Background
A former colleague and SCRUM master I worked with asked me to put this together in July 2021, but never put it anywhere people could see it. I had been working with a team using the SCRUM framework for over a year, and we had worked out a lot of inefficiencies with daily. I joined another team new to the concept and had to fill in for the lead a few times. She was impressed, or at least amused with my approach to the event. So, she asked me to put together a brief guide for others to adopt or adapt to their needs.
What is Daily SCRUM?
Daily Scrum is one of the five time-boxed events described in the Scrum Guide. This daily event is a time for the Development Team to create a plan for their next 24 hours of work to achieve the sprint goal.
From the SCRUM Guide
The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work. The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers of the Scrum Team. To reduce complexity, it is held at the same time and place every working day of the Sprint. If the Product Owner or Scrum Master are actively working on items in the Sprint Backlog, they participate as Developers. The Developers can select whatever structure and techniques they want, as long as their Daily Scrum focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal and produces an actionable plan for the next day of work. This creates focus and improves self-management. Daily Scrums improve communications, identify impediments, promote quick decision-making, and consequently eliminate the need for other meetings. The Daily Scrum is not the only time Developers are allowed to adjust their plan. They often meet throughout the day for more detailed discussions about adapting or re-planning the rest of the sprint’s work.
Tips that helped my teams improve the quality of daily
Set the pace
Since the maximum time limit for Daily Scrum is 15 minutes, the Development Team needs to stay on task and create their plan quickly. One way to accomplish this is to choose a developer to facilitate the discussion. This can include asking questions, prompting team members for a response, and maintaining focus.
Focus on the sprint goal
The purpose of each sprint is to accomplish the sprint goal; therefore, the sprint backlog is comprised of any product backlog items that will ensure that the goal is met. The Scrum Team needs to keep the sprint goal in focus while working. During Daily Scrum, make sure that the sprint goal is either visible or reiterated so that everyone is on the same page. When the team creates their plan, it should drive them closer to achieving the goal. Instead of having each developer talk about what they did yesterday and what they’re doing today, try talking about what each person is doing to ensure that the sprint goal is met.
Share the sprint backlog
Since the sprint backlog is just a compilation of the individual pieces needed to accomplish the sprint goal, it can be extremely helpful (and usually necessary) to inspect the sprint backlog during Daily Scrum. If working virtually, have a team member share the backlog from their screen. If co-located, make sure your Daily Scrum takes place wherever the sprint backlog is. As a team, inspect and update product backlog items with any information (roadblocks, progress, comments, etc.) that may have been learned the day before.
Make and reiterate the plan
As a team, create and commit to a plan for the day. Some tips:
- Start with items closest to the Definition of Done and work backward to items that are in the sprint forecast.
- Quickly assess all work in progress by calling on team members to give a brief update on the work required to move forward.
- It can be helpful to ask probing questions such as, “What do we need to do to complete this work? “, or “Is there anything we can collaborate on?” to facilitate scheduling time in the day for team members to move the needle on a particular task. It can also highlight when a task is too big, or not well refined and could use more detail.
- Ensure that any team members who may not be fully available for the day make that known to the rest of the team so that the plan can be adjusted accordingly and/or teammates know the best way to reach one another.
- After all work in progress has been reviewed, review the forecast. How do we feel about meeting the goal? Is there anything that has come up that is blocking progress? Is there anything we doubt will meet the Definition of Done by Sprint Review? If so, consider modifying the forecast.
Get after it!
End the meeting with confidence. The whole point is to establish a plan that can be executed between now and the next daily. Take advantage of the momentum and make a run at the sprint goal.