How can you handle conflicts during the daily scrum?

Conflict Management depends on type of conflict and level of conflict, say conflict might be coming since we do not have clear understanding of Definition of Done or working agreement, or it is because we have different values (speed vs stability). In general building trust and ability to have open conversation in team creates foundation for conflict management. On top of it using the structures like DoD , Working Agreements, Backlog Refinement clarify the communication. The Daily Standup should not be carried away in resolving conflict, but we should identify what conflict needs attention and based on nature and priority we need to handle it.

As scrum master, remain neutral and steer the conversation back on track if tensions rise. Enforce the 15 minute timebox. Acknowledge emotions but don't let them derail progress as it is not detailed conflict resolution meeting. If needed, take individuals outside to cool off. Avoid criticizing others during the meeting. Coach the team on constructive feedback and positivity. If conflict persists, facilitate a separate discussion to resolve the issue. Set expectations upfront regarding scrum goals, roles, and norms of behavior. With the right guidance, the daily scrum can enable open communication even during disagreement.

As per the Scrum Framework, Daily Scrum is leveraged to specifically update plans and escalate impediments/blockers to sprint progress. Moreover, for Daily Scrums to be truly effective, it must have a fixed agenda time-boxed within 15 mins Conflicts, disagreements, and blame games are time consuming and exhaustive. These are more of Parking Lot Issues which can be reserved for the 16th minute discussions after the Daily Scrum ends. While the Scrum Master mediates between the team members for conflict resolution, Conflict Management, per se, is a topic of retrospection in the Sprint Retrospective It is imperative that the participants don't digress, respect their productive work time, and strictly abide by the boundaries of the Scrum events

The way to manage conflict in the daily scrum depends on the current situation. If, as scrum master, you can find out the root cause and solution within the timebox, then it is great to discuss the solution in the same meeting. However, if you are not able to find out the root cause of the problem, then you should ask relevant questions to the team to find out the solution. For example, the conflict may be related to personal issues in the team, the Definition of Done (DOD), story estimates, or something else. Focus on the root cause first, and then provide the solution and resolve the conflict in the team.

Back to the basics first as “conflict” is not Daily Scrum-specific: The Daily Scrum is a critical event for inspection and adaption, run by the Developers, and guiding it for the next 24 hours to achieve the Sprint Goal. The Daily Scrum is the shortest planning horizon in Scrum and, thus, highly effective in contributing to the Scrum Team’s success. Contrary to popular belief, its 15-minute timebox is not intended to solve all the issues addressed during the Daily Scrum. Instead, it is about creating transparency, thus triggering the inspection. If an adaption of the plan or the Sprint Backlog , for example, is required, the Developers are free to handle the resulting issues at any time.

1. Rotating the speaking order can be a subtle yet effective way to manage time. By doing this, everyone shares the risk of being interrupted towards the end. It also keeps everyone mindful of not taking up too much time. 2. Implement Non-Verbal Cues: instead of interrupting, use hand gestures to communicate with the speaker. Signals like "you're running out of time" or "wrap it up" can help the speaker conclude their thoughts smoothly. 3. Maintain consistency: it might feel rigid initially, but consistently sticking to the timebox is essential. Over time, the team will adjust and appreciate the efficiency. 4. Remember why it's called "Stand-Up" : standing encourages brevity and keeps the meeting on track.

Contrary to popular belief, its 15-minute timebox is not intended to solve all the issues addressed during the Daily Scrum. Instead, it is about creating transparency, thus triggering the inspection. If an adaption of the plan or the Sprint Backlog , for example, is required, the Developers are free to handle the resulting issues at any time.

Give people incentive to think about what they're going to say ahead of time. For example, you can consider having team members post their status in a shared channel first. This way, people are prepared and informed when they attend the meeting and the majority of the time can be used for clarification and negotiation. It also provides a durable record that can be referenced later.

Ensure that the team understands the purpose of the Daily Scrum. Each team member should provide a concise update about their work. They can follow the classic format of sharing what they did yesterday, what they plan to do today, and any obstacles they're facing. Encourage team members to keep their updates brief and relevant. This will help to make the timebox respected and avoid any side arguments.

