Inspect progress and adjust plans in the daily scrum
5 min
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:
- Define the daily scrum as a meeting for developers to inspect progress, address impediments, and adjust plans
- Explain that the daily scrum enhances focus, communication, and quick decision-making
- Emphasize that the outcome should improve workflow and process efficiency
- Recognize that the daily scrum is time-boxed to 15 minutes per day
What is the daily scrum?
The purpose of the daily scrum is to inspect progress toward the sprint goal and adapt the plan for achieving the sprint backlog and sprint goal as necessary.
👇Inspect progress toward the sprint goal in the daily scrum.
The daily scrum is a 15-minute event for the scrum team’s developers. To reduce complexity, it is held at the same time and place every working day of the sprint. If the product owner or scrum master are actively working on items in the sprint backlog, they participate as developers. The scrum master helps maintain focus and ensures that the timebox is respected and the event is productive.
👇Click the four icons below to learn about what happens at the daily scrum.
The daily scrum is a core event that improves communications, identifies impediments, and promotes quick decision-making.
Keep in mind that daily scrums are not:
- A status meeting
- A detailed problem-solving session
- For management or other stakeholders—only the scrum team attends
The developers can select whatever structure and techniques they want, as long as their daily scrum focuses on progress toward the sprint goal and produces an actionable plan for the next day of work. This creates focus and improves self-management.
The daily scrum is not the only time developers are allowed to adjust their plan. They often meet throughout the day for more detailed discussions about adapting the rest of the sprint’s work.
Get started with the daily scrum
The daily scrum is typically held at the same time and place every day to establish a routine. There’s no mandatory format for how to conduct a daily scrum meeting as long as it supports the purpose. One popular format include developers answering three key questions:
- What did I do yesterday?
- What will I do today?
- Are there any impediments in my way?
👉 For example: A marketing team might discuss completed tasks, upcoming campaigns, and any blockers like delayed approvals. Topics that require more discussion or problem solving with specific team members are taken offline. The focus remains on inspecting progress and adjusting plans collaboratively.
The scrum master facilitates the meeting, ensuring it stays within the 15-minute time-box and that the team remains focused on the sprint goal.
The benefits of the daily scrum
The outcome of the daily scrum should be a clear, shared understanding of progress and any adjustments needed to meet the sprint goal. This leads to improved workflow, better team collaboration, and faster issue resolution.
👇Click the three tabs below to explore some of the benefits of the daily scrum.
Limiting the daily scrum to 15 minutes helps the team stay focused on the sprint goal and immediate tasks. The scrum master is responsible for ensuring the team stays within the 15-minute timeframe.