A new team member has joined a project team. During the first sprint, the new team member approached the project manager and requested to implement a…

In an agile environment, the project manager acts as a servant leader, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. The most appropriate initial action is to engage with the new team member to understand their suggestion. Scheduling a meeting demonstrates respect for the individual's input and creates an opportunity to evaluate a potential process improvement. This approach is collaborative and aligns with the agile principle of empowering team members. By first gathering information, the project manager can then facilitate a more informed discussion with the entire team to address their resistance and collectively decide on the best path forward.

1. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition. Project Management Institute

Inc. Section 2.3

Project Team

p. 43. This section emphasizes that project teams thrive in a culture of respect and trust

which includes being open to new ideas from all members.

2. Project Management Institute. (2017). Agile Practice Guide. Project Management Institute

Inc. Section 5.2

Servant Leadership Empowers the Team

pp. 33-35. This guide states that servant leaders "create an environment of trust" and "encourage collaboration." Scheduling a meeting to learn about a new idea is a primary example of this behavior.

3. Moe

N. B.

Dingsøyr

T.

& Dybå

T. (2010). A teamwork model for understanding an agile team: A case study of a Scrum project. Information and Software Technology

52(5)

480-491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2009.11.004. This study highlights the importance of communication and coordination mechanisms for team effectiveness. The project manager's action to open a dialogue facilitates communication and helps integrate the new member's knowledge into the team's shared understanding.