Daily Scrum: Thoughts on Doing 'Daily Scrum' Better

Kurly's product organization defines Daily Scrum as 'a core practice for working as one team' and has released a guide for using it effectively. According to the Scrum Guide 2020, Daily Scrum is conducted within 15 minutes and serves as a venue for conversation to check progress against the sprint goal and resolve obstacles.

Cases of the 'worst daily scrum' discussed within the organization include lengthy discussions on specific issues, a reporting-style process that feels like having homework checked by a superior, one-way task dissemination with unclear purpose, and the absence of a goal to relate to. To prevent such formal, perfunctory meetings, teams should focus conversations on 'establishing a clear plan for today's work' and 'sharing obstacles.'

Key Principles for Effective Operation

• Autonomous Participation and Equal Voice: Without a facilitator, team members speak up voluntarily, devising strategy as equals rather than in a hierarchical relationship.
• Use of Visualization Tools: Team members look together at a work status board, such as a sprint board or kanban board, to grasp the situation and immediately update issue status.
• Skip Meeting Minutes: Writing separate meeting minutes is unnecessary; for remote work, this is replaced by sharing notes on key points or using a digital board.
• Start on Time and Keep It Short: Start on time without waiting for late arrivals, to maintain the team's energy level and prevent tardiness.

Since Daily Scrum is not an event exclusive to the Scrum framework, non-developers or teams using other frameworks can also adapt it into a 24-hour cycle meeting for sharing changes and strategy. What matters more than format is fostering a culture of mental unity among team members, reaffirming goals, and transparently surfacing and asking for help when commitments aren't met.