Scrum Master: How to Conduct a Scrum Meeting with Your Team?

• Problem-solving – issues are discussed during Scrum meetings;
• Training – the Scrum master plays an important role in adapting new team members to the project and other participants;
• Motivation – after Scrum meetings led by a good Scrum master, the team feels connected to something valuable and understands their place within the team. This positively impacts motivation and project management quality;
• Asking questions like ​“How can we do better what we already do well?” or ​“Which processes do not add value to the product?” and so on.

1. Encourage discussion – Scrum, retrospectives, and sprint planning are useless without open discussions by the entire project team. The Scrum master’s task is to encourage such interaction using collaboration tools (corporate wikis, document exchange systems, etc.).
2. Remove obstacles to successful project completion – creating and improving communication tools (e.g., building a team library), performing routine tasks to advance the team (updating process schedules, etc.), and resolving participant issues discussed during meetings.
3. Act as a ​“preacher” of Scrum – knowing and understanding Scrum, they teach the team how to maximize the methodology.
4. Provide a common project vision – combined with the role of a motivator, this is especially relevant for projects with many sprints involving different team members.
5. Resolve conflicts – constructive criticism and avoiding a toxic environment are crucial. The Scrum master helps manage disputes, ensuring the discussions remain productive.

What is a Scrum Meeting?

A Scrum meeting is a vital tool in the Scrum methodology. Meetings are organized daily (mostly in the morning) and moderated by the Scrum master, often the project manager or team lead.

1. What did I do yesterday to complete the sprint?
2. What will I do today?
3. What problems did I encounter?

Besides synchronizing the team’s work, Scrum helps:

• Develop a common project vision – everyone understands the project’s direction, reducing the likelihood of unpleasant surprises.
• Set realistic tasks and track progress.
• Unite the team – employees learn to listen, understand each other, and express their thoughts clearly.
• Find better solutions.

1. Recording the Scrum meeting – No one will read a detailed meeting report except the Scrum master, who may miss some problematic aspects. It’s a waste of time and demotivates the team, as they feel everything is being recorded.
2. Scrum meeting only for the Scrum master – Since the Scrum master curates the meeting, participants often make mistakes: looking only at the Scrum master, waiting for their approval while others continue their tasks. This is a sign of an unproductive environment. The Scrum master’s task here is to establish the ​“participant-speaker – other participants” connection.
3. Using Scrum meetings for planning – A new task may arise during the meeting, and the temptation to distribute and discuss tasks immediately is strong. Often, the Scrum master changes the format of the Scrum meeting. The solution is simple: hold a 15-minute meeting after the Scrum to address new tasks.
4. Technical discussion during Scrum meetings – One team member might know more about the project’s technical aspects than another. Focusing on these details creates inequality and hinders Scrum’s objectives.
5. Holding Scrum meetings far from the workplace – Ideally, Scrum meetings are held near the Scrum board (open Gantt chart), helping the team quickly assess task progress.
   
   

   

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6. Scrum meeting consists of only two questions – ​“What did I do yesterday?” and ​“What will I do today?” Few are willing to discuss problems and risks, especially not in a group setting. However, without addressing sprint completion obstacles, the meeting will be ineffective.

• What did I do yesterday?
• What will I do today?
• What obstacles are in my way?

1. Limit participants to 6 – If the project team has more members, divide them into groups, each with its own Scrum master. Groups usually split based on tasks (e.g., testing, development). Then, Scrum masters discuss the issues with each other and interested parties.
2. Address urgent problems – Some obstacles are critical and need immediate resolution. Do not let the 15-minute limit hinder the work. If the Scrum meeting needs to be extended, the Scrum master decides this with the team.
3. Set clear rules for daily scrums – These should be clear to all team members and accessible at any time (e.g., written on a flipchart at the meeting place).
4. Avoid personal conversations – Discussing yesterday’s football match, parking issues, or supermarket prices wastes the precious 15-minute block. The Scrum master’s job is to notice deviations and steer the discussion back on track.
5. Develop an effective format – If meetings drag on, suggest holding them standing up. Research from Texas A&M University shows that standing up nearly doubles work efficiency. If participants lack initiative, turn the daily Scrum into a game. Have the team member who answered the three questions toss a ball to a random participant to ​“pass the turn.”
6. Ask additional questions when necessary – If team members’ responses do not mention problems, ask, ​“How confident are you in completing this task today?” This approach encourages participants to review task status, change labels, and identify potential obstacles.
7. Start and finish meetings on time – Even if half of the participants are absent, do not postpone the daily Scrum. This instills discipline in the project team and shows that meetings are not held for mere formality. Similarly, the Scrum master should not be late.
8. Thank participants at the end – A positive mood at the start of the day guarantees task efficiency. The main thing is to avoid making this a mere formality.