Collaboration oriented Daily Scrum
This post is part of 101 ideas for agile teams.
Context
Your team has a Daily Scrum and answers the typical three questions about what the individual team members did, what they plan to do and what impediments there are.
However, the team members work mostly for themselves, and there is a lack of real collaboration. Consequences are local decisions that are sub-optimal and poorly communicated in the team and result in knowledge silos.
Action
Answer the following three questions during the Daily Scrum:
- What did we achieve as a team since the last Daily Scrum?
- How do we work together as a team today?
- What impediments hinder collaboration?
Focus on the team, not individuals.
What did we achieve as a team since the last Daily Scrum?
Tell the others about new features, problems, decisions made — not what was done by whom.
How do we work together as a team today?
Make a “plan” about who works with whom on what. Talk about how to invest the team’s resources (knowledge, time):
- Who pairs with whom? When do they start?
- Who needs help, who helps? When do they sit together?
What impediments hinder collaboration?
What should be changed immediately so that the team can collaborate? What can you try to solve the impediment?
What you gain
Your team gets a daily reminder to work on their capability to collaborate.
How to strengthen
Observe your team and take the observations as input into your retrospectives. Talk about how to foster collaboration.
Combine this idea with Daily Scrum Story by Story.
Risks
Team members that value their individual contribution over teamwork will struggle with the rest of the team. Talk to them and try to explain that software development is a team game, not a solo campaign.
Please help me improve this idea by providing feedback.
More ideas at 101 ideas for agile teams
Many thanks to bbv Software Services for making this blog post possible.
