How to Run a Scrum: Fast, Enjoyable, Results-driven Meetings
The scrum, named after rugby, is familiar to most project managers. It is an important part of the #agileprojectmanagement framework (discussed in a previous edition here ), centered around a set of values, principles and practices. The scrum allows team members to self-organize, continuously improve, and reflect on wins and losses. A scrum is most often seen in software development settings but can (and should) be applied to other industries and settings for fast, reliable results-driven meetings.?The #scrum is a useful tool to keep projects on track, address issues and bottlenecks as they arise, and gives team members clear roles and tools that will in turn help them structure and manage their work. In this article, we will cover how to run a scrum and how to ensure that meetings are fast, enjoyable, and results driven.
Key elements of running a successful scrum
At its core, the scrum consists of sprints, daily meetings, and a product backlog that maintains work items. The roles of the scrum team include scrum master, product owner, and the development team. Each of these roles serve a very specific purpose and help ensure that the scrum is as effective as it can be. One of the other defining features of a scrum is continuous enhancement and feedback loops. There are a number of practices that can ensure a successful scrum. Some of them are listed below.
1.??????Define the Purpose of the Meeting
To have a successful scrum, there are a few essential tasks that must be completed ahead of time by the project manager or by the scrum master. One of the most important tasks to be completed ahead of time is defining the purpose of the meeting and ensuring that the purpose is made clear to all those in attendance. Having a clear objective for the meeting ensures that the scrum stays on track and fulfills that objective. Scrums should not be long drawn-out meetings, but rather quick and to the point. The scrum is an opportunity for team members to share progress updates, discuss any blockers they are experiencing, and commit to making further progress.
2.??????Stay Focused
Staying #focused is very important when it comes to scrums. It is easy to get off track and go off on a tangent, sometimes never returning to the main purpose of the meeting. To have a successful scrum, the meetings need to be focused and short. Identify what each team member is working on and have them list any problems they are facing. Questions that could be addressed during the meeting are “what work has been completed since the previous meeting, what are your current tasks, and are you having any problems?” It is important here to limit discussion to what was accomplished and what will be accomplished next.
3.??????Focus on #accomplishments rather than activities
When conducting the scrum, it is important that team members focus on what they accomplished rather than every specific activity they completed since the last meeting. While in some cases elaboration of those activities may be useful or necessary in describing those accomplishments or describing problems that have arisen, overall the focus of the meeting should be on what tasks were accomplished rather than focusing on specific activities. This will move the meeting along quicker and will keep the meeting focused on what is important.
4.???????Use a parking lot
Oftentimes during a scrum meeting, topics will arise that need to be discussed, but not necessarily in that particular scrum. When this happens, take note of all the topics that need to be discussed and place them in a “parking lot.” This way when the meeting is finished, teams are able to go back to the items brought up and find separate time to discuss those issues in more detail with the appropriate team. This will keep the scrum meeting on track while still taking note of issues that need more time to be addressed.
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5.??????Create a daily goal
Having a daily goal for the team each day can be very useful for a number of reasons. Whether the #goal is specific to completing a certain project or task, or making a certain amount of progress on something, it should be applicable to the entire team and should be something that can reasonably be accomplished. The benefits of having a team goal are that it keeps the team focused, motivated, and fosters #collaboration , #cooperation , and #teamwork .
6.??????Create an open and collaborative environment
An effective scrum necessitates collaboration, openness, and trust. Ensuring that all team members are able to collaborate and share information is essential for the scrum to work. Whether this is done through selecting the right team members to be on the scrum, promoting collaboration and openness on each meeting, or through fostering a collaborative mindset, the only way a scrum will be truly effective is if it is predicated on collaboration and openness.
Scrums are an effective way to run results-driven meetings, foster collaboration and trust, and create a successful and self-empowered team. The continuous feedback loops and enhancement allows for a more efficient process overall and saves time and energy. Having scrum meetings improves synchronization and communication across teams and divisions and allows for consistent problem solving. These tips and tricks are just a handful of ways that you can increase productivity through your scrum meetings. For more tips and tricks, check out the sources below. Overall, the scrum is a key project management tool to align team members with a project at hand, track progress, and deliver results.
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