A guide I wrote for the Scrum development team in my previous startup and intended to foster actual team self-organisation vs. top-down Scrum.

Perhaps too dogmatic in places it is presented here for posterity if not value.

A sprint backlog is made up of PBIs (Product Backlog Items) plus a delivery plan (Sub Tasks & Estimates). The team will focus on delivering an increment of “Done” for every PBI based upon this delivery plan.

The daily standup is an “informal mini planning event” to ensure the team understands what is planned for the next 24 hour period of delivery (of the plan).

To understand the remaining sub tasks to deliver the aforementioned plan, the current state of the sprint must be known - hence why the team members inform each other of what they worked on in the previous 24 hours and ensure Jira remains up to date.

It also provides the following additional benefits:

• A method of cross-checking progress with team members;
• An accountability mechanism that has each team member accountable to other team members for their responsibilities;
• A visible demonstration of the ability of the team to self-manage their project responsibilities.

Standup format

Answers to the following 3 questions only please:

1. What task(s) did you work on/accomplish yesterday? - Keep brief - the focus should be on what the team are planning for today
2. What task(s) do you plan to work on/accomplish today?
3. What issues are currently preventing progress?

Guidelines

1. These guidelines are not dogma - the Scrum team can decide what works best for them. All suggestions are welcomed.

2. Remember the standup is not a formal reporting meeting, nor is the team reporting to the scrum master (or other project stakeholders) - no minutes will be sent out.

3. To reiterate, it is an “informal mini planning event” for the team’s next 24 hour delivery period and not a solutioning workshop - no new ideas and no multitasking.

4. Jira should be updated prior to the standup for the previous 24 hours period - no updating should occur in the standup (for this period).

5. Try to stick to the questions at all times (except whereby the team has agreed to change).

6. Everyone should be on time and prepared.

7. The last person on the call will be responsible for commencing the standup conversations. Further the scrum master is not required to host the call (it is not a reporting meeting); in his/her absence the team should continue to have the standup.

8. Time limits may be enforced for conversations. Anyone in the team can insist on moving a conversation out of the standup - remember updates should be applicable to everyone.

9. Non team members (i.e. participants not responsible for delivery of sprint backlog) are welcome to the standup but do not have a formal speaking role.

10. The team is self organising, hence the Scrum team members are responsible for proactively ensuring the blocking issues are addressed/removed. Further the standup is not the sole means of communication - team members should not wait until the next stand-up to raise/resolve blocking issues.