The team member himself cannot prioritize tasks or schedules. Team members are guided by their managers and in this case the team member has other obligations. The PM needs to speak to the functional manager to see if he can assign those tasks to someone else or he can work on those later. It is the functional manager's call to decide how to utilize the resource.

According to the Agile Practice Guide, one of the principles of agile project management is to "build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need and trust them to get the job done."1 Therefore, the project manager should not ignore, punish, or override the team member who has a different opinion, but rather try to understand their perspective and work with them to reach a consensus. This can foster a positive team culture and improve the quality of the sprint goals. References: 1: Agile Practice Guide, page 10.

Information that is complex and detailed is best conveyed in writing. A verbal follow-up would be good to answer questions and clarify information. Vertical and horizontal are ways of communicating within the organization.

Section: Closing