Product Owner in the Daily Scrum: When? Thoughts & Tips
The daily Scrum meeting, also known as the Daily Scrum, is a central element in the Scrum framework. It offers team members the opportunity to discuss the Sprint Goal, obstacles, and other relevant topics. But a question sometimes arises: Should the Product Owner also participate in this daily event? When does the Product Owner have to participate in the Daily Scrum - if they ever have to? Let’s go into that in more detail.
When must the Product Owner participate in the Daily Scrum
The Product Owner in the Daily Scrum?
According to the Scrum Guide, the Product Owner aka PO is allowed to participate in the Daily Scrum, especially if he is actively working on the tasks of the current sprint. However, there is no strict requirement for the Product Owner to be present. The decision as to whether the Product Owner should participate in the Daily Scrum is to a certain extent the responsibility of the entire team.
It is understandable that some development teams would like to have the product owner present to get quick answers to questions or clarifications on the product backlog. This is allowed, but the product owner should limit themselves to supporting the activities of the developers and not intervene too actively in the meeting.
However, there are teams that deliberately refrain from having the Product Owner participate in the Daily Scrum. This could be due to the fact that the product owner has close ties to management and stakeholders, which could affect the openness of the developers. This is also okay.
During the Daily Scrum, it is crucial that the developers can speak freely and honestly about blockages, obstacles and progress. If the presence of the Product Owner is perceived as unproductive, it should be left to the developers to decide whether the Product Owner should be present.
So, when must the Product Owner participate in the Daily Scrum? To summarize briefly, theoretically they never have to.
However, there are situations in which the presence of the Product Owner at the Daily Scrum can be useful. On the one hand, this can improve team cohesion if the Product Owner participates as a silent listener. This is particularly important if there are signs of a growing distance between the product owner and the development team. By participating in some Daily Scrums, the Product Owner can bridge this gap and encourage communication.
When must the Product Owner participate in the Daily Scrum
Obtain feedback at an early stage
Another important reason for the presence of the Product Owner aka PO is the opportunity to receive feedback at an early stage. By actively listening during the Daily Scrum, the Product Owner can gain valuable insights into the daily activities, capacity and speed of the development team. This early feedback enables the product owner to improve user stories and make adjustments to the backlog.
In a way, the Product Owner’s participation in the Daily Scrum can therefore help to exemplify the short iteration loops and feedback cycles within the team, which hopefully also exist with customer feedback.
"Many team members are afraid to speak up!"
Solve this challenge
"We discover too many unexpected issues & bugs at a late stage!"
Solve this challenge
"Why does it sometimes take me hours to prepare a simple retrospective?"
Solve this challengeWhen must the Product Owner participate in the Daily Scrum
Improve team collaboration
If you generally want to improve your team collaboration and make your team development more measurable, then Echometer could be interesting for you - especially if you don’t have a dedicated full-time Scrum Master in your team.
Echometer is a digital tool that helps agile team leads with agile retrospectives and team Health Checks. Whether remote, hybrid or on-site: it makes team coaching measurable and professionalizes your work while saving you a lot of work. Just take a look at our website to find out more: www.echometerapp.com.
When in doubt, be agile: Experimentally bring the Product Owner into the Daily Scrum for, say, a sprint, and reflect in the next retro whether or how you want to maintain this.
Christian Heidemeyer, Psychologist & Scrum Master
When must the Product Owner participate in the Daily Scrum
Conclusion: Product Owner in the Daily Scrum
In summary, it can be said that the participation of the Product Owner in the Daily Scrum is not a fixed rule, but depends on various factors. The decision should be made in accordance with the team dynamics and the needs of the project. It’s not just about participating, but about finding the right balance to promote collaboration and information sharing in the development process.
Lastly, another note: If you’d like to try out how it feels to develop your team further with our tool: You can start an agile retrospective without logging in below, in this case the “Keep, Stop, Start” workshop.
Alternatively, simply forward our website to the responsible colleagues: www.echometerapp.com.
