PMI-ACP Practice Questions #7
During a technical review discussion, a new team member expressed disagreement with some technical decisions made in the previous sprint. Another team member commented that the new member was being overly critical.
What should the Agile practitioner do?
A. Remind the new team member not to critique or second-guess past decisions.
B. Encourage team members to privately express disagreements with project decisions to you.
C. Teach the team how to transparently and collaboratively discuss and question decisions.
D. Advise the new team member to always present data and facts before criticizing decisions.
Analysis
The scenario presents a conflict in a technical review discussion where a new team member disagrees with past decisions, and an existing team member reacts negatively, perceiving it as excessive criticism. This situation highlights the need for constructive communication, psychological safety, and conflict resolution within the Agile team.
Agile values transparency, collaboration, and a culture of continuous improvement. The Agile practitioner should ensure that team members feel safe to express their opinions while also fostering respectful and productive discussions. Suppressing feedback or centralizing decision-making through a single authority contradicts Agile principles. Instead, teaching the team how to handle disagreements constructively will create a psychologically safe and collaborative environment.
Analysis of Options
A: Remind the new team member not to critique or second-guess past decisions.
This is not an Agile approach because Agile encourages continuous learning and improvement. Team members should be able to question decisions and suggest better alternatives. Suppressing feedback limits innovation and adaptability, making this a poor choice.
B: Encourage team members to privately express disagreements with project decisions to you.
This creates a bottleneck and shifts the responsibility of conflict resolution solely to the Agile practitioner. Agile encourages team-based decision-making and open discussions, rather than requiring disagreements to be handled privately by one person. This undermines collaboration and does not promote psychological safety. Therefore, this is not the best option.
C: Teach the team how to transparently and collaboratively discuss and question decisions.
This is the best choice because it aligns with Agile principles of fostering collaboration, constructive feedback, and psychological safety. Instead of discouraging disagreements, this option focuses on equipping the team with the skills to handle discussions in a productive and non-confrontational manner. By teaching the team how to provide and receive feedback effectively, the Agile practitioner helps create a culture of trust and open communication.
D: Advise the new team member to always present data and facts before criticizing decisions.
While using data to support feedback is valuable, requiring team members to always provide data before raising concerns may discourage open discussions. Agile teams should feel safe to express ideas and opinions, even if they do not have immediate data to support them. Psychological safety allows for constructive discussions where ideas can evolve collaboratively. While this option has merit, Option C is broader and more effective, as it includes elements of Option D while also addressing the overall team dynamics.
Conclusion
The correct answer is Option C: Teach the team how to transparently and collaboratively discuss and question decisions.
This choice supports psychological safety, team collaboration, and open communication, which are critical to an Agile environment. It ensures that team members can express disagreements productively while also preventing conflicts from escalating into personal disputes. By fostering a culture of respectful dialogue and continuous improvement, the Agile practitioner helps the team grow stronger and more adaptable.
PMI – ACP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
| Mindset | Foster Psychological Safety |
| Leadership | Facilitate conflict management |
Topics Covered:
- Fostering psychological safety in team discussions.
- Encouraging open and constructive feedback.
- Teaching transparent and collaborative decision-making.
- Promoting respectful dialogue and conflict resolution.
- Supporting continuous improvement and adaptability.
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