Scrum Master Flashcards
What is the purpose of scrum master in a project?
Make sure the product owner and development teams follow the principles and practices of scrum
What is the scrum masters role as it relates to problems?
Scrum master does not solve problems, they help the team solve its own problems.
Scrum masters should be authoritarian in the project.
False, they should seek participation and consensus. They are facilitators.
What should a scrum master do if the team is not following scrum principles?
Collaborate with the group, suggest benefits and advantages and help the team come to their own conclusions
When building the backlog, what is the role of the scrum master?
collaborate with product owner to collect user stories, prioritize them and estimate the effort. Collaborate on what will move through the project cycle.
What should a scrum master do if the product owner does not have experience translating the vision into product backlog?
Engage in the process to assure it follows scrum guidelines.
What should the scrum master do if the development team cannot solve the problem?
Step in and guide the team to the root cause.
What should the scrum master be monitoring in the project?
Time allocated to scrum activities.
Measure productivity of the team to complete tasks within timeboxes
Intervene when team needs to be back on schedule
What skills do scrum masters need?
- Expert in artifacts and events associated with scrum
- Patience
- Ability to resolve conflicts through negotiation
- Interpersonal skills
- Refraining from autocratic behavior
What are the different ranges of behavior?
- Create conflict just to be difficult
- Avoid conflict at all costs
- Want to raise issues but resort to silence
- Understand needs but flexible to collaborate to reach mutual beneficial agreement
When should you decide to negotiate?
If the culture supports collaboration and cooperation
What are the 2 different approaches to negotiation?
Power based
Interest based
What is power-based negotiation?
One side wields the power and uses it to achieve their goals. Usually the side holding the power wins the negotiations
What is interest based negotiations?
Both parties strive to finds mutual ground through a collaborative process
When involved in a power-based negotiation, how do you know this and how do you compensate?
You know because the other side will not abandon their position. You compensate by drawing upon the power you have and arguing your position.
What train of thought will help the negotiations ending process be more amicable for both parties?
You can’t ignore what the other side wants. They need something. Both parties need to work together after negotiating a conflict.
What will skilled negotiators do most often to be most effective?
- Avoid irritators
- Spend less time defending and attacking
- Spend more time listening and understanding
- Summarize more often
- Ask more questions
- Make comments to establish common ground
What are 2 strategies of negotiation?
Competitive Strategy
Cooperative Strategy
What is the competitive strategy style of negotiation?
Get as much as possible with no regard for the other side’s position or needs.
What is the cooperative strategy style of negotiation?
Reach a mutually agreeable outcome that will satisfy both sides.
What are the five critical steps in the negotiating process?
- Know your hot button
- Listen Actively
- Ask Questions
- Acknowledge the other side
- Build a bridge
How do we know when our hot button has been pressed?
We feel angry, suddenly uncomfortable, heart rate increases, feel embarrassed, need to quickly get away
What are 3 natural ways to respond to hot buttons being pressed?
Strike back
give in
break off
When should you “give in” to a negotiation?
When the item is not much at stake and has immaterial impact on the project
Although striking back at times can have an appropriate effect on negotiation, what could be the side effect if used too much?
The more you escalate, the less power you have.
How can you get yourself out of the strike back loop?
- Calm down
- Talk to yourself
- Don’t take the aggressive behavior personally
- Refocus on the problem, not the attack
- Reconsider your strategy
- Rebuild your self-esteem
- Excuse yourself from the situation, check with the boss tactic.
Why is active listening a powerful tool in negotiation?
It shows the other side you are listening and trying to understand their position. It helps defuse the other sides anxiety and sets the stage for productive negotiations.
Helps you maintain control of the process.
What makes up a good question?
- Requires the other side to think.
- Requires the other side to see the problem from another point of view.
- Invites other side into collaborative process
What does it mean to “build a bridge” in the negotiating process?
Don’t jump in with your brilliant solution. Find a point the other side made that is of common interest. Use this as a foundation to work up through other point and seek agreement.
What strategies can be used to “build a bridge” in the negotiation process?
Build on a common point.
Give them a choice
Give them credit
Why is giving choices hard in negotiations?
You have to be flexible and be willing to move your position to an alternative approach.
How can giving choices be an effective tool?
Gives the other party a chance to take a closer look, compare choices, tell you what they think so you can move the negotiation.
How can “Giving someone credit” help to “Build a Bridge” in negotiations?
Gives a point of interest and builds the other party up to continue building the bridge of a solution to the conflict.
What is BATNA?
Best alternative to a negotiated agreement
How do you develop a strong BATNA?
Take time to create a credible alternative
When should you use BATNA in negotiations as a threat?
Only when absolutely necessary and you plan on following through