Respecting the timebox of the daily scrum is important when conflicts emerge. Rather than allowing debates to drag on and disrupt workflow, the Scrum Master must keep discussions concise and on track. If deeper dialog is needed, issues can be tabled briefly and returned to after the meeting. Compromise and next steps rather than winning arguments should be the aim. Preserving alignment and progress updates for the team takes precedence over extended dispute. Conflicts nonetheless deserve airing, so post-scrum talks can uncover root causes and solutions while allowing the ceremony to fulfill its purpose within time constraints. Keeping disputes productive and the daily scrum process intact are both respected in this balanced approach.

A Scrum Master should be neutral and bring an objective perspective; reducing bias and controlled emotional in the conflict. They should have strong communication and conflict management skills, which can help guide the conversation towards a constructive resolution. There should be general ground rules to help maintain structure, ensuring that all parties have an opportunity to be heard. Team Working Agreements are a great place to start.

This is a tricky one! To effectively handle conflicts during the daily scrum, you can: Don't try to pretend it's not there. The more you try to ignore it, the bigger it will become. The daily Scrum is a time-boxed meeting. If the conflict is taking up too much time during the daily Scrum, or if it's getting too heated, you may need to take it offline. This will give everyone a chance to cool down and get a fresh perspective. The daily Scrum should be a place where people feel safe to share their ideas, even if they're unpopular. This means creating an environment where people feel respected and valued is a must. Foster a culture of “the conflict is the path”. This is a huge step towards a safer environment for everyone.

Individuals should be empowered to resolve conflicts on their own first. If the scrum master is too involved in mediating interpersonal squabbles, it can greatly reduce their ability to be an advocate for the team as a whole.

The Scrum Master can help during conflicts by providing impartial facilitation. Involving them allows discussions to continue constructively versus direct opposition between team members. As an ally, the Scrum Master ensures discussion norms are followed to find solutions, not escalate disputes. Their guidance preserves daily scrum goals. Later, one-on-one discussions further resolve issues, preventing disruptions and aiding team cohesion.

If there are conflicts among team members, the Retrospective is a better place to address those in a team setting. Involving the Scrum Master is, therefore, not Daily Scrum-specific.

Consensus is over-rated; consent is, in many situations, the better decision-making step, as it allows moving on and avoiding being trapped in an analysis-paralysis situation with politics and faction-building entering the scene. Scrum is a team sport. That does not mean that all decisions are consensual as long as everyone agrees on the decision process as stated, for example, the team’s working agreement.

Use caution when trying to optimize for consensus. Managing work so that everyone is happy often isn't effective and can be an indication that the team is conflict-avoidant. Similarly, remember that compromise isn't one-sided. If one person is constantly sacrificing to satisfy others, there's a bigger problem that needs to be addressed. Teams should be able to self-organize around a clearly articulated set of shared values. When disagreements inevitably arise, looking to these can be an effective way to determine the right path forward.

After involving the Scrum Master, the next step is to actively seek consensus or compromise. The Scrum Master can help moderate the discussion and look for common ground or points of agreement between differing views. Even if full consensus isn't reached, compromise on key issues or a short-term solution may allow work to continue smoothly. The goal should be to find an acceptable resolution, not convince others or "win" the argument. With patience and cooperation from all parties, consensus or a meeting in the middle is often achievable if the focus remains on team progress rather than individual preferences. Coming to an understanding, even if provisional, helps keep the sprint on track.

Don't look for consensus... look for buy-in! Listen to the people, ask for different ideas and encourage them to accept one way to move forward. People may not 100% agree with that, but if they can live with it, we can go ahead.

Oftentimes conflicts can arise from different interpretations of the parameters of an issue. A primary focus should be making sure everyone is on the same page for what the problem is. Conflicts are far harder to resolve if participants are speaking past each-other about fundamental attributes of the issue at-hand.

It's easier to depersonalize feedback when there is a substantial amount of trust. Even then, it's hard. Feedback mechanisms should also be omni-directional. In particular, people who have more functional power or influence within an organization should actively seek and incorporate feedback.

Embracing constructive feedback is another key step. During conflict resolution, actively listening to understand multiple perspectives fosters cooperation. Offering feedback in a respectful manner and being open to receiving it also paves the way for continuous improvement. Disagreements happen, but focusing discussions on shared goals and how to work better as a team moves things forward. Valuing commentary that advances efforts, even if unconventional at first, can generate innovative solutions. A growth mindset allows feedback to enhance collaboration, processes and outcomes over time. Establishing a culture where feedback is welcomed strengthens the team and sets up less likelihood of recurring conflicts in the future.

