Ask what we should be doing during a scrum, not what you are doing

Scrum is a popular project management methodology that is becoming increasingly popular in the workplace. The goal of scrum is to help teams work together more efficiently and deliver better results. However, many teams struggle to get the most out of their scrum sessions. Too often, the focus is on what each team member is currently doing, rather than what they should be doing. This can lead to inefficient use of time and missed opportunities for collaboration. It is important for teams to focus on what they should be doing during scrum, rather than what they are currently doing, in order to maximize their effectiveness and get the most out of their sessions. By focusing on what should be done rather than what is being done, teams will be able to better utilize their time and collaborate more effectively.

Why Focus on Should vs. Are

The purpose of scrum is to increase communication and collaboration within the team, and to organize work effectively so the team can deliver high-quality products and services. The method of scrum is based around the idea of organizing work through a daily scrum meeting, called a sprint. During this meeting, the team is focused on what they are currently doing, as well as what they should be doing. It is important to remember that the purpose of the daily meeting is to identify what they should be doing, not necessarily what they are doing. The team is organized into ‘stages’ and ‘roles’ to enable them to understand each other’s tasks and responsibilities. During the sprint the stages Sprint Backlog, Sprint planning, and Daily stand up or Daily huddle are used to identify what the team should and is doing. The team can also identify what they are doing and what they should be doing during the sprint, using the same stages, roles, and questions.

Steps to Focus on What Should Be Done

First, take a moment to reflect on the current state of your team and the tasks they are currently performing. As you think about the tasks your team is currently performing, ask yourself the following questions: What are we currently doing? What should we be doing instead? Next, identify what stage of work your team is currently in. This can be done by speaking with the team member who is responsible for the work your team is in, or by reviewing your project documentation. Next, identify your team’s ‘roles’ in the project. By roles I am referring to the organizational ‘roles’ that Team Members are assigned at different points in the project.

Benefits of Focusing on What Should Be Done

When teams focus on what they should be doing during scrum, they are able to more effectively use their time. This is because they are not wasting time on tasks that are irrelevant to the project or the team’s goals. Focusing on what should be done also helps the team identify and eliminate unnecessary work by helping them identify the ‘non-value-added’ tasks that are taking up too much time. This can help the team free up time for more strategic and high-value-added tasks, which can help them stay focused on the right things. As teams focus on what they should be doing during scrum, they will see a reduction in project risk. Reducing project risk helps teams to be more confident that they will not encounter unknown issues or problems while performing their work. This can help teams to reach their goals and complete tasks more efficiently and effectively.

Examples of What Should Be Done During Scrum

In this scrum meeting the Product Owner will describe their vision for the product and how their end users will use the product. The development team will then discuss what they will build with this information and what they should be doing with their tasks during the sprint. During the sprint, the development team will be focusing on what they should be doing instead of what they are doing. This scrum meeting is similar to the one described above, except the development team will discuss what they will build with the information provided by the Product Owner. The development team should be focusing on their tasks during the sprint. In this scrum meeting, the Scrum Master is facilitating a meeting to identify the project risks that are occurring and the tasks that are contributing to those risks. During the meeting the Scrum Master is facilitating the team in identifying what they should be doing and what they are doing.

How to Prioritize What Should Be Done

If you are still in the estimation stage of the sprint (the ‘reduce scope’ stage), then decide which of the ‘what should be done’ is the most important task. Once you have identified the most important task, decide how much time you want to spend on it. Keep in mind that there is a trade-off between the amount of time you spend on one task and the amount of time you spend on another. To find the right balance, decide how important you think the main task is, and then decide how important each of the others is. When deciding how much time to spend on each task, keep in mind that the most important task should be given the most time. After deciding how much time to spend on each task, prioritize the list by deciding which one has to be done first.

How to Measure Progress of What Should Be Done

If your team is working on the most important tasks, then it can be used as an indicator of project progress. It can also be used to identify the team’s needs for more resources or people, so the team can decide when they need to request those resources. If your team is working on the least important tasks, then it can be used as an indicator of team morale. It can also be used to help identify when team members need to be ‘re-trained’ or ‘refreshed’ on their tasks. One way to track team progress on the most important tasks is to assign a task number to each item on the ‘what should be done’ list. For each item on the ‘what should be done’ list, assign a task number and track its progress. Each time a team member completes a task on the ‘what should be done’ list, record the task number in the tracking tool.

Conclusion

By taking a step back and focusing on what should be done during scrum, teams will be able to more effectively use their time and free up time for more strategic and high-value-added work. They will be able to more easily identify and eliminate non-value-added work by focusing on the most important tasks. By tracking the progress of these important tasks, teams will be able to identify when team members need to be ‘re-trained’ or ‘refreshed’ on their tasks. The benefits of focusing on what should be done far outweigh the costs of focusing on what is currently being done. By focusing on what should be done, teams will be able to more effectively use their time and identify and eliminate non-value-added work, which can help them to stay focused on the right things.