What Is Daily Scrum? Questions, Agenda & Best Practices
May 31, 2023 Max 4min read
Welcome to the daily scrum, where teamwork and progress come alive daily! Picture a group of dedicated individuals gathering together in a circle, ready to tackle challenges. We’re on an exciting journey, and this is our daily meeting point to sync up and ensure we’re all heading in the right direction.
Imagine a busy marketplace filled with energy and possibilities. That’s where our Daily Scrum takes place. We’re like a team of adventurers, bringing our unique skills and strengths to work towards a common goal. It’s a good time when we come together to share updates, align our plans, and adapt to any changes that come our way.
During this meeting, time slowed down, allowing us to focus and appreciate the importance of our collaboration. We pause, reflect, and share stories of success and challenges. We’re not just individuals anymore; we’re a team. Together, we celebrate our wins, learn from our mistakes, and tackle anything that comes our way.
Let’s dive deep into what daily scrum is all about.
What Is Daily Scrum?
Daily scrum definition:
The daily scrum, also known as the daily stand-up, is a key practice in the Scrum framework for agile software development. It is a quick meeting that takes place daily, generally at the same time and place, and involves the entire Scrum team. The primary goal of the daily scrum is to help the team plan their work for that day and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
How to Run a Daily Scrum?
Running a daily scrum, also known as daily stand-up, is a common practice in agile project management. There is a daily scrum agenda that to ensure effective communication and coordination within an agile development team.
It is a brief meeting where team members discuss their progress, plan for the day, and address any issues or roadblocks. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to run a daily scrum:
- Determine a consistent time and location for the daily scrum.
- Ensure that all relevant team members are present.
- Define the meeting structure.
- The daily scrum should be a short and efficient meeting.
- Begin the daily scrum by having the first team member answer the three questions.
- After the first person speaks, continue clockwise or in a predetermined order to ensure everyone gets a turn. This helps establish a rhythm and prevents confusion.
- Address roadblocks
- Wrap up and disperse
- Periodically review and reflect on the effectiveness of your daily scrum.
Who Starts the Daily Scrum?
In the Scrum framework, any member of the Development Team can start the Daily Scrum. It is a self-organizing event, and the team members decide how to conduct it.
Usually, the team agrees on a regular time and place for the Daily Scrum, such as at the start of the working time or after a lunch break. The Development Team members gather and start the meeting at the appointed time.
The person who starts the Daily Scrum is often the team member who feels ready to begin or whoever is closest to the Scrum board or task board. However, the important thing is that the meeting starts promptly and that all team members are present and engaged.
3 Mandatory Questions of Daily Scrum
Three daily scrum questions are as follows:
- What did you do yesterday?
- What will you do today?
- Are there any impediments or blockers in your way?
These questions are intended to help team members stay on track and aligned with each other, identify any issues or roadblocks early on, and adjust their plans accordingly.
Best Practices for Daily Scrum
- Set a consistent time and place for the daily scrum to establish a routine.
- Keep the meeting timeboxed to 15 minutes or less to maintain focus and efficiency.
- Use a stand-up format to promote engagement and energy during the meeting.
- Emphasize the daily goal and ensure each team member knows what they need to accomplish.
- Stick to the three standard questions.
- Align tasks with the Sprint Goal to keep the team focused on delivering value.
- Avoid detailed discussions during the daily scrum; schedule separate meetings for in-depth conversations.
- Address obstacles raised during the meeting and assign responsibilities for resolving them.
- Encourage collaboration among team members facing similar challenges.
- Maintain a positive and supportive environment, celebrating successes and offering assistance.
- Minimize external interruptions during the meeting.
- Empower self-organization within the team during the daily scrum
- Constantly evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the daily scrum based on feedback and observations.
FAQs
The responsibility for conducting the daily scrum lies with the development team in the Scrum framework.
The Scrum Master is not responsible for conducting the Daily Scrum. Instead, their role is to facilitate the event and ensure the meeting occurs. The Scrum Master may also help the team members follow the Scrum framework and its principles, but they do not dictate the agenda or lead the meeting
The individuals who are typically required to attend the Daily Scrum are:
- Scrum Development Team
- Scrum master
- Product owner
The purpose of the daily scrum is to synchronize the team, identify any potential roadblocks, and adjust the plan for the day if needed. It is not intended to be a problem-solving or detailed discussion session but rather a quick status update.
While the Product Owner is not mandated to attend the Daily Scrum, they may choose to participate as an observer or provide input if it benefits the team. However, their presence should not hinder the self-organization of the development team.