How to participate efficiently in a scrum meeting
By: Christian Chaves Mora
Tags: Best Practices, Scrum, Agile Methodology

A scrum is a form of work where a set of good practices that facilitate collaboration and teamwork is applied. This methodology can be applied at the business level or the level of a project or in a personal-professional way.

They have also acquired fame and popularity in today’s companies, which apply in their lines of work and educate their employees with this way of working.

Scrum seeks, as part of its many objectives, to achieve greater efficiency in tasks and projects, as well as achieve greater use of resources and achieve greater employee satisfaction, by reducing complexity in certain aspects such as when in a project the requirements are changing or poorly defined and not delivered to the customer; likewise, it improves the innovation, competitiveness, flexibility, and productivity of the work team and the company in general.

At the academic level, the use of agile methodologies are considered a good practice of good leaders, since Scrum eliminates that heavy hierarchy that is usually associated with headquarters and that generate frustration in younger employees.

Scrum also seeks to train professionals capable of guiding a work team through good leadership, and that person who understands Scrum’s objectives and largely applies this methodology is considered a good leader.

Likewise, Scrum is not the solution to everything. Although it generates opportunities for improvement, training for employees to apply Scrum in their work can also be complex, especially if there is resistance to change or if professionals do not commit to the objectives of the methodology.

But, how to participate efficiently in a scrum meeting?

An important aspect to participate efficiently in meetings where Scrum is applied is assertive communication. Everyone involved should know first-hand what the project is about, the objectives and every aspect of relevance. Likewise, meetings must be efficient, that is, to transmit the information must be direct, clear and concise.

Good planning is also an important aspect during a Scrum meeting. We are dealing with people whose time is limited and require the best possible use to continue their responsibilities, therefore, a meeting should be planned in detail to discuss the most important points and devote the necessary time to resolve them.

Therefore, it can be summarized that the correct way to participate efficiently in a scrum meeting is due to good communication and planning. These are aspects that everyone involved should apply: from the highest position to the new apprentice.

My experience in Pernix has been mostly as an observer of the meetings, spaces are always provided to indicate the recommendations or propose ideas, but as an apprentice, in many aspects, I like to observe and then correctly formulate the contribution that I can give as observed and understood.

And it is thanks to that role of observer that I can highlight an aspect that seems to me to be a good applied practice, and that is to make short and concise meetings, where few agenda items are treated, but it is done clearly and efficiently, allowing All involved are better informed of the progress and at the same time do not miss the concentration in the meeting.

I consider that meetings of short periods once a day is preferable, then extended meetings once a week or from time to time, this would cause discouragement in people who attend meetings with little disposition and increases the possibility that after a certain Time is distracted and your performance is reduced.

Pernix has been able to apply scrum in his way of working and has also achieved that his employees recognize the importance of adapting to the methodology, and that is why he has achieved many of the triumphs that are recognized today, and of not losing the direction of its objectives, its mission, and business vision.

Clearly, there are always aspects to improve, and this will always be so, no methodology is perfect and at some time another methodology is likely more suitable for the business; But Pernix’s decision to use agile methodologies and good practices has allowed him to seize opportunities and have a more pleasant and efficient work environment.