How to Create Value during the Daily Scrum Meeting

What is Scrum

Scrum is a simple framework that helps teams approach complex problems similar to the way products are built. In order to facilitate the work, Scrum introduces certain events, and one of them is the Daily Scrum Meeting. The well-known “Daily” has a duration of 15 minutes and takes place on a daily basis while the Sprint is on course.

These meetings allow the whole team to know how much progress they have made and to recognize what can be done to optimize the process. Besides, the Daily Scrum helps improve transparency, allowing all team members to know where they are standing and what needs to do be done.

What is the Daily Scrum used for?

To explain a little further, during the “Daily”, team members set a plan for the next 24 hours. The team discusses which activities have higher priority, how they are going to execute them, and what can be done to obtain better results than the last day. The Daily Scrum also helps the team to adapt better to the changing market.

The Daily Scrum improves the probability of the Development Team reaching the Goal at the end of the Sprint, since it improves communication and overall teamwork, and allows the team to carefully inspect the progress. During the meeting, the Development Team can identify which factors are hindering the process and eliminate them.

Daily Scrum Meeting

The Daily Scrum meeting is always held at the same time and at the same location. The attendants of the Daily Scrum are the Development Team and the Scrum Master. The meeting can only last for 15 minutes and it is  Scrum Master the one who makes sure this happens. 

According to the Scrum Guide, these are some of the topics that are discussed during the “Daily” : 

• What did I do yesterday that helped the Development Team meet the Sprint Goal?
• What will I do today to help the Development Team meet the Sprint Goal?
• Do I see any impediment that prevents the Development Team or me from meeting the Sprint Goal?

By the end of the meeting, the team has to have a list of activities that need to be done in the next 24 hours. The Development Team usually gathers right after to further discuss in detail the plan.

Scrum Daily Standup

A Scrum Daily Standup is just another way to call a Daily Scrum. This name makes reference to the fact that many teams hold the Daily Scrum while standing up because this way people stay on “their toes” both physically and mentally.

Who starts the Daily Scrum

The Daily Scrum is an event to help the Development Team self-organize. The team members have to work as a single unit, so there is no assigned leader. Anyone on the team can start the meeting, as long as they stick to the topics that have to be discussed during the 15 minutes.

What to avoid during a Daily Scrum?

One of the problems during a Daily Scrum is keeping the meeting between the Development Team only. Sometimes, the Development team feels the need to give more details if the Scrum Master or the Product Owner is present. But, the Daily Scrum is solely for the Development Team to discuss their plans and how to improve their performance.

On the other hand, another common problem is having a Scrum Master who doesn’t know what they’re doing and behaves like a moderator and makes the team lose a lot of time. The Scrum Master is there as a consultant and for guidance, and shouldn’t participate during the meeting in any other way.

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