Running a Scrum Meeting That Keeps Your Team On Track

Introduction to Scrum Meetings

Scrum meetings are short, daily sync-ups that help development teams inspect progress, collaborate, and adapt more efficiently. They are a core component of the agile scrum framework.

Scrum is an iterative, incremental framework commonly used in software development and product management. It emphasizes accountability, teamwork, and frequent progress updates.

The purpose of daily scrum meetings is for the team to align on the work completed, plan for the next day's tasks, and identify any impediments. This allows teams to rapidly adapt and address issues early.

Key benefits of scrum meetings:

• Improves communication and collaboration
• Promotes daily progress and accountability
• Surfaces roadblocks quickly
• Keeps the team focused and aligned with the sprint goals
• Provides opportunities for coaching and mentoring
• Encourages problem-solving as a team

Scrum meetings keep teams in sync on a daily basis, leading to improved productivity, quality, and delivery. When done effectively, scrum meetings are an essential element of successful agile teams.

When to Hold Scrum Meetings

Scrum meetings are typically held daily at the same time each day throughout the duration of a sprint. The consistency helps team members prepare and be ready to participate.

The recommended cadence for scrum meetings is once per day. Ideally, the standup should happen in the morning, as it helps the team start the day focused on the sprint goals.

Aim to limit the meeting length to 15 minutes or less. Shorter standups of 10-12 minutes are common. Avoid letting the meeting drag on longer than 15 minutes maximum.

Schedule the daily scrum meeting at the same time to build a habit. For distributed teams across time zones, find a time that works reasonably well for everyone.

Consider holding the standup at the start of the workday rather than the end, so the team leaves focused on the day's tasks. Late day standups can feel disjointed from the rest of the workday.

In summary, most teams find success with a daily cadence, set in the morning, capped at 15 minutes. This predictable schedule keeps the team engaged, synchronized, and focused on achieving the sprint goals.

Who Should Attend

The core, required attendees for a scrum meeting are:

• Product Owner: The product owner is responsible for managing the product backlog and prioritizing work for the development team. They should attend to clarify any questions about the backlog and provide guidance.
• Scrum Master: The scrum master facilitates the scrum process, including moderating scrum meetings. They ensure the meetings stay on track and on time.
• Development Team: The full development team working on the project attends. This allows team members to sync up, identify blockers, and plan workflow.

There are also optional attendees who may join periodically:

• Stakeholders: Key stakeholders may attend scrum meetings to get visibility into the development process and progress. However, they should not disrupt the meeting flow.
• Managers: Engineering or product managers associated with the project may attend to get insights. But their presence should not undermine the autonomy of the development team.

The scrum meeting is meant for the development team. Extraneous attendees should be there only to listen and observe, not to direct the meeting. Keeping the core group small helps facilitate quick coordination and problem-solving.

Setting the Stage

Selecting the right location and getting the room ready are important first steps to running an effective scrum meeting.

Choosing a Meeting Spot

Pick a meeting room or space that allows the team to gather in a circle or semi-circle. This eliminates physical barriers and promotes better communication and collaboration. Ideally, the room should have ample wall space for whiteboards and displays. Look for a central location that is easy for all team members to access.

Avoid booking rooms that are too large for the team or have big boardroom style tables, as these can obstruct team interactions. Also avoid rooms with lots of windows, screens or other distractions.

Setting Up Equipment

Set up any audio/video conferencing equipment ahead of time if remote team members will be dialing in. Test the video and audio to ensure a smooth connection.  

Provide whiteboards, flip charts and markers for jotting down notes and sketching out ideas during the meeting. Position these at the front of the room, visible to all attendees.  

If using a projector and screen, cue up any slides, charts or diagrams to be displayed. Laptops should be plugged in, charged up and ready to go prior to starting the meeting.

Distributing Handouts

Print out any handouts that will be referenced including the agenda, metrics reports, issues log etc. Have copies available for each participant as they arrive.

Visual aids like user story maps, burndown charts or process flows should be printed out or displayed digitally via a projector.

The Scrum Meeting Agenda

The standard agenda for a scrum meeting follows a set format and timeframe. Here is an overview of the key components:

• What has been accomplished since the last meeting? (Review progress)

The scrum master will ask each member to summarize what they have completed in relation to the sprint goal since the last scrum meeting. This should be factual and concise, typically limited to 1-2 minutes per member.

• What is planned to be accomplished by the next meeting? (Plan ahead)

Each member then outlines what they aim to complete by the next scrum meeting. This ensures transparency on priorities and progress for the following day(s). Members estimate how much they can realistically achieve.

• What obstacles are impeding progress? (Identify roadblocks)

Team members should raise any issues, risks or blocks preventing them from reaching the sprint goal. The scrum master can then focus on addressing these obstacles.

The recommended timebox for each of these agenda items is no more than 15 minutes. That puts the total meeting length at a maximum of 45 minutes. Keeping scrum meetings short and focused leads to greater efficiency and productivity.

During the Meeting

The scrum meeting itself should take 15-30 minutes. As the scrum master, it's your responsibility to keep the meeting on track and within the timebox. Here are some tips:

• Set a timer to keep track of time. Stop the meeting when time is up, even if you haven't covered everything. Remaining items can be discussed after or postponed.
• Encourage focused conversations. If discussions start to go off topic or too in depth, refocus the group. Table detailed discussions for outside the meeting.
• Give each member a chance to speak without interruption. Go around the team and have each person give their quick update.
• Watch for signs of disengagement, like side conversations or checking phones. Politely re-engage participants.
• Record notes and action items visible to all, like on a whiteboard. Capture important points, decisions, and assigned tasks.
• Review action items at the end and clarify owners and deadlines. Make sure each item is clear and achievable.
• End the meeting on time. Schedule any remaining agenda items for discussion later.

