Scrum Kumbaya

"This much positivity in the morning is a lot to take!”

I was speaking with a Scrum team member recently whose Scrum Master was trying just a little too hard. The Daily Scrum had turned into a positivity meeting rather than a quick, collaborative touch base. Every day it stretched to 30 minutes (!), with everyone asked to share a thought of the day and so on.

The intention was good — but the impact was... just a bit much too much time in meetings. Team building is great, but when it happens every day, it can be a little overwhelming.  As one person put it, "This much positivity in the morning is a lot to take!"

The Purpose of the Daily Scrum

We all want to be that amazing Scrum Master who helps the team succeed. I think maybe I watched too many low-budget Disney sports movies as a child, but I want to be the person whose team takes it across the finish line, wins the game, or makes a big win for the organization.

And while feel good speeches have their place, it's not really needed in Scrum most of the time. As Scrum Masters, we have to remember what we are here for. As a Scrum Master, my purpose is to improve the adoption of Scrum so that the team can focus on value delivery. One of the important services that I provide to the team is to ensure that the Scrum events take place, and that they are positive, productive and kept within the time box.

The Daily Scrum is meant to be a quick, focused 15-minute synchronization. The Developers talk about how it's going, identify any impediments, make sure they are on track to deliver the Sprint Goal, and then they move on. It's a quick collaborative touch base, and then it's over.

High-performing Scrum teams value events that help them collaborate effectively and then get on with delivering value. When a well-meaning Scrum Master adds too much extra positivity and sharing, the meeting can stop serving its purpose.

Positivity Has Its Place — But Not at the Expense of Productivity

You are spending too much time in the Daily scrum if:

• The Daily Scrum regularly exceeds 15 minutes

• The focus shifts from Sprint Goal progress to pretty much anything else

• Team members start dreading the meeting 

• Coordination feels secondary 

If this sounds familiar, it’s worth asking the team directly if there is anything they would like to do differently. We can all improve - even the Scrum Master.