What is a Daily Scrum?

On our YouTube channel, Diane H. Leonard, GPC, STSI gives a quick but important mention of the Daily Scrum: https://youtu.be/kziJ7FKMh44

 

The Daily Scrum is attached to the Scrum framework, just one framework among many that utilize agility and adaptability for a greater impact. The Daily Scrum is one of the five events that are described in the Scrum Guide. Many nonprofits find the Daily Scrum to be a great place to start implementing Scrum into their organizations. Trying to immediately do all five events at the same time can cause some tension and stress for a lot of employees. A nonprofit can add a Daily Scrum one week, and then a Sprint Planning et cetera. In this case, “little by little” doesn’t mean slowly, but rather steady and calm.

 

“Let’s try this one, and see if we like it.” – what some professionals might say in reference to Scrum as a framework but not the framework.

 

But, what is the Daily Scrum? It’s a moment in the day for the team to see each other and briefly speak on what they have done and are doing to reach the Sprint Goal (the goal of a 1-4 week period where the team focuses their actions for a shared purpose). One other purpose is to remove impediments or barriers that might be in the way of accomplishing the work. 

 

Where this starts to differentiate from a regular daily meeting is in the fact that the event is capped at 15 minutes. The team only meets for 15 minutes MAX, but an encouraging Daily Scrum is even shorter, for there would be no impediments mentioned. 

 

Another point of interest is that the Daily Scrum doesn’t have to be in the morning. As a clarifier, it is not a time for check ins and updates, but rather a short period of time to make sure the team is moving as a team towards the goal. That’s it. That means this could happen as the last 15 minutes of the day, or right before lunch–whatever works.

 

“The importance of this event cannot be understated,” Diane stated. It is there to see the progress of the team towards the sprint goal, and to get a quick read on what is happening as a team, not for a manager.

 

The YouTube link is here.