The effectiveness of a Scrum Team is heavily dependent on the traits of its members. The ideal team is a cohesive unit capable of delivering a potentially shippable increment each Sprint. This requires a combination of skills and attitudes. A collaborative nature is fundamental for working together effectively. A cross-functional outlook is crucial because Scrum Teams are designed to have all the competencies needed to accomplish the work without depending on others not part of the team; individual members with broad skills (T-shaped) enhance this capability. Finally, Business Domain knowledge allows the team to understand the user stories, make informed decisions, and deliver true value to the customer.

A. Not every team member is expected to be a "Scrum Expert"; that is the primary role of the Scrum Master.

B. "Self-organizing" is a characteristic of the team as a whole, not necessarily an individual trait, and "Negotiation skills" are less critical than core traits like cross-functionality.

D. The term "Independent" is contrary to the Scrum value of collaboration. Team members are highly interdependent and must work closely together to achieve Sprint Goals.

1. A Guide to the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK® Guide)

3rd Edition.

Section 4.2.2.2

Scrum Team Selection Criteria: This section explicitly lists key criteria for selecting team members. It states

"Key criteria to be considered during team selection are: cross-functional skills so the team has all the required expertise to deliver value; collaboration and co-location...; self-organization; and motivation." This directly supports "Collaborative" and "Cross-functional outlook." Business domain knowledge is an essential part of the expertise required to deliver value.

2. 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.

Page 486

Section 4.2.1

Shared mental models: The study highlights the importance of "shared understanding of the task and the business domain" for team effectiveness

supporting the need for Business Domain knowledge. It also emphasizes coordination and mutual support

which are facets of a collaborative environment. The concept of cross-functionality is discussed as enabling the team to handle diverse tasks internally.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2009.11.004

3. Hoda

R.

Noble

J.

& Marshall

S. (2011). The impact of agile methods on software project management. 2011 International Conference on Software and System Process (ICSSP).

Page 91

Section IV-B

The Team: This paper discusses the characteristics of agile teams

noting that "Agile teams are typically cross-functional... and collaborative." This reinforces that collaboration and a cross-functional nature are defining traits of successful Scrum teams.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/1961259.1961276