Scrum is often described as "easy to learn but hard to master." While teams may understand the foundational principles, applying them effectively in practice can be challenging. Over the past year, I’ve taken a new approach to coaching by proactively addressing anti-patterns—common yet counterproductive behaviors or practices in Scrum. Through these anti-patterns, we identified areas where our processes diverged from the Scrum Guide and worked through course corrections to produce better business outcomes.
For example, one of the most impactful changes we made was breaking free from the Daily Status Report mindset during the Daily Scrum.
Daily Status Report Mindset
7:00 a.m., the usual morning lineup. One by one, team members quickly answer three questions in 15 minutes:
- What did I do yesterday?
- What will I do today?
- Any impediments?
If this sounds familiar, it’s a classic example of the Daily Status Report anti-pattern. These three questions, removed from the Scrum Guide in 2020, turn the event into a status update rather than a meaningful collaboration. While this approach offers structure, it doesn’t provide insight into whether the team is on track to achieve the Sprint Goal. The original intent of the Daily Scrum—to inspect progress and adapt plans—gets lost in the routine.
To address this and proactively address other anti-patterns, I focused on three strategies to help my team.
1. Raise Awareness
Before fixing a problem, we needed to recognize that a problem existed. In my example of the daily status report anti-pattern, many of my team members were surprised to learn that the three-question format had been removed from the Scrum Guide. This is an example of the continual evolution and improvement of the scrum framework. I guided the team through a discussion about the reasons for this change and how adopting improved practices around the daily scrum can improve how we work. Additionally, a few team members were not aware of the Scrum Guide and its purpose so educating the team on the Scrum Guide was also part of our discussion. Sharing the Scrum Guide and the realization of this change was a turning point—it sparked curiosity about other updates. I organized a Lunch & Learn session to review key changes to the guide, encouraging open dialogue. Here’s a summary of what we discussed:
This session not only bridged knowledge gaps but also demonstrated that Scrum is a living framework that evolves to address real-world complexities. Practices and behaviors that may not be considered an anti-pattern now, could be determined to be in the future based on the continuous evolution of the scrum framework. As current best practices are refined and new ones are discovered, the Scrum Guide is also refined and updated to reflect these improvements.
2. transfer ownership
In this example of addressing the daily status report anti-pattern, I empowered my developers to choose which Daily Scrum format gave our team a greater sense of ownership, enhanced buy-in, collaboration, and commitment. After all, the Daily Scrum is for Developers, not for the Scrum Master or Product Owner. As we know from the Scrum Guide, while the Product Owner focuses on what and why, Developers determine how to accomplish the Sprint Goal.
Ownership transfer is a powerful technique that can be used for addressing any anti-pattern. In another example, my team faced challenges with external work disrupting progress toward the Sprint Goal because key team members were frequently pulled into unrelated tasks. To address this, we blocked off dedicated “heads-down” time for focused work and I collaborated with the Product Owner to prioritize external requests. By respecting the team’s need for autonomy, we created a culture of trust and focus.
3. Break the Cycle with Space and Grace
Breaking ingrained patterns isn’t easy. Change often brings discomfort, pushing us out of our routines. To ease this transition, I emphasize space and grace: space to experiment and grace to make mistakes. This supportive environment enables teams to embrace change with confidence and mutual respect.
During our daily scrums, imagine if Developers shifted the conversation from rote answers to questions like:
- Are we on track?
- If not, how can we adapt?
The Bigger Picture: Why Anti-Patterns Matter
If we stopped and took a 100-foot view of how our teams worked, we may discover many anti-patterns. Often, these are learned behaviors supported by the company’s culture or rise based on the team’s constraints. Sometimes, they are well-intentioned practices thought to improve or create efficiency. However, taking the time to evaluate the team’s practices to determine if each is getting the desired result is an important duty of the Scrum Master or Agile Coach.
The Daily Status Report anti-pattern emerged because teams clung to outdated guidelines, applying a rigid routine to a flexible framework. By raising awareness, empowering Developers, and fostering a culture of growth, we restored the true purpose of the Daily Scrum: to inspect progress, adapt plans, and move closer to the Sprint Goal.
Prior to addressing the daily status report anti-pattern, my coaching efforts extended to other anti-patterns, such as overly prescriptive retrospectives and outdated roles. Each anti-pattern represents a risk that can hinder progress if left unaddressed. By identifying and addressing these risks, we strengthened our adherence to Scrum values—courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness.
Every Scrum Team faces challenges, but ignoring them can derail processes, people, and progress. Coaching through anti-patterns taught me that change begins with conversation and curiosity. With thoughtful coaching and a commitment to learning, we transformed our ceremonies into valuable opportunities for collaboration and progress. After all, better is always possible.