9. A project manager is assigned to lead a newly formed agile team. The functional manager has assigned tasks to team members, but the team members do not feel empowered.How should the project manager promote empowerment and accountability among the team?
Answer: A
Give the team autonomy to make their own decisions on how to perform the tasks.
Promoting empowerment and accountability among the team can be effectively achieved by giving them autonomy to make their own decisions regarding task performance. This approach fosters a sense of ownership and encourages team members to take responsibility for their work.
A) Give the team autonomy to make their own decisions on how to perform the tasks.
This option is correct as it directly addresses the need for empowerment by allowing team members to decide how to approach their tasks. Empowerment is essential in agile methodologies, as it enhances motivation and accountability, leading to better team performance.
B) Encourage the team to keep the product owner involved when choosing ways to resolve the given task.
While involving the product owner can provide valuable insights and guidance, this option does not promote the autonomy of the team. It may inadvertently limit the team's ability to make independent decisions, which is crucial for fostering empowerment.
C) Encourage and assign the team to perform demos of their products or software with the customers.
Although performing demos can enhance accountability and provide feedback opportunities, it does not directly relate to empowering the team in their task execution. This option focuses more on interaction with customers rather than promoting decision-making autonomy within the team.
D) Assign the tasks individually based on the role of the team member to ensure expertise on the subject.
This option may seem logical for leveraging expertise, but it can undermine empowerment by limiting the team's ability to collaborate and make collective decisions. It reinforces a top-down approach rather than fostering a self-organizing team environment.
Conclusion
The correct answer, giving the team autonomy to make their own decisions, is essential for fostering an empowered and accountable agile team. All other options fail to promote the necessary independence and collaborative spirit that are critical in an agile framework, thereby limiting the team's potential to innovate and take ownership of their work.