The Daily Scrum exists to sync plans and surface blockers-not to solve everything live. Here’s a simple pattern that keeps you at 15 minutes with energy left.
The goal of a stand-up (and why 15 min is non-negotiable)
- Share what changed, what’s next, and what blocks you.
- Push problem-solving to dedicated follow-ups.
- Keep the group moving; protect maker time.
Try this: Put “No problem-solving-follow-ups only” in the calendar description.
The 90-second pattern per speaker
- Yesterday’s outcome (1 sentence)
- Today’s focus (one chunk of work)
- Blockers (name it → propose follow-up owner)
With 8 people, 90 seconds each still leaves ~2 minutes to spare.
Keep the pace visible (without shaming)
Run a neutral timer overlay in Google Meet. Minute Minder shows a small countdown/elapsed timer and gently nudges Halftime, “5 min left,” and Overtime with soft visual cues (and optional chimes). No lecturing required-the room self-corrects.
Try this: Agree beforehand: overtime colors = we stop and book follow-ups.
Hand-offs and the parking lot
- Anything that needs >60–90 seconds goes to the parking lot.
- Assign a follow-up owner + time immediately (“Sam + Priya, 10:30 for API retry”).
- Keep the stand-up for alignment, not design sessions.
Example agenda (15 minutes)
- 00:00–01:00: Goal (PO/lead)
- 01:00–13:00: Rounds (90 seconds each)
- 13:00–15:00: Wrap-owners & times for parking-lot items
Minute Minder tip: Use a stand-up preset (time-boxed speaking turns + end-of-call wrap cue). If you don’t use presets, you can still run the timer, add Halftime, and trigger Wrap in 2 manually.
Make your 15-minute stand-ups honest
Install Minute Minder to keep a visible pace and a polite T-2 wrap. You’ll end on time, leave with owners, and free the rest of the morning for actual work.
Get Free Chrome Extension: https://minuteminder.io/
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