Keeping scrum meetings tight and productive takes practice. With these tips, you can hone your skills as an effective scrum master over time. The more efficient your standups, the more engaged your team.

After the Meeting

The work doesn't stop once the daily scrum meeting ends. There are several important follow-up steps:

• Circulate notes, decisions, action items. The scrum master or a designated attendee should document what was discussed and decided during the meeting. These notes should be distributed to all stakeholders and team members. This ensures everyone is on the same page about the outcomes.
• Follow up on tasks and blockers. During the meeting, any obstacles that are preventing progress should be raised. The scrum master needs to follow up and help remove these blockers. Team members who committed to completing tasks by the next meeting should also be checked in with frequently.
• Send a meeting survey. It's a good practice to collect feedback from attendees after recurring meetings. An anonymous survey allows participants to share pros/cons and suggest improvements. This input can help optimize the daily scrum over time. Examples of survey questions:
• On a scale of 1-5, how valuable was today’s daily scrum?
• What worked well during the meeting today?
• What could be improved about today’s daily scrum meeting?
• Do you have any other feedback for the facilitator?

Ensuring proper follow-up will increase the effectiveness of your daily scrum meetings. Don't let the meeting's momentum end when people walk out of the room. Continue driving progress through coordinated effort.

Common Issues and Solutions

Scrum meetings aim to be collaborative, efficient, and productive. However, like any meeting, they can run into common problems. Here are some frequent issues that may come up, and how to deal with them:

Dealing with dominators and poor attendance

• If one or two people dominate the conversation, this blocks others from contributing. The Scrum Master should politely intervene to get quieter members talking. Consider going around the room so everyone speaks.
• Poor attendance decreases collaboration. Stress the importance of attendance and try to identify and resolve scheduling conflicts. Consider moving the meeting time if needed.

Keeping the meeting on track

• Tangents are inevitable but should be cut short. The Scrum Master should steer the focus back to the three Scrum questions if needed. Timebox the sharing of updates as well to keep things moving.

Promoting collaboration

• Some team members may not volunteer information. Invite their perspective and insights specifically. Foster psychological safety so everyone feels comfortable speaking up.
• Make sure cross-functional collaboration happens. Members should actively listen and be willing to help each other when issues arise.

The Scrum Master plays a key role in facilitating the discussion, encouraging participation, and optimizing the flow of the meeting. With some patience and tweaking, the daily Scrum can become an energizing team ritual.

Tools and Templates

Scrum meetings don't require any special tools, but using digital tools can make the process smoother. Here are some popular tools for scrum meetings:

Project Management Tools

• Jira - This popular agile project management tool has features like boards, backlogs, and sprints that can be helpful for tracking progress during scrum meetings.
• Trello - Trello's kanban-style boards and card system make it easy to visualize workflow and track progress. Great for distributed teams.
• Asana - Asana has timeline and board views that allow teams to schedule sprints and track progress during standups.

Collaboration Tools

• Miro - This online whiteboarding tool is great for distributed teams. Team members can collaborate in real-time on digital sticky notes during standup meetings.
• Mural - Another digital whiteboard space perfect for agile ceremonies. Great for team collaboration and discussion.
• Conceptboard - This online pinboard helps teams brainstorm ideas visually before and after standup meetings.

Question Prompts

Some good questions to ask during standup meetings include:

• What did you accomplish since the last meeting?
• What do you plan to work on until the next meeting?
• What obstacles or blockers are impacting your progress?

Rotate who asks the questions each meeting to keep it fresh.

Agenda Templates

Use a simple scrum meeting agenda template to keep the meeting on track. Here's an example:

• 2 minute welcome
• Team member updates
• Identify blockers or impediments
• Review sprint goal progress
• Appreciations
• 2 minute wrap up

Keeping a consistent structure meeting over meeting helps team members prepare their updates. Change up the format occasionally to keep it engaging.

Using digital tools, prompts, and agenda templates can optimize scrum meetings, leading to greater transparency, alignment, and productivity. But don't let tools overcomplicate the process - focus on open communication and collaboration.

Key Takeaways

Scrum meetings offer many benefits when done effectively. Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Keep it short and focused - Daily scrums should last 15 minutes or less. Stay focused on quick status updates.
• Consistency is key - Hold the meeting at the same time and place every day for consistency. This helps the team get into a routine.
• Attendance is crucial - All team members should attend to stay up to date on progress, issues, and dependencies. Missing members should be addressed.
• Let everyone speak - Give each member a chance to provide updates without interruption. Foster an environment of active listening.
• Stand-up is ideal - Standing during the meeting encourages brevity. But teams can adapt this to what works best for them.
• Review progress - Focus on what's been accomplished since the last meeting and any roadblocks. This keeps the team goal-focused.
• Raise issues - Use the meeting to flag any impediments that are blocking progress. This allows the team to help address issues.
• Learn and improve - Over time, work to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of daily scrums for the team's benefit.
• Enable better collaboration - When done well, scrum meetings build teamwork, transparency, and accountability. This leads to better delivery.

Following these best practices will lead to more productive scrums and improved delivery. With regular practice, scrum meetings become a cornerstone of team communication and collaboration.

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