In a big company there are often dozens, if not hundreds of projects going on at the same time. Getting stuck on a bad one - one that's disorganized, frustrating, and sure to forget any contribution you make (no matter how major) - is a pretty common occurrence. Disengaging yourself skillfully becomes a kind of art form.
My team reached its limit recently after being assigned to a poorly run project for three months. As a parting gift, we gave lots of advice on how the project should be run - not 20% Scrum/80% Chaos, but 100% Scrum. The accountable manager then had his team define project had goals, milestones, a short-term schedule, and yes, a daily stand-up meeting.
The result? Just as my team is preparing to disengage, we find we're suddenly quite busy! The daily scrum has done some impressive things. It has:
- Shown the real team. The people who really aren't committed don't bother to come to a brief, daily meeting. It's very clear who the people doing the work are.
- Increased collaboration. The area experts have become known, and people ask them questions.
- Sped the project. Issues that would have delayed people for days are now resolved much faster.
Not bad for a meeting that lasts no more than fifteen minutes. You still need those other things - goals, milestones, and schedules. But if you want an effective project team using Scrum, don't skip the daily stand up meeting.
Technorati tags: Scrum Scrum Process