What does a Scrum Master do in Daily Scrum?

Many people ask whether a Scrum Master is part of Daily Scrum. We know that the Scrum Guide tells us that Daily Scrum is for the Developers by the Developers. Scrum Master has nothing to do there and if they do attend, it might be a sign of Zombie Scrum.

Is it really true though? I strongly disagree with it. However, I do not think that in current remote-work world we can afford to miss opportunities to sync up with the team as Scrum Masters.

Though, the question that I would like to ask here is this: “How can a Scrum Master participate in Daily Scrum without breaking Scrum rules?” Let me give you a few practical tips.

As most of us are still working remotely and many of us will continue to do so in the future, we need to be able to adapt to the situation.

Previously, when we worked in the office, I had an opportunity to listen in to the Daily Scrum even if I didn’t attend it just because I was sitting nearby. I also often would have an opportunity to overhear discussions and jump on coaching moments.

However, I can’t do it remotely. That is why I find it quite useful to attend Daily Scrum meetings as an observer. As I say in the video: a fly on the wall.

I appreciate it for a couple of reasons:

While attending can be quite helpful for me, I need to always think about the values and principles of Scrum.

One of the key characteristics of great Scrum Teams is self-management. My presence at the Daily Scrum should not impede this important aspect.

That is why there are a few things I never do in Daily Scrum, such as:

When a team is very new, I might need to drive some initial conversations, but I quickly step away from this role. The members of the Scrum Team are professionals — they will figure out how to do it better.

My role is to help them understand the purpose of the Daily Scrum and teach them ways to keep it short and to-the-point.

Teaching Scrum is one of the first steps that any Scrum Master should take. It applies to the Daily.

There is the next step: coaching. So how do you actually coach your team and how do you do it in Daily Scrum?

Easy! Ask questions!

The goal is not to interrupt, but to generate insights and ideas. That’s what servant leadership is all about!

I like to take an extra minute after the Daily Scrum is finished to ask a few questions, raise concerns, or use it as a teaching moment.

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