Daily Scrum
Inputs
- Sprint Backlog and burndown chart updated with the information from the previous meeting.
- Progress information from each team member.
Outputs
- Updated Sprint Backlog and burndown chart.
- Identification of possible needs and impediments.
Meeting format
It is recommended to hold it standing in front of a board displaying the Sprint Backlog and the sprint burndown chart, so that everyone can share the information and make notes.
The whole team is present at the meeting, and other people related to the project or the organization may also attend, although they cannot take part.
The developers are responsible for this meeting, not the Scrum Master; it is not an "inspection" or "monitoring" meeting but a space for communication within the team to share the status of the work, check the pace of progress, and collaborate on possible difficulties or impediments. The Scrum Master's role is to facilitate and take the appropriate steps to resolve impediments after the meeting.
During the meeting
It is common for each developer to explain what they have accomplished since the previous Daily Scrum, what they will do before the next one, and whether they foresee any impediment or difficulty. At the end of the meeting, the team updates the sprint burndown chart with the revised estimates.
However, it has been observed that this individual participation format can have negative effects on motivation and team dynamics. Although it can be a starting point, it is recommended to evolve toward a format that focuses on the work, not on the people. In this alternative format:
- The developers—who run the meeting—look at the progress of the stories and tasks on the board.
- Seeing what is in progress, they self-assign the remaining work in order of priority, making sure that no bottlenecks form.
- This format, focused on stories or tasks rather than going person by person, shortens meetings, increases team autonomy, and improves collaboration.
Common mistake
Turning the Daily Scrum into a status report to the Scrum Master. The Daily Scrum is a meeting of the team, for the team: the developers synchronize their work with one another. If the Scrum Master asks the questions and the developers answer by addressing him or her, the meeting stops being horizontal coordination and becomes vertical reporting. The Scrum Master can facilitate, but should not be the recipient of the information.
Resources
📄 Scrum Master v.4.0 [in Spanish]Free download · Scrum Manager
📄 Scrum Master en equipos con IA [Scrum Master in Teams with AI, in Spanish]Free download · Scrum Manager
See also
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