Does life ever feel like a hack rather than on purpose?

You want your life to have meaning and impact. Daily life is made up of the spaces we gather and the moments we interact with one another.

What if your spaces, moments, and interactions not only felt natural and intuitive but also aligned with your priorities and positively impacted those around you?

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If you’re considering Scrum, you’ve probably noticed there are several new meetings.

Do you have to do all these Scrum meetings?

I empathize with this question, and I don’t like unnecessary meetings. I want to protect focused time for deep creative work. If you’re considering Scrum but concerned about how many meetings there seem to be, this article is for you.

Key ideas we’ll cover:

Understanding how each Scrum meeting focuses on a clear purpose

How often have you been in a meeting you didn’t need to be in? Or maybe it was a meeting nobody needed to be in. It just didn’t need to happen. This kind of experience is all too common and has given most of us a general suspicion when it comes to new meetings. 

When meetings lack clarity around format and function, people want to avoid them

Death by Meeting is an entertaining and insightful book by Patrick Lencioni. At the end (spoiler alert), he compares meetings to types of media. A TV show, a movie, or a commercial each have different lengths and formats, just like they have different purposes. We generally accept these differences because we have clear expectations of the format and understanding of the media’s purpose. Nobody wants to see a 2-hour commercial or a 90-second movie.

Similarly, when meetings lack clarity around format and function, people want to avoid them. But meetings can be both engaging and effective when there is clarity about why we’re having the meeting, and it is formatted to support and fulfill this purpose.

So let’s look at the purpose of each Scrum meeting

  • Sprint Planning: Clarify the direction and goal for the sprint. Establish an initial plan for how the whole team will complete the work in the sprint backlog to complete the sprint goal.
  • Daily standup / Daily Scrum: Everyone on the team gains updated visibility into everyone else's work. They evaluate and make adjustments as needed to stay on course.
  • Backlog Refinement: Understand upcoming work, clarifying the goals, motivations, and dependencies.
  • Sprint Review: Present finished work to stakeholders for feedback.
  • Sprint Retrospective: Review how the team worked during the sprint to make necessary adjustments to continue working more effectively.
Each meeting in Scrum has a clear purpose, and the whole team should have a clear shared understanding of this purpose. This reality alone makes the meetings better than 90% of other meetings.

You’ll see each meeting has a part to play in the three pillars of Scrum

When you end a meeting and aren’t sure if it was worth it, it may be because you were clear on the reason for the meeting beforehand. Each meeting in Scrum has a clear purpose, and the whole team should have a clear shared understanding of this purpose. This reality alone makes the meetings better than 90% of other meetings.

Identifying which current meetings get replaced by Scrum

In order to see what meetings can be replaced by Scrum meetings. We need to start by clarifying how often Scrum meetings occur.

Scrum meetings have a maximum length. If they can be shorter, do that, but Scrum time-boxes meetings to keep them from going too long.

Frequency of Scrum meetings

Most meetings occur at some regular cadence, and it may be daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually.

  • Sprint Planning: Once a sprint, at the very beginning, lasting about 1 hour per week of the sprint.
  • Daily standup / Daily Scrum: Every day of the sprint (except maybe the first day if it’s redundant to sprint planning). The meeting only lasts 15 minutes in total.
  • Backlog Refinement: This meeting may vary depending on the length of the sprint. Usually 1-3 times a sprint. The total time for all the refinement meetings is around 1-2 hr/ week of the sprint.
  • Sprint Review: This is on the last day of the Sprint. The maximum length of 2 hours.
  • Sprint Retrospective: The Retro is the final meeting and concludes the sprint. The maximum length is 2 hours.

You’ll notice many of the meetings have a maximum length. If they can be shorter, do that, but Scrum time-boxes meetings to keep them from going too long.

Now that you’ve seen what Scrum meetings accomplish and when they occur, you may begin looking more critically at the meetings already taking up space on your calendar.

What traditional meetings do Scrum meetings replace?

This will certainly depend on the meetings you have as a team, but here are a few typical meetings you can cancel or reduce because Scrum meetings fulfill their purpose.

Let’s be honest; some of these meetings could be replaced by an email.

Weekly catch-all meetings 

Sometimes called a staff meeting, this meeting is often near the end of the week where the team discusses some important topics, maybe evaluates the week and looks ahead to plan future projects. Much of the content of this kind of meeting is covered by the backlog refinement, review, retrospective and sprint planning meetings. This meeting is no longer needed when practicing Scrum.

