Scrum is a popular framework that Agile teams use to develop incremental products. One way to implement the framework is by holding meetings that allow members to provide updates and resolve challenges. Knowing what type of meeting to hold and how to organize it can optimize the quality of a final product and satisfy client requirements.
In this article, we explain what a Scrum meeting is and share its different components, types and tips for holding a successful gathering.
What is a Scrum meeting?
A Scrum meeting is a gathering of Scrum teams and company supporters to provide and receive project updates. The meetings operate using the Scrum framework, which is a project management system that involves breaking large development projects into smaller pieces. Regular meetings help Scrum teams meet deadlines and accommodate evolving requirements.Below are some key components of Scrum meetings:
Scrum roles
Here are the three key Scrum roles and how they contribute to meetings:
- Development team: Development teams consist of individuals ranging from developers and designers to business analysts. Teams may consist of four to nine people and operate independently, meaning they delegate tasks according to each member's skills and adhere to team rules.
- Scrum leader: The Scrum leader facilitates the development team to ensure efficient workflows. Their duties include teaching others how to apply the Scrum framework, overseeing meetings and resolving challenges.
- Product owner: The product owner is the project management lead for a Scrum team and performs duties like adjusting the product schedule and prioritizing backlog items. They serve as an intermediary between development teams and company supporters, which helps them create a cohesive vision for the project.
Related: Product Ownership: What Is It and Why Is It Important?
Scrum artifacts
During a Scrum meeting, participants may focus on these types of artifacts:
- Product vision: The product vision is a long-term goal that the project manager typically defines during the planning stages. It gives the team direction for the duration of the project and may evolve as new requirements become available.
- Product backlog: The product backlog is the list of tasks that are necessary for project completion. While anyone can add items to the list, the product owner reassesses the list and prioritizes each item.
- Sprint backlog: The sprint backlog consists of items that Scrum team members have committed to do during the current sprint. This backlog has an end date, meaning members can add and remove items at the end of the sprint.
- Product increment: The product increment is the sum of the completed product backlog items during a sprint. It's essentially a concrete step towards the final goal, with each increment adding on to those that came before it.
Structure and format
Here are key items regarding the structure and format of Scrum meetings:
- Time and duration: The time and duration of a Scrum meeting can vary depending on the type. For instance, daily Scrum meetings usually occur in the morning and only last 15 minutes.
- Participants: Scrum leaders can inform development teams and product owners of the time, duration and location of each meeting to ensure everyone's participation.
- Purpose: While Scrum meetings provide project updates, they tend to have a specific purpose. A focused approach helps team members address pressing issues and develop actionable solutions.
- Agenda: A Scrum leader might develop an agenda to guide the meeting and use participant responses to adjust meeting items as necessary.
Related Scrum terms
Additional terms that are relevant to Scrum meetings include:
- Working product increment: A working product increment is the sum of all tasks that a team completed during a sprint. At the end of this increment, a finished product is usually functional and available for testing.
- Sprint: A sprint is a fixed-length period during product development that may last for up to 30 days. During each sprint, the Scrum team holds numerous meetings among themselves, the product owner, the Scrum leader and company supporters.
- Timebox: This term refers to the maximum allotted time for a specific task.
- Organizational impediment: An organizational impediment is an obstacle that exists beyond a team's control. While teams can't directly eliminate these types of challenges, they can develop solutions for overcoming them to optimize efficiency.
- Burndown chart: Some scrum meetings make use of a burndown chart, which is a type of artifact. A burndown chart indicates how fast team members complete their assignments and whether the project is on schedule.
How to run successful Scrum meetings
Here are tips for successfully running the five different types of Scrum meetings:
1. The sprint planning meeting
During this meeting, the sprint team and the product owner negotiate which product backlog items to dedicate to the current sprint. The Scrum team pulls the top backlog item, commits it to the sprint backlog, produces actionable steps and creates a new sprint. While this type of meeting results in a new sprint, it can reference previous sprints to identify potential strategies for optimizing the team's workflow.
2. The daily Scrum
During this short gathering, development team members report their progress to each other during the current sprint. Daily scrum meetings usually occur in the morning and only last 15 minutes. Members who want to provide additional information can ask for a sidebar after the meeting. Each team member takes turns answering questions such as:
- What did I do the previous day (yesterday)?
- What will I do after this meeting (today)?
- What are the obstacles I face?
3. The sprint review meeting
During this meeting, the Scrum development team presents a potentially shippable product to the product owner. Members focus on demonstrating a working product rather than reporting. The development team converts any incomplete items into product backlog items, allowing the product owner to prioritize these items for future sprints. Attendees such as company supporters or end users may provide feedback.
4. The sprint retrospective meeting
A sprint retrospective meeting consists of team members reviewing and adapting their processes. The Scrum leader and development team can contribute input to create a feedback loop and prepare for the next sprint. The Scrum leader might determine common challenges that affect the team and work to resolve them. A potential solution resulting from this meeting could be petitioning the product owner for more funds or resources.
5. The backlog refinement meeting
During this meeting, the product owner and the Scrum team review the remaining product backlog items. The product owner usually prioritizes product backlog items. Then, Scrum team members plan a new sprint based on which item is at the top of the list.
How to get the most out of Scrum meetings
Here are some ways to optimize your team's Scrum meetings:
Prioritize teamwork
Scrum often involves breaking larger teams into smaller, fully cross-functional teams. While these teams have the members and skills necessary to perform each task, they can collaborate with each other to ensure efficiency.
Related: Characteristics of Good Teamwork (With Tips)
Stay focused
An effective Scrum leader can help teams understand that the goal of a meeting is to provide updates, not necessarily solve all changes. They can ensure everyone's focus by minimizing distractions.
Leverage technology
Software programs can help Scrum teams coordinate deadlines and quickly identify backlog items that require prioritization. Remote teams can leverage conferencing software to ensure collaboration despite limited interaction.
Encourage consistency
Try to establish a consistent schedule for your Scrum meetings, especially if you want them to occur daily. You can increase attendance and participation by holding the meeting at the same time and location. This consistency can also help keep everyone focused by providing a stable environment.
Common mistakes to avoid
Here are some common mistakes in Scrum meetings and how to prevent them:
Providing overly detailed updates
While Scrum meetings are for providing updates, team members can strive to keep them minimal. Being concise ensures team members receive only the most important information and dedicate their time to other pressing tasks. Consider what items are relevant to team members by asking for feedback and determining how they implement the updates you currently provide.
Excluding important team members
Every team member can contribute to a Scrum meeting, so try to encourage participation from everyone. A Scrum leader can allocate a specific amount of time to everyone so they can provide updates and address concerns. Other team members can be receptive to new ideas to facilitate continuous participation.
Delaying action
A Scrum meeting is the time to address issues, so try to develop solutions to problems as they occur. Being proactive can save teams significant time, money and stress. As being proactive may require you to implement solutions faster than you normally would, consider analyzing the impact of the solution to determine if it requires further adjustments.
Allowing them to run too long
Consider using daily Scrum meetings to quickly check in with your team and maintain a project's schedule. By ending these meetings after 15 minutes, you can encourage your team to focus on the most relevant details. Additional discussion can occur outside of the meeting between the relevant parties.