Foster a culture of safety. In such environments, team members feel empowered to share, critique, and iterate without apprehension. It's where feedback isn't just tolerated, but celebrated, knowing it's shared with the intent of mutual growth. Every team member is responsible in cultivating this atmosphere. When individuals can both offer and receive feedback gracefully, we witness the full spectrum of collaboration: diversity of thought, shared learning, and, most importantly, relentless progress! In this culture, conflicts are no longer feared but embraced as another step towards excellence.

Awareness is a key factor to success. If you feel something hit you personally, or you sense someone taking a comment personally, you should park the conversation, and be honest. Take some time to think about the different approaches before continuing the discussion. But if the comment is personal, park it and address it individually/directly and openly with the person who made the comments. That may not have been the intention, but it is an indicator of a lack of awareness.

Constructive feedback isn't often fun or easy to hear or incorporate, but those critiques are also a good barometer of your team's comfort and willingness to engage with challenges facing the group. Recording, critically evaluating, and applying this feedback both helps improve the topic the feedback was addressing, while also helping show the team that their contributions matter, further fostering enthusiasm and buy-in from team members.

I think Team leaders should Encourage Empathy in the team. They should motivate team members to think about other people's viewpoints. Misunderstandings or discrepancies in duties and responsibilities can occasionally give birth to confrontations. Encourage compassion and an appreciation of each person's unique contribution. Set ground principles for the daily Scrum's communication. Team members ought to, for example, listen intently, respect one another's viewpoints, and refrain from interjecting during speeches.

A Scrum Master should be creating a safe and inclusive environment, encouraging open dialogue and enhancing the chances of reaching a mutually agreeable solution, making the process smoother and more effective. As the prompt suggests, conflict can be a healthy and productive part of team dynamics. However, it's crucial for the team to have a shared understanding that they are on the same team and all share the common goal of success. Fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose among team members is essential for effective conflict management and overall team success.

Fostering a positive culture is key to effective conflict handling. Leaders emphasize respect, empathy and understanding between team members. This establishes psychological safety to share concerns without fear of retaliation. Regular team building reinforces rapport outside of work demands. With an overall supportive culture centered on strengths like active listening and respect, teams can work through conflicts constructively during daily scrums and beyond.

?? A sign of a mature team isn't the evasion of conflicts but the adeptness in navigating them. Such teams understand that the occasional tussle of ideas, when approached constructively, paves the way for innovation and refined strategies.

At times it may not be the ideal or preferred way of doing things but the only way to get things done in time. It is eventually the PO/PM who has to take ownership and lead with taking into account all reservations, disagreement and issues. The best way is to keep calm and manage individuals the way they need to be managed. There is no technical or principle skill needed here. It is just basic conflict management logic that needs to be applied in the correct way to achieve whatever goals are at hand

Team conflict is the "Ha" stage in "Shu Ha Ri" "Shu Ha Ri" is a Japanese concept used to describe the stages of learning and mastery. "Shu" stage, people strictly follow rules and teachings, focusing on mastering the basics. "Ha" stage, where learners start to break away from these rules, exploring variations and adapting the knowledge to their own needs. "Ri" stage represents mastery, where learners have internalized the knowledge to the point where they can create their own techniques.

Conflict isn't always a bad thing. Teams that exercise Psychological Safety often have healthy conflict about how something will be implemented. It is not personal, it is about collectively finding the best way forward.

Example 1: Prioritisation Conflict A developer insists that their task is high priority, but the product owner disagrees. During the scrum, instead of arguing, they outline their reasons. The Scrum Master suggests a quick post-scrum meeting to delve into the issue with data from user feedback, leading to a consensus on prioritisation. Example 2: Technical Disagreement Two team members have a technical disagreement on the implementation of a feature. The Scrum Master listens to both sides during the scrum and recognises the conflict requires a deeper technical discussion. They arrange a separate session with the relevant technical leads to explore the pros and cons of each approach, resulting in a hybrid solution.

In my experience, we sometimes get caught up in the "how" to do things and the best process to use. And each has different opinions. Conflicts are a reminder of the gap in the Team's agreed upon values that are important for them to provide their competitive advantage. The best way forward is to get buy-in on a solution to deliver results on time. As a long-term strategy, during retrospectives work collaboratively with the team to create agreed-upon team values to help resolve similar conflicts in the future.

Fundamentally it’s about keeping the team focused on the goal. Try to keep the conversation objective with regard to what’s the best way to achieve the goal and avoid personalising things. As part of this ensure that the whole team is engaged in the conversation such that it moves aways from a debate between two personalities.