Status meetings

Let’s be honest; some of these meetings could be replaced by an email. A key value in agile is Individuals and interactions over processes and tools. Therefore we want to maintain interaction when providing updates. The sprint review and daily standup accomplish this purpose very effectively. You can cancel your other status meetings when practicing Scrum. They aren’t needed.

Ad hoc discussion meetings

These kinds of meetings are the type that sneaks in and takes over most people’s calendars. They are the 1-hour meeting to discuss a specific topic the team is working on. When practicing Scrum, the team still needs conversations to problem-solve or coordinate on crucial points. But they tend to be shorter interactions, like a 15-minute conversation or a slack message. They already have context and maybe even started the discussion during the standup or backlog refinement. These ad hoc meetings can be both shortened and less frequent.

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Exploring the danger of only implementing some of the Scum meetings.

I’ve had leaders ask if they could just implement some of the Scrum meetings. Each meeting has a specific purpose, and if you take a Scrum meeting out of your regular team rhythm, you will likely have a gap around that purpose.

Let’s look at two common scenarios where skipping meetings is a problem.

Limited backlog refinement

Sometimes, people will suggest, “Just let the product owner and scrum master handle the backlog.” Behind this comment is a misunderstanding that the Scrum Master is in charge of the Scrum team and decides what they do. Agency is critical to the health of a self-organizing team, and removing it will significantly reduce their effectiveness.

Each meeting has a specific purpose, and if you take a Scrum meeting out of your regular team rhythm, you will likely have a gap around that purpose.

Another problem with not including the team in the backlog refinement is the loss of visibility and insight. The team won’t know about the work coming up, and that understanding may critically inform the work they are doing now. Members of the team have areas of expertise, and thus their insight is needed during the backlog refinement meeting.

Not-so-daily standups. 

Another common suggestion is, “Let’s try having standups just 2-3 times a week.” I get it. You’re going for fewer meetings. But what are you saving? You’re saving about 30-45 minutes of meeting time. Now, what does it cost? Having less frequent standups will likely make your remaining standups go longer, eating into your precious saved time. 

There is also something about the rhythm of connecting briefly each day that keeps the team in sync in a way that every other day just doesn’t. This frequency increases collaboration and synergy within the team and reduces redundancy and other waste.

Next steps for understanding Scrum meetings.

I hope this article helped you identify and understand the purpose of the different Scrum meetings. This clarity is essential when helping a new team learn Scrum.

If you want to learn more about specific Scrum topics, below are a few to choose from or check out my What is Scrum? A Guide for Everyday People to Learn Scrum. If you have more questions, please feel free to reach out on LinkedIn.

Still not sure about your next step with Scrum? I offer a couple of free coaching sessions each month. You can signup for a free 1-hour coaching session, and we can work together to identify a good next step for you.

Does life ever feel like a hack rather than on purpose?

You want your life to have meaning and impact. Daily life is made up of the spaces we gather and the moments we interact with one another.

What if your spaces, moments, and interactions not only felt natural and intuitive but also aligned with your priorities and positively impacted those around you?

Discover your Everyday Design so you can focus on what’s important.

This post is part of an upcoming guide called Everyday Scrum? A Guide for Everyday People to Learn Scrum where I will explore and explain the key elements of Scrum.

Perhaps you have heard about Scrum but are not exactly sure what it is. Or maybe you know some about it but are not sure how to apply it, especially outside a software development context.

You find my my current and future guides on everyday.design. Signup to be the first to know when new guides are released.

There are a lot of new terms when learning the Scrum essentials, and this post probably introduced you to some of the vocabulary.

If you want to learn more about specific Scrum topics, here are a few to choose from or check out the scrum FAQs.

Applying Scrum

Agile in Everyday Life

Scrum Roles

Scrum Meetings

Scrum General Topics

Scrum Advanced Topics

To learn more about Scrum, check out my What is Scrum? A Guide for Everyday People to Learn Scrum. If you have more questions, please feel free to reach out on LinkedIn.

FAQs

Scrum events overview

What are the Scrum events?

Sprint planning, daily standup, backlog refinement, sprint review, sprint retrospective.

The rhythm of scrum consists of various events.

  • Sprint planning
  • Daily standup 
  • Backlog refinement
  • Sprint review
  • Sprint retrospective
  • The sprint

The last on the list is sometimes debated as to whether or not it’s actually a scrum event. I include it because it's critical to creating a cadence of work for the team. 

Learn more about the rhythm of scrum. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.

What scrum events are timeboxed?

Every Scrum event is timeboxed.

Most scrum events are timeboxed relative to the length of the sprint:

  • Sprint planning: 2 hours / sprint week.
  • Daily standup: 15 minutes.
  • Backlog refinement: 2 hours / sprint week.
  • Sprint review: 1 hour / sprint week.
  • Retrospective: 45 minutes / sprint week.

