What to Do When Scrum Meetings Go Wrong - Mike Cohn
Feb 5, 2025
Scrum meetings can feel like a frustrating traffic jam without clear direction. The discussion emphasizes the importance of focusing on meeting purposes to streamline productivity. Strategies like timeboxing and understanding sprint goals are highlighted to prevent discussions from dragging on. Just like highway lines guide drivers, proper meeting structures help teams navigate their tasks efficiently.
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Traffic Analogy
Mike Cohn hates traffic but doesn't blame the lines on the highway.
He uses this analogy to explain how Scrum meetings, like highway lines, are there to help teams move faster.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Focused Sprint Planning
Keep sprint planning focused on establishing the sprint goal and choosing relevant product backlog items.
Avoid lengthy debates on implementation details during sprint planning; discuss those separately afterward.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Avoid Detailed Discussions
Limit discussions during sprint planning to determine if items fit into the sprint.
Don't get bogged down in detailed estimations or implementation discussions at this stage.
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What to Do When Scrum Meetings Go Wrong - Mike Cohn
I hate getting stuck in traffic. I grew up in Los Angeles and lived in New York, so I should probably be used to it. I’m not. As frustrating as I find traffic, I’ve never gotten angry at the lines on the highway. The lines on the highway are there to help me and the other drivers go faster than we could without them. They tell us which direction we can go, where to position our cars, when it’s safe to change lanes or turn, and more. The meetings of Scrum are like those lines on the road—there to help us go fast. All too often, though, Scrum can feel bloated because teams allow the meetings to take too long. A good way to prevent this is by keeping each meeting focused on its purpose. One meeting that often seems to stray from its purpose is sprint planning. Let’s look at some ways you can keep that meeting moving in the right direction, starting with a refresher on the purpose. Purpose of sprint planning: To establish the sprint goal and choose the relevant product backlog items the team will tackle. As part of choosing the product backlog items for a sprint, team members typically discuss the tasks required to complete the product backlog item. Often these tasks are given estimates (in terms of hours). The result is captured in the sprint backlog. When things go wrong: While these discussions are helpful, they should last only long enough to help choose the appropriate work. If, on the other hand, team members get hung up in lengthy debates over which approach to use or how long each task will take, the meeting can quickly get out of hand. How to fix it: To bring the team back to the purpose of the meeting, remind them that you only have to decide if the item will fit in the sprint, not agree completely on how to approach it, or precisely how much time each task will take. Remind them that you can discuss implementation details at the beginning of the sprint. Offer to set up time with the relevant team members after sprint planning to dive into implementation specifics. For more on what to do when teams complain that Scrum has too many meetings, check out the blog "Do Scrum Teams Meet Too Much." Scrum Meetings Shouldn’t Be a Burden The meetings of Scrum should not be a burden. Rather they are like the lines on a highway: there to help a team move more quickly. If it feels like the meetings are slowing your team down, try making the changes I’ve described. Shortening meetings while still achieving the purpose of each will help you succeed with agile.
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