HKSM

A short, daily, timeboxed team meeting to synchronize progress toward the Sprint Goal, surface impediments, and plan the next 24 hours.

Purpose & When to Use

The Daily Standup keeps the team aligned and moving together. Its purpose is to inspect current progress, adapt the plan for the next day, and make impediments visible early so they can be removed quickly. Use it every working day of the Sprint, ideally at the same time and place, and keep it strictly timeboxed.

It is a team planning and coordination event, not a status report to management. People doing the work are the primary participants. The Scrum Master ensures it happens and protects the timebox; the Product Owner may attend to clarify goals or priorities but should not direct individuals during the meeting.

Mini Flow (How It’s Done)

• Start on time, same time and location (or same video link). Enforce a 15-minute timebox.
• Ensure the Sprint Backlog, task board, and burndown/flow metrics are visible to everyone.
• Facilitation approach: prefer a "walk the board" from right-to-left (Done to To Do) to focus on flow and blockers. Alternatively, use concise personal updates. In either case, tie updates to the Sprint Goal.
• Each team member briefly states: what moved since yesterday, what will move next, and any impediments or risks. Avoid problem-solving here.
• Scrum Master captures impediments in an impediment log and assigns an owner for follow-up. If cross-team help is needed, schedule it after the standup.
• Update the board as you speak so the plan for the next 24 hours is clear.
• End on time. Hold micro-huddles immediately after for deep dives with only the necessary people.
• Distributed teams: keep cameras on if possible, rotate time for fairness across time zones, and allow brief asynchronous notes if someone cannot attend live.

Quality & Acceptance Checklist

• Happens daily during the Sprint; starts and ends on time (15 minutes or less).
• Focused on achieving the Sprint Goal and planning the next 24 hours, not reporting to a manager.
• Everyone doing the work speaks; no one dominates; side discussions are deferred.
• Impediments are clearly stated, captured, and have an owner for removal.
• Visuals (board/burndown) are updated in or immediately after the meeting.
• Actionable next steps are visible on the Sprint Backlog.
• Meeting continues even if the Scrum Master or Product Owner is absent.
• Follow-up huddles are scheduled for problem-solving outside the standup.
• Remote attendance is supported with reliable audio/video and shared boards.

Common Mistakes & Exam Traps

• Turning it into a status report to the Scrum Master or Product Owner. The team speaks to each other, not to a boss.
• Exceeding 15 minutes or solving problems in the meeting. Problem-solving comes after.
• Skipping the standup because "there’s nothing new" or because a leader is absent. Consistency matters; impediments often surface only when the team speaks.
• Rigidly forcing the classic three questions even when they don’t serve the Sprint Goal. Use "walk the board" to emphasize flow and value.
• Letting the Product Owner or Scrum Master assign tasks. The team self-organizes; individuals volunteer and coordinate.
• Failing to update the board or burndown, leaving the plan unclear.
• Waiting for latecomers or restarting. Start on time to reinforce discipline.
• Using the standup to evaluate individual performance or micromanage—this undermines transparency.

PMP/SCRUM Example Question

During a Daily Standup, a developer mentions they are blocked waiting for a database schema change from another team. What is the best next action?

1. Begin detailed discussion to design the schema change during the standup.
2. Capture the impediment, assign an owner, and schedule a follow-up immediately after the standup.
3. Ask the developer to send a status report to the project manager before the end of the day.
4. Extend the standup beyond 15 minutes so everyone can weigh in and resolve it now.

Correct answer: B. The standup surfaces the blocker; problem-solving happens afterward. Capture it in the impediment log, assign ownership, and schedule a focused follow-up.