• Scrum Master

5 tips for those who don’t believe in online Scrumming (yet)

At a distance yet making many meters with each other

You’re probably used to it by now: the cat on your desk, duplo across the room, partner vacuuming and you trying to focus. With the current measures to combat the corona crisis, we are working from home en masse. New challenges on your plate. Not only for you as a home worker within the household, but also for you as a member of an (Agile) team. Now suddenly you have to work with each other online. Online Scrumming, it generates a healthy skepticism in some people. Yet it can be done! Get started with the Remote Framework, check out these 5 tips or sign up for an in-depth online training.

You sit at a distance from the other team members, watching your webcam and talking to your computer. Really interacting and following through with the team online sometimes seems like a problem (with the emphasis on seems). So at Scrum Academy, we often get asked how to turn that problem into a workable challenge. In this article we give you our framework for working remotely with each other. This framework was born out of our years of experience guiding teams working together remotely.

After reading this article:

• you know what the ideal structure is for working together.
• Know how to keep collaboration running smoothly with frequent short meetings
• you know the preconditions for making cooperation optimal and continuously improving over a long period of time

Suppose, until recently, you just worked in a department. With reasonably clear division of labor. Led by a manager who comes by a few times a day and manages things. And you have a work meeting once a month to catch up with each other. The daily coordination is done sitting at your colleague’s desk. Or over the screen in the office garden. This is no longer possible now, since we work from home en masse. The situation calls for a different approach. For an online solution. For a new structure and a different protocol. And that is possible!

“Many people are used to working from home for a day, but don’t have the experience to really work together as a team remotely.”

Tip #1: Always stick to agreed-upon times. Popping right away works better than waiting for each other.

This is the Remote Framework, a variant of the classic Scrum framework. In this first part of your new framework, you see the framework for all the team’s online meetings. You probably notice it right away: relatively many and short meetings.

Tip #2: Always stick to the timebox. Running out of time is not an option.

Might sound like extra work, but why exactly do we recommend this? That way the daily team focus stays alive, you move mountains of work together and you keep improving the cooperation continuously. No endless meetings to waste valuable time. But effective, short meetings that allow you to launch each other over and over again. It is essential to appoint one facilitator (Scrum Master), otherwise the meetings quickly become chaotic and long-winded.

Tip 3: Choose 1 Scrum Master to facilitate the meeting. With multiple captains on a ship, you don’t keep a course.

Okay, I understand that the Remote Framework above may not answer all your questions right away. Especially if you have little or no experience with Agile teams and Scrumming. That is why I like to explain the Framework and give you an insight into which meetings we have from day to day. By the way, always have those meetings with images, it contributes to the interaction that is possible online. That way you stay sharp, disciplined and have fun with online teamwork.

Tip #4: Everyone calls with vision. Seeing each other gives energy. Even if your hair doesn’t look right for a moment.

Want to know how to apply this within your team and your case? Take the Online Scrum Master training or the Coaching Remote Agile Teams training. These trainings start every week. In small groups, plenty of time for practical questions and of course including the interaction you can expect from us. Register now!

Oh yes, I still owe you the fifth tip, of course. Rest assured, I am not ending this article with it for nothing. After all, it is also what you use to end the online work week with the team. At the end of each week, take a moment to look over your shoulder and decide together what you want to do differently/better the next week.

Tip 5: Take 1 point of improvement to next week. Continue to continuously improve online Scrumming.