With all recent CSM grads and visit from Mike Cohn, we're making a lot of tweaks to the process. One great tip came from Mike (based on a question from a new Scrum Master):
People on a team will get into the habit of answering the three Daily Scrum questions by addressing the Scrum Master directly. This reinforces the "Scrum Master is the Lead" mind-set, which is not what you want. Each team member is addressing the team as a whole, making a commitment to them.
The tip is for the SM to avoid eye contact. Look at the ground, at the task board, etc. This forces the speaker to address others in the team.
Works like a charm!
6 comments:
This is a tricky area imho. By looking at the ground/etc you risk seeming disinterested or bored. The scrum master is also part of the scrum right? Body language is a tricky thing.
That's a good point! Perhaps a concentrated stare at a single point in the distance...like you're really focused on what they are saying.
Whenever I am engaged in a conversation with a group and feel that I am the only person being engaged, I typically try to look at the people who have been left out of the discussion; in my experience, this has often been an effective way to shift the speaker's focus to the neglected members.
Even though dont have issue of body language..the trouble is serious when working with offshore teams... they seem desperate for a guide ......
I have recently discovered this trick as well. What I do now is take notes on what the team members are saying. I open the meeting request for that day's scrum and type away (these notes are for my consumption only obviously). That way, they know I am listening but also don't expect me to look at them.
One way I've seen this dealt with is for the Scrum Master to ask the first person, then that person wou ask the next person, and so on. Having the team member answer his/her 3 questions and then having them call on the next team member removes the Scrum Master from leading the meeting. She/he is just another member of the team.
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