Standup Meetings

Purpose: A short, daily meeting for the Development Team to synchronize, plan the day's work, and identify impediments. It's about transparency and fostering collaboration.

Who Attends: Primarily the Development Team. The Scrum Master facilitates and the Product Owner may attend to listen and clarify.

When: Same time, same place, every working day. Typically in the morning and timeboxed to 15 minutes.

The Standard Structure (Often followed):

Each team member briefly answers these three questions:

1. What did I do yesterday that helped the Sprint Goal? (Focus on completed work and contribution)

2. What will I do today that will help the Sprint Goal? (Plan for the current day)

3. What impediments or roadblocks am I facing? (Identify anything blocking progress)

Tips for Success:

• Be Punctual: Start on time to respect everyone's schedule.

• Stand Up: Literally standing encourages brevity and focus.

• Stay Focused on the Sprint Goal: Ensure discussions relate back to the overall objective of the current iteration.

• Keep it Concise: Aim for brief updates (ideally under 1 minute per person).

• Focus on Progress, Not Reporting: It's a coordination meeting, not a status report for the manager.

• Identify Impediments Clearly: Highlight anything blocking your progress so the Scrum Master can help.

• Take Detailed Discussions Offline: If a topic requires more in-depth conversation, agree to discuss it immediately after the standup with the relevant individuals.

• Active Listening: Pay attention to what your teammates are saying to identify potential dependencies or overlaps.

• Scrum Master Facilitates: The SM ensures the meeting stays within the timebox, follows the structure, and helps resolve impediments.

• Positive and Collaborative Tone: Encourage a supportive environment where team members feel comfortable raising issues.

• Regularly Review and Adjust: If the standup isn't effective, the team should retrospect and experiment with different formats or approaches.

What to Avoid:

• Problem Solving During Standup: Identify the problem, but defer the solution discussion.

• Detailed Technical Discussions: Keep it high-level; deep dives happen offline.

• Using it as a Task Assignment Meeting: Tasks should ideally be broken down during planning.

• Skipping or Being Late Regularly: Consistency is key to its effectiveness.

• One Person Dominating the Conversation: Encourage equal participation.

Outcome of a Successful Standup:

• Shared understanding of the team's progress towards the Sprint Goal.

• Awareness of potential roadblocks and who needs help.

• Clear plan for the day's work for each team member.

• Increased communication and collaboration within the team.

• Early identification of potential issues that could impact the sprint.

By following these guidelines, your team can make standup meetings a valuable and efficient way to start the day and stay aligned on delivering valuable software.