Tips for conducting scrum daily in a big team

Scrum is a popular framework for managing and completing complex projects. It’s particularly well-suited for small teams, as it provides a structure for collaboration and communication.

What is the recommended size for a scrum team?

For large enterprise projects, the ideal Scrum team size is 7 people (product owner, scrum master, and 5 developers). 

Why do we have a big team with Android and iOS engineers in the first place?

For a small organization features are developed simultaneously for both platforms. In most cases, organization does not have enough resources to run two teams. To conduct better status update meeting or all-over collaboration(Managing Inter Team & Intra Team Dependency), we may come up with the next question:

For a small organization, do we need to separate the Android and the iOS teams?

For a small organization, it depends on the resources and goals of the organization.

1. Separating the Android and iOS teams: This approach allows for more specialized skills and expertise within each team. Each team can focus on their specific platform, and potentially develop more optimized apps for each platform. This approach can be useful if the organization has enough resources to sustain two separate teams and if the organization wants to develop highly optimized apps for both platforms.
2. Merging the Android and iOS teams into one team: This approach allows for more collaboration and cross-functional skills within the team. It also allows for more efficient use of resources, as the organization doesn’t have to maintain two separate teams. This approach can be useful if the organization doesn’t have enough resources to sustain two separate teams, or if the organization wants to release the app on both platforms simultaneously.

Ultimately, it depends on the resources, goals, and priorities of the organization. If the organization has enough resources and wants to develop highly optimized apps for both platforms, it may make sense to separate the teams. If the organization wants to make the most efficient use of resources and release the app on both platforms simultaneously, it may make sense to merge the teams.

It’s also important to note that having a hybrid approach is also possible, where the team is cross-functional but still have some level of separation based on the specific platform expertise.

Challenges for conducting scrum daily

There are three major challenges for conducting scrum daily in a big team of 8+ people.

1. Difficulty in keeping the meeting focused: With a big team, it can be easy for the daily Scrum to become disorganized and for people to start discussing unrelated topics. It’s important to have a clear agenda and to keep the meeting focused on what was accomplished yesterday, what will be accomplished today, and any blockers that need to be addressed.
2. Difficulty in addressing all blockers: With a big team, there may be a lot of blockers that need to be addressed. It’s important to prioritize the most important blockers and to ensure that they are addressed in a timely manner.
3. Difficulty in maintaining the timebox: Daily Scrums should be timeboxed to 15 minutes, but with a big team, it can be easy for the meeting to run over time. It’s important to stick to the timebox and to keep the meeting focused to ensure that it doesn’t run over time.

By being aware of these challenges, you can take steps to mitigate them and ensure that your daily Scrums are as effective as possible for a big team.

Tips for effective daily

However, managing a daily Scrum meeting with a big team(8-16 people) can be challenging. Here are some tips to help make your daily Scrums more effective:

1. Stick to the timebox. Daily Scrums should be timeboxed to 15 minutes, for a big team you can make it a maximum of 20 minutes. This helps keep the meeting focused and ensures that everyone stays on track.
2. Have a clear personal agenda. Before the meeting, create an agenda that outlines your work. This will help everyone come prepared and stay focused during the meeting.
3. Keep it simple. Daily Scrums should be focused on what was accomplished yesterday, what will be accomplished today, and any blockers that need to be addressed. Avoid going into too much detail or discussing irrelevant topics. Schedule a separate meeting for discussing with details.
4. Encourage participation. Make sure that everyone on the team has an opportunity to speak during the daily Scrum. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and that everyone’s concerns are addressed.
5. Keep it remote-friendly. If some of your team members are working remotely, make sure that everyone can participate in the daily Scrum regardless of their location. Use videoconferencing or other tools to ensure that everyone can hear and speak.

By following these tips, you can help ensure that your daily Scrums are effective and that your large team is able to work together efficiently to complete your project.

✍️ Written by Ishtiak Ahmed

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