We need to talk about the Daily Scrum, I'm afraid

You have probably seen this: People immediately jumping up from their chairs and gathering in a circle. It's time for the Daily Scrum! Like well-trained cadets, they start answering the following questions one by on: What did I do yesterday? What am I going to do today?

And most of those "stand-ups" miss completely the point. Why?

For many reasons, but let’s start with the notorious requirement to do it "standing up".

Scrum Doesn't Force You to Be Standing

When somebody tells me Scrum is about stand-ups it’s a good indicator they have gone through one of those 2-day trainings completed by an online exam.

Stand-up is not a requirement of Scrum, it is actually one of the methods shown in Extreme Programming by Kent Beck.¹

Scrum is a framework, not a methodology. It requires to have a Daily Scrum as a time-boxed event of 15min (every day of the Sprint) to plan how the Development team will cooperate in the next 24 hours to reach the Sprint Goal. But – the method is up to your team and may change over time.

Yes, standing up can help to achieve the purpose of the Daily Scrum, however, it should never be a self-serving fetish.

It's More Than Sharing the Agenda

Some Scrum Masters I've seen are good at keeping the team within the 15min time-box. Where many fail is to clarify the point why this meeting is actually happening. And no - it's definitely not about reporting "What did I do yesterday?" and "What I will do today?".

The purpose is not only to inspect our current progress but also to be able to adapt as a team and work together! The Scrum Guide actually suggests to use the following questions:

• What did I do yesterday that helped the Development Team meet the Sprint Goal?
• What will I do today to help the Development Team meet the Sprint Goal?
• Do I see any impediment that prevents me or the Development Team from meeting the Sprint Goal ²

See the shift in focus?

Make Them Listen, Make Them Collaborate

The Daily Scrum is an opportunity to co-operate in order to plan and adjust the work ahead in regard to the Sprint Goal. The idea is that in a self-organized Development Team everyone will listen carefully during the Daily Scrum because - answering the questions from the Scrum Guide - the new information emerging will concern them as a whole team.

When each person is just reporting what she or he has done and is going to do, there is a good chance that the others won't actively listen because the information being said is not important for them at all.

However, when your Development Team starts talking about how they impact the work of the others and what impediments they are going to face together, they will pay more attention and find ways to collaborate in order to meet the Sprint Goal.

Kick the Big Boys Out

Of course, your team members need to have the courage to openly talk about their mistakes and problems they are facing. It's supposed to be an internal meeting for the Development Team and it can become a reporting or monitoring tool very quickly.

Obviously, this will not happen in front of people who do not accept mistakes. Having the Product Owner, other stakeholders, or even their boss participate in the Daily Scrum is an idea that should be avoided.

Get Out of the Reporting Trap

To sum up, get out of the reporting trap and make your team and your organisation use the Daily Scrum as what it is: A daily opportunity to inspect & adapt for achieving the Sprint Goal - together!

And feel free to sit down.