No. Bill is antisocial and may not be the best fit for your Agile team.

Answer 14

14. Yes. Bill went to a “cave,” and even though teams are collocated, it doesn’t mean that they can’t work privately as needed for a short period of time or to take private phone calls.

Caves and common rooms are useful for collocated teams when they need a bit of privacy or need to work on something project-specific but need quiet to do so.

Question 15

You are working on a large project, and many of your team members are going to be virtually distributed. What is the best way to help your virtual team be successful for your upcoming project?

1. Distributed teams are not recommended on Agile projects.
2. Set up ground rules.
3. Set up a live stream of video feeds to keep everyone virtually collocated.
4. Collocate the team for the planning meetings and two iterations if possible.

Answer 15

15. Collocate the team for the planning meetings and two iterations if possible

It’s a best practice to try to collocate all team members for planning and at least one iteration, if possible.

Question 16

16. Of the following, what is the best way that you can help your team stay connected when they are virtual?
17. Daily stand-ups
18. Mission statements, goals, and ground rules
19. Kickoff meetings
20. Video calls

Answer 16

16. Mission statements, goals, and ground rules

This question pertains to actual virtual team members, and while video calls are great, the team is better suited for creating their own mission statements and ground rules in the beginning. That will make future video calls much easier.

Question 17

17.What is the following statement defining?

Information flows into the background so that the team members will pick up relevant information that they can choose to learn more about or dismiss.

1. Nonverbal communication
2. Active listening
3. Osmotic communication
4. Stand-up meetings

Answer 17

17. Osmotic communication

Osmotic communication is realistic for collocated teams, and if the team space is set up correctly, this type of communication distribution and collaborative learning is easier.

Question 18

18. Your newly formed Agile team makes a mistake during the first iteration that results in 500 lines of code needing to be redone. As their coach, what do you think is important for the team to know?
19. Nothing. Teams are self-motivated and don’t need a manager.
20. That Agile teams are most effective at problem solving when they feel that they have permission to make mistakes.
21. You need to create a clear action plan for the team so that same mistake never happens again.
22. You need to determine whether or not your new team understands your chosen Agile framework, or if your team would be better suited using a specific project plan.

Answer 18

18. That Agile teams are most effective at problem solving when they feel that they have permission to make mistakes.

Part of being a good coach is to provide a safe environment in which the team can make mistakes and learn from them. If the team asks for coaching, or if you see an opportunity or need for coaching during a retrospective, then it is perfectly within reason to provide it at that point.

Question 19

19. A key stakeholder is asking what is the estimated time for the entire project to be completed. Which of the following will you show them to help answer that question?
20. Kanban board
21. Gantt chart
22. Burn down chart
23. Process flow diagram

Answer 19

19. Burn down chart

Burn down charts provide a visual of iteration performance and allow the team to estimate when the project may be completed.

Question 20

An Agile team shows its progress visually and has created a specific chart/graph to show work that has been completed as well as make scope changes visible across iterations. What are they creating?

1. WIP
2. Cumulative flow diagrams
3. Kanban board
4. Burn up charts

Answer 20

20. Burn up charts

Burn up charts allow the team to track performance visually while also tracking changes in the scope of work that could affect their velocity or completion of stories in an iteration.