10 common pitfalls to avoid on a Daily Scrum.

The Daily Scrum, also known as the Daily Standup, is a crucial event in the Scrum framework as it provides team members with an opportunity to align themselves together and inspect their progress towards the sprint goal, & make adjustments based on new information discovered. While the daily scrum is meant to be a short and focused meeting, it's important to be aware of some common pitfalls that can hinder its effectiveness. Typical Daily Scrum/ Daily standup anti-patterns to avoid are:
1) Status Meeting — The purpose of the daily scrum is not to provide a detailed update on every task and its status. It is not a reporting session to the project manager or stakeholders. Instead, it should focus on inspecting your progress towards the sprint goal, & adapt the activities.

2) No attention to Sprint Goal — The daily scrum is an opportunity to evaluate progress towards the sprint goal and make necessary adjustments. It is essential to keep the sprint goal at the forefront of the discussion and ensure that all updates and plans align with it.
And yes ‘Complete all sprint tasks’ is NOT a sprint Goal

3) Distracted Team Members — It is important that the team members stay focused, do not have side conversations, do not interrupt each other and keep all distractions at bay. Being distracted while your team members are speaking is not only disrespectful towards them, but also detrimental to Scrum and Empiricism.

4) No Time-boxing — The daily scrum is meant to be a short, time-bound meeting, typically lasting 15 minutes or less. Avoid allowing the meeting to exceed this time limit, as it can lead to loss of focus and productivity. Encourage team members to stick to the essentials and address any in-depth discussions outside of the daily scrum.

5) Superstars not allowing everyone to speak — The daily scrum should be a platform for all team members to share their progress and plans. It is important to ensure equal participation and prevent any single individual from dominating the conversation. Encourage everyone to speak up and actively listen to each other. If needed, the Scrum Master can step in to facilitate the discussion and ensure everyone gets an opportunity to contribute.

6) Make the daily a discussion — While the daily scrum is an opportunity to identify obstacles or impediments, it is not the place to solve them in detail. If a team member raises an issue, it is important to acknowledge it and note it down for further discussion after the daily scrum. Encourage team members to have separate conversations to resolve challenges, keeping the focus of the daily scrum on inspection & adaptation.

7) No discussion of Impediments — The foremost purpose of the daily scrum is for the team to inspect it’s progress towards the sprint goal, and make adjustments based on new information discovered, to surface impediments towards the goal. If a team continues to have daily without surfacing any impediments, then they are missing the big picture of it’s purpose, or not doing Scrum correctly.

8) Team members skipping the daily or moving out once they have spoken — Scrum works on the principal of Empiricism, and for empiricism to work it is imperative that the team maintains 100% transparency. If team members move out or skip the daily, it affects transparency and thus the team’s ability to inspect & adapt effectively.

9) Team members coming late — The daily scrum is a time-bound meeting, and it’s essential that everyone arrives on time. Being late can disrupt the flow of the meeting and cause delays, which can impact the team’s productivity. To ensure that everyone is on time, make sure to schedule the meeting at a convenient time for all team members.

10) Team not adapting or improving — The daily scrum is not just a routine meeting; it is an opportunity for continuous improvement. Encourage team members to reflect on their progress, identify areas for improvement, and share any insights or learning with the rest of the team. This fosters a culture of collaboration and growth, enhancing the effectiveness of future daily scrums.