During sprint execution, the Scrum team works to complete the tasks and activities defined in the sprint backlog, aiming to deliver a potentially shippable product increment by the end of the sprint. This phase makes up the bulk of the sprint and follows these general patterns:
Task Completion: Team members self-organize to work on assigned tasks, often collaborating and swarming on complex items to ensure timely delivery.
Daily Stand-Up Meetings: Each day, the team gathers for a brief (usually 15-minute) meeting to discuss progress, plans for the day, and any blockers.
Progress Tracking: The team uses tools like task boards and burndown charts to monitor progress and adapt as needed.
Blockers and Collaboration: Any obstacles are identified and addressed, either during the stand-up or in follow-up discussions.
Continuous Improvement: The team may adjust their approach based on feedback and emerging challenges, always aiming to meet the sprint goal.
The daily stand-up meeting (also called the daily scrum) is intended to be held every working day of the sprint, typically at the same time and place for consistency. The purpose is to keep the team aligned, informed, and able to quickly address any impediments.
However, it is not uncommon for teams to feel that there is “nothing to meet about” if work is still in progress or if there is little visible change since the previous day. Despite this, the daily stand-up should still occur for several reasons:
In real-world project coordination, especially when working with cross-functional teams and relying on input from different departments, you often encounter delays while waiting for a specific deliverable or response. These waits can sometimes last weeks or even months. In such cases, you have the option to either postpone your daily scrum meetings or simply report during the daily scrum that you are still awaiting results from other teams.
Alignment and Transparency: It ensures everyone is aware of current work, upcoming tasks, and any potential blockers, even if progress seems slow.
Accountability: It encourages team members to stay focused and accountable for their commitments.
Early Blockers Identification: Even if work is not yet complete, discussing challenges early can prevent bigger issues later.
Team Cohesion: Regular check-ins foster team spirit and collaboration, especially in remote or distributed teams.
If your team genuinely finds the daily cadence excessive, some teams experiment with reducing frequency (e.g., twice a week) or moving to asynchronous updates, especially in remote settings. However, the standard Scrum framework recommends daily meetings to maintain momentum and alignment.
Even if work is not yet done, the daily stand-up remains valuable for alignment, transparency, and early blocker identification. Teams are encouraged to adapt the format or frequency if needed, but the daily rhythm is standard in Scrum.
Example Stand-Up Meeting Spiel
Step 1: Greet the Team
“Good morning, everyone!”
Step 2: Introduce Yourself (if needed) or Check In
“For those who don’t know me, I’m [Your Name], and I’m working on [your project or role].”
Or simply:
“It’s great to be here with everyone.”
Step 3: Share What You Did Yesterday (or Since Last Meeting)
“Yesterday, I worked on [briefly describe what you did, e.g., ‘developing the login page’ or ‘reviewing the design mockups’].”
Step 4: Share What You’ll Do Today
“Today, I’m planning to [describe your main task for the day, e.g., ‘finish the login page’ or ‘start testing the new feature’].”
Step 5: Mention Any Blockers or Issues
“Right now, I’m waiting on [mention if you’re blocked by someone or something, e.g., ‘feedback from the design team’ or ‘access to a specific tool’]. If anyone has any suggestions, I’d appreciate the help.”
Or if you have no blockers:
“I don’t have any blockers at the moment.”
Step 6: Close
“That’s all from me. Thanks, everyone!”
Full Spiel:
“Good morning, everyone! For those who don’t know me, I’m Alex and I’m part of the development team. Yesterday, I worked on fixing a bug in the login system. Today, I plan to start testing the new payment feature. I don’t have any blockers right now. That’s all from me. Thanks!”
"I noticed that the task board wasn’t updated yesterday, which made it hard for me to see the status of our current tasks. Could we make sure to update it before the daily scrum each day? That way, everyone stays aligned and we can spot blockers early."
This feedback is:
Focused on the process, not the person.
Specific about the issue.
Suggests a clear action for improvement.
Delivered in a collaborative tone.
Key Points
Avoid blaming or singling out individuals.
Keep feedback short and relevant to the sprint goals.
Reserve in-depth feedback or discussions for Sprint Retrospectives, which are designed for team reflection and improvement.
Keep it short and to the point.
Be honest about your progress and blockers.
Don’t worry about being perfect—everyone is learning!