Approaching the Daily Scrum

1. Approaching the Daily Scrum Geoffrey Bourne, SVP of Private Bank Mobile Technology at Citi gbourne@gmail.com

2. Let’s Talk About the Daily Scrum ”Anybody who thinks talk is cheap has never argued with a traffic cop” -Henny Youngman, Comedian • A Daily Scrum is all about the team talking • Talking about what they did • Talking about what they will do • Talking about what they can’t do • But how do you approach the Daily Scrum to achieve real value?

3. Approaching the Daily Scrum ”When you approach a problem, strip yourself of preconceived opinions and prejudices…make the decision that seems the most honest, and then stick to it.” -Chester Bowles, Connecticut Politician • Make the Daily Scrum MEANINGFUL • Make the Daily Scrum STRUCTURED • Make the Daily Scrum ENGAGING (& FUN)

4. A Meaningful Scrum • The goal of the Daily Scrum is to facilitate communication amongst the team members. • As the Speaker • Communicate: My goal is to clearly and concisely communicate my three updates. • Clear & Concise: My goal is not to show-off, mumble through my update so I can be done, or go off-topic. • Good for All: I embrace the belief that the better my team understands the better off I am. • As a Listener • Attention: My goal is to pay attention and mentally relate the update to my work, my team member’s work, and the overall project. • Prepared: My goal is not to think about what my pending update (because I’m preparing on the spot). • Respect: I respect the speaker.

5. A Structured Scrum • The Daily Scrum is organized, optimized, and observant. • Organized: Each team member speaks, comes prepared, and observes punctuality. • Optimized: The team observes the 15-minute meeting time, stands, and liberally takes longer discussions offline. • Observant: Respect is shown to the speaker by listening to them - clarification questions from the team at the end are acceptable.

6. An Engaging (& Fun) Scrum • Keep the Daily Scrum fresh by mixing things up. Don’t let repetition and predictability destroy engagement. • Talking Token: Toss around a “talking token” so no-one knows if they need to speak next – keeps them on their toes. • Food for Fun: Bring in a healthy morning snack, or try a “Breakfast Scrum.” • Celebration of Success: Occasionally ask the team to recognize someone who helped them achieve yesterday’s goals. • Time Change: Every few weeks switch the Daily Scrum from the morning sessions to an evening session.

7. Q & A Contact: gbourne@gmail.com