The very idea behind the Daily Scrum is to share information and re-plan the Development Team’s collective work for the next 24 hours to progress in the best possible way towards the Sprint’s goal. It takes a form of a maximum 15-minute meeting that occurs every day, ideally at the same place and the same hour. It is, in fact, a closed-loop feedback cycle, kept brief and focused on only the most important things – what has been achieved, what is planned to achieve and if there were any impediments on the road towards the goal.
What’s important to note is that the Daily Scrum is not a status update for the stakeholders. It is an inspection of the sprint progress and an adaptation of the sprint backlog in the daily plan to stay in sync until the next meeting.
Daily Scrum meetings help the team prepare for the day’s collaboration and allow corrections during the sprint. Of course, they enable high progress visibility and encourage self-organization. But what’s most important is that Daily Scrums facilitate sharing knowledge, enhance openness and build trust between the Team members.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FEELINGOF BEING IN THIS TOGETHER!
Scrum Sprint, although it requires a certain level of discipline, leaves a space for personal creativity. That’s why it’s a good idea to not always go by the book and introduce changes to the routine that will make it efficient and effective. Here’s a list of what we think is crucial to take your Daily Scrum to the next level. For us, it’s all about communication and relations!
Both the Development Team and people representing the customer during the meeting must always be prepared for the stand-up. It is the only way to ensure meeting the sprint goal and to identify any impediments. It also helps to keep focus at all times, which results in the Team being more engaged.
The Team is also happy to attend future meetings, as they see the value they provide. Moreover – if the Team is well prepared and the meeting is truly productive, the Stakeholders are more likely to notice and appreciate the progress.
It is also important to understand that both parties’ biggest benefits are involved in the project. Start with the precise determination of the roles in the project of both the Team and the Customer. Everybody should also educate other Team members on how to use tools and techniques chosen for the project and create an atmosphere that facilitates knowledge transfer.
The responsibility here rests mostly on the shoulders of Product Owners, who must actively participate in day-to-day work on the project and make sure the Team and the Customer are cooperating, exchanging insights, and sharing know-how and establishing a straightforward relation.
For the Daily Scrum to be effective and encouraging, it must occur face to face (if that’s possible). However, let’s think about this tip in broader terms – it is always a great idea to meet in person with both the Team and the Customer, regardless of the place. Especially if, daily, you’re pretty far away. It is particularly crucial at the very beginning of cooperation. A good meeting at the start of the project facilitates the kick-off and helps establish a fruitful relationship based on trust.
Meeting in person also has another perk Daily Scrum-wise. It’s good when the customer knows more Development Team members than just the Project Manager. Feel free to invite Developers of the customer to the Daily Scrum meeting, especially those involved in creating a particular solution. They will always provide some technical details and resolve any doubts, which provides extra value from both points of view.
To constructively manage the backlog of the project and run a productive meeting, you will need tools to facilitate the job. Of course, best-quality audio and video conferencing solutions are a must, but that steps one. To ensure the Daily Scrum is used to the maximum, it must be connected with tools that support and enhance communication and workflow.
Each Team surely has their own favourite tools; however, it’s fair to say that nobody was ever fired for using Jira, Slack or Trello. And since you have the tools in place, then make use of them! Encourage your customer to actively work on the backlog and remain switched on regarding the progress in the project. Just make sure to have the project management tool visible during the meeting so that the team has an easy view of the currently discussed issues.
It doesn’t always have to be a business-casual kind of teleconference. Allow yourself for some informality and see how the relation nurtures and develops! Don’t hesitate to catch up during the morning commute, when having breakfast, or during some spare time at the airport. Sometimes it’s enough to exchange only a few crucial thoughts to push the project forward. But even more importantly – getting a relation with your partner outside the conference room is a great method to build trust and establish a bond that will facilitate cooperation.
The benefits of the Daily Scrum really come when both organizations to the project are conscious of what’s there to achieve. Only adopting the agile mindset allows for thinking outside the box to implement iterative processes and be people-driven. This truly enables the facilitation of both project management and development.
It is important to understand that agility is a cultural aspect. It’s all about the behaviour of the people involved in software development. When done right, it brings so much energy to the table and gives the communication a necessary impact. So, let’s stand up, please!
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