A daily scrum is an essential component of any sprint and helps agile teams stay on track. Keeping these sessions productive is not always easy.
Michele Sliger was the senior project manager for the first scrum team at a large corporation testing the waters of agile development in the early 2000s, and her team was frequently late for daily stand-ups. Over time, the meeting-driven corporation developed a culture in which all types of meetings began 10 to 15 minutes late to allow employees to move between different office buildings on the sprawling campus.
The Daily Scrum is one of the most common tactics used to teach new teams how to use the Scrum framework. Although it looks to be a straightforward meeting, many blunders are committed that detract from the aim of this important event. In this essay, I will demonstrate some of those less-than-optimal habits to help new teams understand why some practices are detrimental to the team. Here are some suggestions for you to consider. You can check out our free online scrum master certification course to learn more.
1.Sitting down
It may sound obvious, but team members and stakeholders who attend stand-up meetings must do exactly that: stand up. “When people sit down, they get complacent,” says Pittman, who observes that teams are more inclined to use the time to deliver status reports when they’re “embedded in chairs,” but they should be planning and identifying circumstances when members need to meet after the meeting to resolve barriers.
Sliger believes it’s not uncommon to encounter a “sit-down” situation with teams that are geographically separated. During one engagement, her team figured out that a team in another location was sitting down since they sounded so calm while going over the three questions.
2.Rambling on
In a stand-up, each team member should be able to answer the three questions listed above succinctly. Moran explains that these questions provide structure for the conversation. “Otherwise, people start talking about all kinds of things that don’t relate to the team.”
This arrangement prohibits the team from using the stand-up for problem solving. If a member raises a concern, a high-performing team will swiftly identify who can assist so that the issue may be addressed once the meeting is completed. The Sliger’s Koosh ball method helps teach late entrants while also reducing rambling.
3.Ask for a status
This may be the most common error made by new Scrum teams: treating the Daily Scrum as a status meeting. The simple act of asking each team member to offer a “status” undermines the goal of this critical event, which is intended to help the team interact and uncover concerns. “Statusing” during the Daily Scrum creates artificial silos that limit collaboration among team members because each participant is exclusively focused on his or her own tasks.
4.Expect the Scrum Master to “run the meeting”
The Daily Scrum is designed to encourage collaboration among developers (or those doing the task). However, most teams usually appear to anticipate the Scrum Master to hold their hands, which is completely unnecessary. The team should learn to collaborate toward a common goal without having someone supervise them, which adds little value and impedes self-management.
5.Discuss problems in detail.
The Daily Scrum is designed to be as efficient as possible, so it is limited to 15 minutes. There is no time for in-depth problem-solving or technical discussions about specific difficulties; the team must learn to set those issues aside momentarily and focus on identifying team barriers.
6.Ask questions that are not related to the current sprint.
It is quite easy to become distracted during the Daily Scrum, especially when there is a lot to do and the stakes are high. Sooner or later, a team member will lose focus and bring up worries about a future sprint or another irrelevant topic. The squad must learn to divert those conversations and concentrate on the essential objective, which is to accomplish the sprint goal.
7.Assume everyone knows who to contact for assistance
New teams with less experienced members may require additional attention and assistance to ensure they are performing at their best. Do not always expect them to bring up difficulties when they are stuck; Take special effort to assist new team members so that they know who to contact to handle any difficulties or concerns as soon as possible.
Conclusion
These tips are important when handling your daily scrum. To learn more about Scrum, check out our scrum course online.
