Scrum Best Practices for Remote Teams

With increasing numbers of employees working remotely, businesses are being forced to adapt the way they work on projects. Scrum, one of the most widely used Agile frameworks, is ideal for remote operations—but it does have its own set of challenges. If your team is dispersed across different geographies or time zones, implementing Scrum successfully requires a few clever tactics. Here are three best practices that can keep your remote Scrum team motivated and talking.  These insights come from experts at HelloSM, a leading Scrum training institute in Hyderabad, who help professionals master agile techniques for modern workplaces.

Keep the Scrum Team Small

Scrum best works with small, self-managing teams. It's best to have 5-9 people in one team, typically. The larger teams become, the more difficult coordination is, particularly if the workers are not together in an office. Large teams slow down the progress and generate confusion during meetings or planning.

If you are working on a complicated project and require additional manpower, try to divide them into several small Scrum teams. This way, each team will work on separate parts of the project but for the overall cause. With task management tools, messaging software, and video conferencing, small distributed teams can stay connected and progress smoothly.

Manage Time Zone Differences Wisely

Remote Scrum teams tend to get dispersed across various time zones. While it makes it simpler for companies to acquire talent anywhere globally, it does bring in some communication and scheduling issues. These are a couple of things that can go wrong and how to make them right:

Communication Challenges

When members of the team are in different time zones, it is not easy to spare time for live meetings. Perhaps when one is starting their day, another is ending theirs. Also, different languages or styles of communication may cause miscommunications.

Cultural Differences

Work cultures differ across the globe. It is possible that at some meetings, members can freely talk about issues while other members keep quiet. The latter can bring about miscommunication or the sense of individuals feeling isolated.

Work-Life Balance Issues

If the members have to work unusual shifts just to join meetings, this will lead to burnout or stress in the long run. Establish "core working hours," some part of the day where everyone should be available online. For the rest of the time, leave scope for flexibility in order to decrease stress. And, have frequent "no-meeting" days so that team members can work without distraction.

Build Strong Relationships

In an ordinary office, individuals bond during coffee breaks or informal conversations. In remote working, those moments are lost. That may make the team isolated.

The following are some practices to facilitate trust and build team bonding while working remotely:

• Make Use of Video Calls: Eyeball-to-eyeball contact using video can bring team members closer than talking by messages.

• Cultivate Social Relationships: Organize virtual team games or hangouts from time to time to create relationships.

• Express Gratitude: Do not reserve gratitude for large successes. Appreciate daily effort through small thank-yous or shout-outs.

• Ask for Feedback: Establish a culture where the workforce feels comfortable giving their opinion. This helps problems be discovered early and makes everyone feel valued.

Also, when individuals can't see visibly what individuals are doing, there is a lack of trust. Make workflows transparent by keeping tasks live in common platforms such as Jira, Trello, or Asana. It keeps everyone informed.

Remote Scrum teams are tough but completely possible with the right practices in your pocket. Keep teams small, manage time zones carefully, and invest in relationship-building to establish a strong and effective remote team. Use the support of strong communication tools and a people-first philosophy, and your team can remain productive and engaged wherever they're based. With guidance from HelloSM, the best Scrum training institute in Hyderabad, teams can apply the right tools and practices to ensure smooth collaboration, no matter where team members are located. Remote or not, a well-run Scrum team can always deliver success.