In Agile environments, teams areself-organizing, meaning thattechnical decisions should be made by the Developersrather than by external roles such as the manager, Scrum Master, or Product Owner. When a conflict arises, an empirical approach—such as running an experiment—is the best way to determine the most effective solution.
Analysis of Each Answer Option:
❌Option A: The Product Owner should decide which approach to take.
TheProduct Owner’s roleis to define and prioritize product backlog items based on business value, not to make technical decisions.
TheScrum Guide (2020)explicitly states that the Product Owner does not dictate how work is done; that is the responsibility of the Developers.
✅Option B: The Developers should run an experiment to test the alternative approaches.(Best answer)
This aligns with Agile’sempirical approach(inspection, adaptation, and transparency).
Running an experiment allows the team to gatherreal-world datarather than relying on opinions.
It supports aculture of experimentation and continuous improvement, a key principle in Agile and DevOps practices.
This methodresolves conflicts objectively, helping teams align on the best solution without personal biases.
❌Option C: You, as a manager, should decide which approach to take.
Agile leadersempower teams to make decisionsrather than directing them.
If the manager intervenes in technical decision-making, itundermines self-organizationand reduces the team’s accountability.
This approach reflects acommand-and-control mindset, which contradicts Agile leadership principles.
❌Option D: The Scrum Master should decide which approach to take.
TheScrum Master’s roleis tofacilitatediscussions and help teams resolve conflicts, but they donotmake technical decisions.
TheScrum Guide (2020)defines the Scrum Master as a servant leader whocoaches teamsrather than directing them.
The Scrum Master canencourage an experimentbut should not impose a decision.
References from Professional Agile Leadership (PAL) Documents:
Scrum Guide (2020)– Defines self-managing teams where Developers make technical decisions.
Professional Agile Leadership Essentials (PAL-E) Guide– Agile leaders should create an environment that supports experimentation and empirical decision-making.
Lean Startup (Eric Ries)– Encourages teams to test hypotheses with real data instead of debating theories.
The Agile Manifesto – Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto– Advocates for self-organizing teams and continuous learning through experimentation.
By applying these Agile principles, the best approach isOption B, as it empowers the team to resolve conflicts through experimentation and empirical evidence.