Just because an event has a timebox doesn’t mean it needs to be that long. The timebox is the maximum time allowed for the event.

Learn more about the different scrum events. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.

When should scrum events be held?

The Scrum team has freedom to adapt when some of the Scrum events are held.

Scrum events are generally held in the following order

The backlog refinement session is unique in that it can be held anytime. 

Explore further the events of scrum. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.

Which scrum event is most important?

Trick question...

I included this because it is frequently asked, but the question misunderstands the importance of the scrum events. It’s like asking which of your limbs is most important. You may be able to answer, but they are really all critical. 

If pressed for an answer, the daily scrum probably has the greatest impact on the team's effectiveness. 

Learn more about the events in scrum. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.

Scrum events responsibilities

In which scrum event(s) is the product owner mandatory?

The product owner must attend sprint planning, backlog refinement, sprint review, and the retrospective.

The product owner is required to attend the following scrum events:

They are not required to attend the daily standup, though it is still highly recommended.

Learn more about who attends each scrum meeting. Then explore the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.

Scrum events purpose

What is the goal of each Scrum event?

Each event has a clear purpose.
  • ‍Sprint planning: Clarify the direction and goal for the sprint. 
  • Daily standup: Everyone on the team gains updated visibility into everyone’s work. 
  • Backlog refinement: Understand upcoming work.
  • Sprint review: Present finished work to stakeholders for feedback.‍
  • Sprint retrospective: Review how the team works and make necessary adjustments.

Understand the purpose of the scrum meetings. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.

Which scrum events facilitate inspection and adaptation?

Every event includes inspection and adaptation.

Inspection and adaptation (along with transparency) are pillars of scrum, so all events involve them.

  • Sprint planning: the purpose and work of the sprint are inspected.
  • Daily standup: progress toward the sprint goal is inspected, and adjustments are made.
  • Backlog refinement: upcoming work is inspected, and PBIs are adapted.
  • Sprint review: delivered work is inspected, and upcoming work is adapted
  • Retrospective: team health and interactions are inspected, and norms or plans are adapted.

Learn more about the role of events in scrum. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.

Which scrum event is for process improvement?

Each Scrum event plays a role in process improvement.

Process improvement aligns closely with the scrum pillars of transparency, inspection and adaptation.

  • Sprint planning: How do we improve the product?
  • Daily standup: How do we improve our approach to the sprint goal?
  • Backlog refinement: How do we improve the quality of the product backlog?
  • Sprint review: How do we improve the functionality being delivered?
  • Retrospective: How do we improve how our team works together?

Out of all the events, the retrospective is the most focused on process improvement.

Learn more about events in scrum. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.

What is the goal of the scrum of scrum event?

Coordinating between multiple Scrum teams focused on the same product.

The scrum of scrums is an extra scrum event used when multiple scrum teams are collaborating together on a single product. The session allows the teams to update each other on what has been done, what obstacles have been encountered, and what to do next. The scrum of scrums follows a similar pattern to the daily scrum session.

To learn more explore the most common terms in a Scrum glossary.

Facilitating scrum events

How to facilitate scrum events?

Facilitation is customized to the event and the needs of the team.

Scrum events have a clear purpose and agenda but are still very interactive. Facilitation of scrum events is at its best when everyone is engaged, asking or responding to questions. All events are timeboxed, so the facilitator must ensure the team is always moving toward the goal.

Learn more about team member's responsibilities during scrum events. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.

How to improve scrum events?

Scrum events improve as participation increases.

Three strategies for increasing participation in scrum meetings are

  1. Clearly state the goal. Sometimes people don’t engage because they are unsure about the purpose.
  2. Use facilitation games. There are many facilitation exercises available for the scrum events.
  3. Invite feedback. Inspection is a pillar of scrum. Ask the team for feedback on what went well and how to improve.

Learn more about everyone’s roles and responsibilities during the scrum events. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.

Who facilitates (or owns) scrum events?

Different members of the Scrum team facilitate the various Scrum events.

Scrum cultivates shared ownership for all the events, but each still has a facilitator.

Learn more about everyone’s roles and responsibilities during the scrum events. Then explore the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.

Does the scrum master facilitate all the scrum events?

The Scrum Master primarily facilitates sprint planning and the retro.

The scrum master primarily facilitates two scrum events:

  1. Sprint planning
  2. The retrospective

The scrum master can help facilitate other meetings while a new team is beginning to learn scrum.

Learn more about roles during scrum events. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.